He had compared prices to a carboy of water: Turkey fails in both internet speed and price
In addition to internet speed, which is among the most significant problems of the digital age in Turkey, rising costs have now been added. As the average cost of internet usage has recently risen to 483 Turkish Lira, the statement by Türk Telekom CEO Ümit Önal that 'Internet is cheaper than a carboy of water' comes to mind.
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Turkey has become one of the countries with the world's slowest internet, yet with high costs.
In Turkey, which ranks 106th out of 161 countries in internet speed, this service can be accessed at an average cost of 483 Lira for 100 megabit (Mbps) monthly usage.
According to Speedtest Global Index data, Turkey, which has a fixed broadband internet speed of 42.90 megabit (Mbps), finds itself in 106th place out of 161 countries, trailing behind nations such as Venezuela, South Africa, and Bangladesh.
BEHIND AFRICA
Turkey has only half the speed of the global average internet speed of 85 Mbps. In mobile internet speed, Turkey ranks 58th out of 111 countries with a speed of 46.37 Mbps. Ranking behind countries like South Africa, Albania, Suriname, and Moldova in mobile internet speed, Turkey also pays dearly for this service provided by GSM operators. With the recent price hikes by operators providing fixed broadband and mobile internet, citizens are forced to pay even more for low-speed internet service. According to Picodi Turkey data, the average monthly cost of 100 Mbps internet in Turkey has reached 12.7 Euros, or 483 Lira at the current exchange rate. The most expensive internet in the world is in Norway, where 100 Mbps monthly usage is priced at 75.1 Euros. In Norway, one of the countries with the highest income levels, internet speed is approximately 3 times faster than in Turkey.
FASTEST IS UAE
According to the report by Deniz Bilici Göçmen from Sözcü; According to the Speedtest Global Index, the average global internet speed was measured at 85 Mbps. The country with the fastest fixed broadband internet is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 297.62 megabit (Mbps), while the slowest internet is in Turkmenistan with 3.53 Mbps. The UAE also takes the top spot in mobile internet speed with 398.51 Mbps, while the country with the lowest speed was Yemen with 7.91 Mbps.
HE HAD COMPARED IT TO A CARBOY OF WATER
The price hikes by operators drew backlash, and Türk Telekom CEO Ümit Önal's statement that 'Internet is cheaper than a carboy of water' sparked controversy. Data shows that communication expenses have increased at double the rate of carboy water prices. Türk Telekom CEO Önal had calculated that the average monthly cost of carboy water for a family of 4 was between 600 and 800 TL, stating, "It would not be wrong to say that operator tariffs are cheaper than water." According to data from the Association of Alternative Telecommunications Operators, the monthly communication cost for a family of 4 in 2023, covering 1 landline, 1 home internet, and 4 mobile subscriptions, reached 745 Lira. Looking at the most used tariffs, the monthly communication expense for a family of 4 has risen to 2,350 TL, and to 28,200 TL annually. While data shows that communication costs have increased by 215 percent compared to 2023, carboy water prices have increased by 106 percent in the same period, rising from 48.5 TL to 100 TL.