{"id":724988,"date":"2023-10-14T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=724988"},"modified":"2023-10-14T15:20:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-14T13:20:47","slug":"south-africas-internet-quality-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/technology\/724988\/south-africas-internet-quality-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa’s big internet problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Internet accessibility may be improving in South Africa, but its quality is still below the global average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent Census from Stats SA showed that internet connectivity in South Africa has significantly improved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, 64.8% of surveyed households said that they did not have internet access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the recently released 2022 Census, this number dropped massively to 21.1%. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Source: Stats SA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Although internet access is improving, data from VPN Surfshark looked at how fast countries’ internet truly is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using its 2023 Digital Quality of Life Index, Surfshark was able to look at internet inequality by analysing two DQL indicators – internet speed and time to work to afford it in respect to countries\u2019 economic well-being (income level). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The divide is especially high when it comes to fixed broadband internet. Lower-income countries work 4.1 times more for 3.3 times slower internet. On average, people living in rich countries enjoy internet speeds of 140 Mbps for a bit less than 3 hours of work per month, while lower-income countries get only 42 Mbps for more than 12 hours of work,” Surfshark said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The gap is smaller when it comes to mobile internet, but only affordability-wise. Lower-income countries work 1.6 times more for 3.1 times slower internet compared to high-income countries. On average, people living in higher income countries enjoy mobile internet speeds of 96 Mbps for 1 hour 41 min of work per month, while lower-income countries get only 32 Mbps for more than 2 hours 37 min of work.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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However, higher income does not necessarily mean that a country can offer superior internet quality. Other factors, including e-infrastructure in the region, play an even greater role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For example, South Africa is considered to be a higher income country, but its fixed internet speed (70 Mbps) is twice lower than the average in higher income countries<\/strong>,” Surfshark said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On the other hand, the Philippines – a lower income country – has three times faster-fixed internet (119 Mbps) than the average in the lower income group.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s fixed internet speed is actually below the global average of 108 Mbps. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the average mobile speed in South Africa of 68 Mbps is also below the global average of 75 Mbps. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, looking more positively, it takes a far smaller amount of time for South Africans to afford the cheapest mobile data package. The global average is 7,158 seconds, whilst in South Africa, it is 5,162 seconds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, it takes the average South Africa (104 minutes) far less time to afford the cheapest fixed internet than than the global average (359 minutes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information from the study can be found below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country\/Income<\/strong><\/td>Seconds to work to afford the cheapest mobile data package<\/strong><\/td>Minutes to work to afford the cheapest fixed (broadband) internet<\/strong><\/td>Mobile speed, Mbps<\/strong><\/td>Fixed (broadband) speed, Mbps<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Higher Income<\/td>6,067<\/td>178<\/td>96<\/td>140<\/td><\/tr>
Lower Income<\/td>9,418<\/td>735<\/td>32<\/td>42<\/td><\/tr>
Global Average <\/strong><\/td>7,158<\/strong><\/td>359<\/strong><\/td>75<\/strong><\/td>108<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
South Africa <\/td>5,162<\/strong><\/mark><\/td>104<\/strong><\/mark><\/td>68 <\/strong><\/mark><\/td>70<\/strong><\/mark><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>
Source: Surfshark <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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