Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
The UAE leads globally in mobile internet speed with 584.97 Mbps, followed by Qatar and Kuwait, while Singapore tops fixed internet speeds at 386.96 Mbps. In the Balkans, North Macedonia leads in mobile, Serbia in fixed, and Bosnia and Herzegovina trails with the slowest internet.
Africa’s smartphone market grew 7% year-on-year in Q2 2025 with shipments hitting 19.2M units. Egypt drove growth with a 21% surge, while low-cost devices under $100 rose 38%. Transsion held 51% share, followed by Samsung (18%) and Xiaomi (14%), as local manufacturing gains pace across the continent.
Oman’s mobile subscriptions hit 8 million by June 2025, up 15.7% year-on-year. Broadband demand surged, with mobile broadband at 5.5 million and IoT connections doubling to 1.56 million. Fibre and 5G adoption grew, while legacy ADSL and fixed 4G services continued to decline, reflecting a shift to next-gen networks.
The UAE now has 100% internet coverage, with many residents adopting two-phone setups for work-life separation. Mobile subscriptions have reached 203 per 100 residents, while high-speed fixed internet usage continues to rise, reflecting growing digital connectivity and changing lifestyle habits.
Qatar’s automotive IoT market grows rapidly, projected to reach $370M in 2025, fueled by smart city projects and consumer demand for connected cars, supporting the nation’s smart mobility vision.
Jazz topped the PTA’s latest Quality of Service survey, leading in coverage, broadband speeds, latency, and voice quality. The operator’s investments in 4G and digital innovation position it as Pakistan’s foremost telecom service provider.
These figures reflect Saudi Arabia’s strong digital infrastructure adoption, supporting its broader goals for digital transformation and e-governance.
Ufone and Jazz rank first in PTA’s Q2 2025 mobile coverage survey across 19 Pakistani cities, demonstrating the most reliable 4G/3G signal compliance. Zong follows closely, while Telenor lags with the highest non-compliance.
Nepal’s 4G users exceed 25.6 million, achieving 87.9% mobile broadband penetration. Nepal Telecom and Ncell continue subscriber growth and plan to retire 2G/3G networks by 2025, while working toward future 5G deployment.
Pakistan’s record IT export growth underscores the sector’s rising prominence as a key driver of foreign exchange and economic progress, with strategic plans in place to accelerate future expansion.