This article has been take from the report's authors website, Broadband Genie, and can be read in full here.

• UK has the fifth most affordable mobile data in the world, thrashing G7 powerhouses; Germany (13th), Italy (20th), United States (35th), Japan (41st), France (44th) and Canada (62nd).
• On average, the UK spends £12.19, equivalent to 0.52% of a salary.
• Singapore has the most affordable mobile data in the world, while Guinea has the least affordable data in the world.
• The world average spend on a mobile data is £19.19, equivalent to 4.09% of an average salary.
• Comprehensive study looking into including 179 countries and over 70,000 phone contracts analysed.

The United Kingdom has the fifth most affordable mobile data in the world, a study from Broadband Genie has revealed.

The study compares the relationship between the cost of a mobile phone contract with 10GB+ of mobile data and the average salary in each country. In the UK, a mobile phone contract typically costs £12.19, equivalent to 0.52% of an average wage (£2,337.74).

This puts the UK on par with Hong Kong (6th), Denmark (7th) and ahead of global powerhouses of Germany (13th), Italy (20th), United States (35th), Japan (41st), France (44th) and Canada (62nd). The only countries to beat the UK are Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg and Singapore.

Worldwide, the average spend on mobile data is £19.19, 4.09% of an average salary. Singapore takes the top spot, spending only 0.35% of their salary on their data.

Curious to see where a particular country is placed? View the world mobile data affordability study from Broadband Genie here.

In the UK there are four network operators; EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. All provide 4G coverage to 99% of UK premises^[1] and 82% of landmass^[2]. 5G deployment is also rapidly accelerating in the UK, 93% of premises have access to at least one operator^[3] and total landmass coverage is increasing and is up to 38% ^[4].

The UK also benefits from a plethora of virtual network providers, such as Smarty, Tesco Mobile or Giffgaff. These providers typically don’t have their own network, rather they rent access to the infrastructure of O2 or EE. The number of providers, and thus deals, gives UK customers excellent choice. Since 2019, customers have benefited from the ‘text to switch’ process^[5] and locked handsets were banned in 2021^[6] to give customers more freedom when finding SIM only deals.

Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, comments:

“It was a surprise to see the UK at the business end of the study, but it shouldn’t be. We benefit from higher salaries, but the groundwork theindustry has been putting in over the last couple of years is paying off.

-ENDS-

 [1]UK 4G coverage to 99% of premises https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/249289/connected-nations-uk-report.pdf

[2]Departmentfor Science, Innovation & Technology. UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy,UK 4G landmass coverage at 82% - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1149659/uk_wireless_infrastructure_strategy.pdf

[3]Ofcom Connected Nations Report, 5G is available from at least one mobileoperator to 93% of UK premises - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/249289/connected-nations-uk-report.pdf

[4] Fierce Wireless, UK 5G landmass up to 38% -  https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/uk-5g-landmass-coverage-increases-still-has-long-way-go

[5]Ofcom, Text to switch – a year of making it easier to change mobile provider - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2020/a-year-of-text-to-switch

[6]Ofcom, Mobile companies now banned from selling locked handsets - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2021/mobile-companies-now-banned-from-selling-locked-handsets

Formore information, please contact:

Alex Tofts, Broadband Genie on alex.tofts@broadbandgenie.co.uk

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