According to a study by the Communications Commission, fixed internet with 100 MB/s speed in Georgia is 136 percent more expensive than in European countries, while mobile internet with 10 GB speed and 1795 minutes of talk time is 35 percent more expensive than the average price in Europe.
Such results were shown by a comparative analysis of prices for telecommunication services in Georgia with similar indicators of 22 EU member states and the UK, which was conducted in April 2023 on behalf of the Georgian Communications Commission.
The study was conducted by the British organization Strategy Analytics (Teligen, TechInsights) in accordance with the internationally recognized and tested methodology developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
For comparison with European countries, the prices for services of the two major Georgian operators, Magticom and Silknet, were used, as these companies own more than 70 percent of the Georgian telecommunications market.
Key findings of the study
According to the survey results, low-volume and low-speed services in Georgia are almost similar in cost or cheaper than in Europe and Britain. However, prices for high volume and high speed services are significantly higher than the European average.
● High prices for volume and high-speed services are particularly problematic because, according to 2022 data, mobile internet consumption is growing dramatically, reaching an average of 12 GB.
● “As long as high prices for high-speed and volumetric internet remain high in Georgia, consumers will continue to be forced to choose low-speed and low-volume services or pay significantly higher, premium prices,” the Communications Commission report says.
● Low-volume mobile service packages for individual subscribers in Georgia, such as 5 GB and unlimited minutes, are one percent more expensive than in Europe, and the price of 5 GB internet and 577 minutes is 23 percent higher.
● Prices for 10 GB of internet and 1,795 minutes are 35 percent more expensive in Georgia than the European average, and 20 GB of internet and unlimited minutes are 36 percent more expensive.
● One of the most consumed optical internet packages for individual subscribers, 25 MB/s in Tbilisi, is five percent cheaper than the average price of similar services in European countries, and 17 percent cheaper in the regions.
The comparative analysis of the combined offers showed that for more than half a million families living in Tbilisi and the regions, the cost of the cheapest Internet and TV packages is lower than the European average.
