There are more cell phones on the planet than humans, and yes, more people own a mobile phone than a toothbrush (seriously, Google it!). Depending on where you live, the cost of keeping your phone connected varies widely. According to the London Daily Mail, a new report by VisualCapitalist looked at average data prices in 155 different countries and found a 30,000 percent difference between the cheapest and most expensive markets.
Countries at the top of the list – representing the most expensive data – were those where low population density and lack of a national cell tower infrastructure exist, like Subsaharan Africa. However, with a plethora of telecommunications companies and infrastructure, the U.S. came in at number 18, with the cost of 1GB of data equal to $8.00.
In contrast, the least expensive data resides in India, where 1GB equals $0.09. Researchers attribute this low cost to escalating competition between the country’s four main service providers. Other countries that rank on the inexpensive side include Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, and Ukraine.
The VisualCapitalist study unveiled rates for data currently, but that might all change soon. According to the researchers, average data prices could significantly increase in the next several years as more countries begin unveiling 5G.
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