Abu Dhabi: With over a million broadband subscribers now, the UAE has witnessed a 30 per cent increase in broadband subscriptions from January 2011 to November 2013, according to the latest statistics by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).
Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem, Director General at TRA, shared the figures on Thursday as he spoke at the official global launch of the World Bank’s latest report on broadband networks in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena).
The report, which discussed broadband availability, speed and prices in the region, showed that broadband in the UAE costs less than one per cent of the disposable monthly income. This makes it one of the most affordable in the Mena region, as per the report.
It further revealed that a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration translates to 1.4 per cent in gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which ultimately translates into job opportunities.
The report also noted the need for $25 billion in order to scale up broadband infrastructure in the Arab world.
Michel Rogy, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy advisor at the World Bank and co-author of the report, described the UAE as “a leader in fibre optics” and a provider of the one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the region.
However, he said, it was not enough to have the infrastructure as there needs to be more government policies to promote the creation of a greater number of ICT jobs. Rogy also recommended having a three-year programme for the use of the ICT Fund to support entrepreneurs and researchers.
Commenting on the report’s findings, TRA’s Al Ganem said: “In terms of UAE ranking, I’m not surprised about the [fibre optic] because we know that we are ranked number one globally… this emphasizes that the UAE has got a leading edge when it comes to technology, in terms of broadband connectivity, and so forth.”
Speaking of his vision for broadband expansion in the country, Al Ganem said: “We are heading to a stage where we have a very high penetration [rate] for broadband, which will have a huge impact on the GDP and also on government services delivered to consumers. It will also impact the transformation of cities, to become smart cities.”