Affordable internet access helps connect the dots

As the UAE moves to a knowledge economy, home internet will be a vital stepping stone

Home internet access is a vital learning tool for schoolchildren. Silvia Razgova / The National

Since the internet first arrived in our homes nearly 30 years ago, it has revolutionised our lives. It shapes the way we think, our knowledge of the world, what we eat, read and watch. It enables children without access to schools to learn at home and can help us keep tabs on our mental and physical health. Access to it is incredibly important.

More than 56 per cent of the world's population is connected, which means from the click of a mouse in our own homes, we can communicate with someone on the other side of the world. It is therefore heartening to know the UAE has the fastest download speed in the region, with plans underway to make the process even faster when 5G technology comes online in the next four years.

But it is also among one of the most expensive places in the world for home internet access, with the average broadband package costing Dh577 per month. That might seem like small change to a high-earning professional but to those in a lower income bracket, it is a significant amount, beyond the realms of many budgets.

There is, of course, the argument that most people carry mobile phones and can easily go online but that is an additional cost. The ability to learn, connect and be part of a global conversation from the comfort of one’s home should be not be a luxury, affordable to a few, but a necessity.
The UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority is doing much to enable more people to get online for less. This month it ordered Etisalat and du to discontinue expensive pay-per-use mobile data plans to protect customers from running up expensive bills.

And while most customers still have little choice about their provider when it comes to getting internet access at home, depending on where they live, the UAE is edging closer to full telecoms competition, with companies able to compete to provide the best options possible.

Since 2015, both telecoms firms have been allowed to bitstream on each other’s networks. Greater competition will of course bring prices down, which will undoubtedly be welcomed by customers. And as the UAE moves towards a knowledge economy, ensuring everyone has access to the internet can only be a good thing.