The penetration rate of mobile telephony networks in Algeria witnessed a significant increase of 5.46% over the course of one year, rising from 111.05% at the end of December 2022 to 116.50% by the end of December 2023, according to the latest report from the Regulatory Authority for Post and Electronic Communications (ARPCE).
“This evolution is attributed to the slight growth in the mobile telephony market, as well as the population of Algeria,” explained ARPCE, whose report was based on an estimated Algerian population of 44.22 million inhabitants and a household count of 7.37 million as of December 31, 2023.
The number of subscribers reached 51.52 million in 2023
Meanwhile, the number of mobile telephony subscribers experienced a growth of 5.11%, increasing from 49 million subscribers at the end of December 2022 to 51.52 million during the same period in 2023, as highlighted in the report cited by APS.
Out of the 51.52 million active subscribers in 2023 for mobile telephony (GSM, 3G, and 4G), 3.43 million were GSM subscribers (compared to 4.26 million in 2022), and 48.09 million were subscribers to 3G/4G networks (as opposed to 44.75 million in 2022). By the end of last December, 95.15% of subscribers opted for the prepaid formula, while 4.85% chose the postpaid formula.
Mobilis Leads, Followed by Djezzy and Ooredoo
Regarding mobile telephony operators, Mobilis remains at the forefront in terms of GSM, 3G, and 4G network subscribers as of December 31, 2023, with 22.51 million subscribers, followed by Djezzy (15.89 million) and Ooredoo (13.10 million), according to ARPCE.
Mobilis recorded an increase in its GSM, 3G, and 4G subscriber count, with 22.51 million subscribers at the end of 2023, compared to 21.09 million during the same period in 2022, as indicated in the report.
Mobilis’s market share was estimated at 43.70% as of December 31, 2023 (compared to 43.04% during the same period in 2022), while Djezzy’s share was evaluated at 30.86% in 2023 (compared to 30.96% in 2022), and Ooredoo’s at 25.44% in 2023 (compared to 26% in 2022).
Over 6.32 million subscribers for fixed telephony
More than 6.32 million fixed telephony subscribers were recorded in Algeria by December 31, 2023, compared to 5.57 million during the same period in 2022, representing an increase of 13.42%, according to the ARPCE report.
Out of the 6.32 million subscribers to fixed telephony networks (wired, 4G LTE, and FTTH), over 5.85 million were residential subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2023 (compared to 5.12 million in 2022), and 466,948 were professional subscribers (450,093 in 2022).
The number of FTTH network subscribers more than doubled
ARPCE also noted that out of the total number of subscribers to fixed telephony networks by the end of last December, 3.50 million were subscribers to wired networks (compared to 3.66 million during the same period in 2022), and 1.71 million were subscribers to wireless 4G LTE networks (compared to 1.42 million in 2022).
The number of subscribers to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks more than doubled, increasing from 478,172 subscribers at the end of December 2022 to 1.08 million by December 31, 2023.
85.81% of households have a fixed telephony line
The Authority also observed that the proportion of households with a fixed telephony line reached 85.81% by December 31, 2023, representing a 9% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
The penetration rate of fixed telephony also experienced growth (+1.67% within a year), rising from 12.63% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 to 14.30% by the same period in 2023.