The firm reports that Rwanda has overtaken Tanzania and Kenya to offer the cheapest rates in the region comprising eight member states.
Data published by the firm shows that residents of Rwanda are paying a monthly average of $43.22 for broadband internet this year, down from $60.96 last year. This translates to a 29.1% year-on-year drop in the prices.
Conversely, Tanzania, which previously topped the affordability chart, has seen a slight increase in average costs, now at $43.44 per month. Meanwhile, Kenya's broadband prices have dipped slightly from $49.13 to $47.73 per month.
This shift in internet rates reflects a competitive landscape where consumer prices are directly shaped by market forces and regional rivalry.
Rwanda has in recent years adopted advanced technologies and infrastructure improvements that reduce internet costs. Both public and private investments in fiber optic networks and innovations in mobile internet technology have contributed to lower prices. The government has also encouraged competition among service providers, which often leads to lower costs for consumers.
The cost of broadband internet remains high in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), averaging $304.57 and $170.97, respectively.
In Uganda, the average cost of broadband internet is $52.59, whereas in Somalia, it is slightly higher at $54.58.
Meanwhile, residents of Sudan continue to pay the lowest monthly broadband internet rates globally, at $2.40, despite the country's infrastructure limitations.
'Despite poor telecommunications infrastructure and improving take-up of mobile broadband services, where available, fixed-line broadband remains cheap in Sudan, if not particularly affordable by the general population,' Cable said.
Other countries on the top 10 list include Argentina ($5.17), Belarus ($7.03), Ukraine ($7.35), Egypt ($8.31), Romania ($8.60), Vietnam ($8.72), and Kazakhstan ($9.08).
Wycliffe Nyamasege
