FTTR, Wi-Fi 7 and 10 Gbps: How MENA is modernizing its fixed internet network

Reaching a total of 59 million subscribers at the end of 2023 out of a total 114 million households, MENA's fixed broadband market is undergoing a significant development phase. The region’s fiber networks expand, sometimes completely replacing traditional copper as in Bahrain where the national operator recently announced the xDSL switch-off. Highly fiberized Gulf countries are announcing at an accelerating pace the launch of innovative solutions, from Fiber-to-the-Room to Wi-Fi 7 devices. Then, which countries are leading the race, and why do they have such an edge in fiber rollout?  Where are the latest innovations launched and how accessible are they? Let's dive into MENA's fixed internet market, examine the region's progress in realizing its broadband potential, and explore how these multiple realities translate into diverse commercial strategies from operators Current situation in fixed broadband development in MENA The current fiberization status across MENA is at various stages but the region has some of the world's most advanced countries. The GCC countries especially are at the forefront of MENA’s fiber transition with countries such as Qatar and Bahrain just finalizing their complete switch, closely followed by the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, the most populated country of the Gulf region with 32 million inhabitants in 2023, has an increasing number of households connected to fiber. In Q2 2024, a little over 3.9 million out of the total 9 million households had been passed by fiber, representing a 43% penetration rate. Responsible for over half of the passed premises, the national operator STC plays an important role in the infrastructure development but is well supported by other actors, namely Dawiyat, Mobily and TLS. In Maghreb the fixed internet subscribers are progressively moving from copper to fiber. Algeria's xDSL subscriber base has remained constant at 2.7 million since the first quarter of 2022 while the FTTH subscribers jumped from 200K to 1.3 million. Its western neighbor follows a similar trend as the Moroccan fiber subscriber base increased by 125% over the same period to reach 1 million in Q2 2024. The xDSL share of the local fixed internet market standed 78% in Q1 2022 and has since been decreasing to 62%. In the Levant region, fiber is also gaining ground over xDSL. Jordan fiber share of the fixed internet market is currently standing at 70% when it was 20 points lower two years ago. But fixed broadband network’s development, and especially the transition from copper to fiber, is a complex process impacted by multiple factors. Differences in demographic trend, socio-political situation, and economical environment result in a wide variety of contexts, favorable or not to the expansion of the fixed internet market. In that regard, the MENA region is no exception and...