(AFP File Photo)
Egypt was ranked among the 15 slowest countries for Internet speed according to the NET INDEX interactive map, ranking 184 among the 200 countries included on the list. The average upload speed in Egypt reached 2mb, while the average global download speed is 23.2mbps, according to NET INDEX.
According to the interactive map, many African countries have exceeded Egypt in Internet speed including Guinea, Senegal, Gabon, Burundi, and Ethiopia.
The areas of El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Minya, Fayoum, Banha were ranked the worst in terms of Internet services, while the best areas were Ramses, Downtown Cairo, Hurghada, Alexandria, and Port Said.
As for Internet upload speed, Egypt continues to hold low rankings, as the Internet upload speed reached 1.06mbps, while the global average upload speed is 10.7mbps according to NET INDEX. Countries such as Togo, Cameroon, and Peru have exceeded Egypt in this ranking.
Regarding the cost of Internet service in Egypt, the country ranked 52 out of 62 countries included in the Internet services’ cost ranking, where the cost of the service in Egypt was estimated at $26.3 per month, with the average cost of the service globally is estimated at $5.2 per month.
Meanwhile, youth who took part in the Internet revolution had a meeting last week with the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Khaled Negm where it was agreed the Internet speed will be increased while prices will decrease. During the meeting, Negm promised to communicate with service providers in the Egyptian market in order to implement a plan in May.
Also, during the meeting, they agreed on cancelling the speed of 512kb while the price for the 1mbps will be EGP 45, 2mbps will be EGP 95 and 4mbps will be EGP 190. The minister affirmed that this price plan will be accredited by the start of next month. The actual packages of Internet services are: EGP 95 for the 512kb speed, EGP 140 for the 1mbps speed and EGP 220 for the 2mbps speed.
Youth who represent the Internet revolution had three meetings last year with officials from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA). During the meetings, they discussed the problems that users suffer concerning service providers, but also suggested new price plans for the different Internet speeds and how to improve the service quality as well as customer service. Afterwards, representatives of Internet providers discussed technical points and the challenges they face in the Egyptian market, especially when it comes to the cost of the service.
