Here’s why India no longer has the World cheapest mobile data plans  

India slipped down 28 ranks in March 2021, after being in the top spot through most of 2020

Israel now has the cheapest internet plans in the world, priced at $0.05 per GB, followed by Kyrgyzstan

The mounting AGR dues and the push to increase ARPUs has led to an industry-wide mobile data tariff hike in India

One of the most vital growth drivers of the Indian internet economy has been the ultra-affordable cellular data or mobile internet plans, what many call the Reliance Jio effect. But as telecom companies look to stretch their revenue benchmarks after a couple of years of aggressive pricing, India’s lead has slipped. According to a report by a research firm Cable.co.uk, India no longer has the cheapest mobile internet plans in the world,

Even though at $0.68, the average cost of per gigabyte (GB) of data in India is well below the global average of $4.21, overall, the country has slipped 28 ranks to lose the top spot according to March 2021 data. The price of data plans in India has increased by 7.5X on average from $0.09 per GB recorded in late 2020.

As per the latest figures, Israel now has the cheapest internet plans in the world, priced at $0.05 per GB. Israel is followed by Kyrgyzstan, Fiji, Italy, Sudan and Russia in terms of cheapest internet plans. Collectively, these six countries offer mobile internet services at $1.2 per GB.

How Does India Fare Among Its Neighbours?
The study assessed the mobile data plans in 230 countries. India’s neighbouring country China also slipped five spots to 18th, even as its average mobile internet price decreased from $0.61 in 2020 to $0.58 per GB in 2021. Pakistan dropped two ranks to 19 spots, while Nepal outperformed India, by jumping six ranks to the 24th spot.