Communications Commission: high-speed fixed internet service 136% more expensive in Georgia than Europe

The Georgian National Communications Commission on Wednesday said the service for providing fixed internet at speeds of 100 Mbps was 136 percent more expensive in Georgia compared to European states, while costs for mobile internet packages with 10 GB of data and 1795 minutes of talk time were 35 percent higher in the country.

The body revealed results of its analysis of prices of telecommunication services in Georgia compared with similar indicators of 22 European Union member states and the United Kingdom, carried out in April of last year.

It said the data showed domestic prices for lower-volume data packages and lower-speed connection services were “almost identical or cheaper” than in European countries, while costs for higher-volume data and high-speed internet connection services in the country “significantly exceed” European averages.

The comparative analysis of the combined offers also showed the cost of the cheapest internet and TV packages was lower for more than half a million families living in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi and other regions than the European average.

The Commission also noted the trends of use showed increasing role of higher-speed data and connection services, including in anticipation of introduction of 5G connections, which it said was problematic due to the costlier domestic prices.

As long as the high prices of high-speed and high-volume internet are maintained in Georgia, consumers will be forced to choose low-speed and low-volume services or pay significantly higher, premium prices to receive high speed [and/or] volume”, the report added.

The body said it would make “appropriate decisions” after completing a complex study of the telecommunications market to ensure domestic consumers could “enjoy high-volume and high-speed telecom services at an affordable price” like their European counterparts.