Page 109 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

ARTICLE SAMENA TRENDS

ARTICLE

The RIPE NCC Throws Light on the Current State of

Internet in the GCC Countries, Yemen and Iraq

The report gives a detailed outlook on the Internet infrastruc-
ture, connectivity and routing within the Gulf region aiming
at helping mobile operators and Internet service providers to

drive the development and future growth of their networks.

The RIPE NCC previously published a series a healthy, competitive digital landscape region’s high reliance on mobile access.
of Internet country reports. The latest that cannot be fully realised until a number The region has some of the highest mobile
report produced by the RIPE NCC in this of enhancements take place. subscriptions per capita in the world.
series examines the Internet landscape
in the following countries: Bahrain, Iraq, The analyses and results are based on data As more and more organisations scrambled
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the collected by the RIPE NCC measurements to get access to Internet networks,
United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen, tools and a number of external data demand for IPv4 in the region increased
as part of an ongoing effort to support sources. with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Internet development through our service Emirates, and other countries acquiring
region by making our data and insights Growth in Local Internet Registries (LIRs): more IPv4 addresses from the secondary
available to leaders, decision and policy The report shows that Iraq, Saudi Arabia, market. Saudi Arabia is the most dominant
makers, industry players and Internet United Arab Emirates, and even Kuwait of the Gulf countries in the transfer market
community. have shown significant growth over the followed by the United Arab Emirates, the
past decade in establishing local networks. report indicates.
The report gives a detailed outlook on The report indicates that Iraq overtook the
the Internet infrastructure, connectivity GCC countries with the most Local Internet Need for IPv6 deployment: Despite IPv4’s
and routing within the Gulf region aiming Registries (LIRs). On the other hand, dwindling availability and its increasing
at helping mobile operators and Internet Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Yemen have cost on the secondary market, many
service providers to drive the development experienced far less growth, with some countries in the Gulf region continue to
and future growth of their networks. The even decreasing their number of LIRs. struggle with IPv6 deployment. Although
report reaches several conclusions to reach Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
The number of private networks (ASNs) Emirates, and Kuwait have substantially
Mobile Internet connec- in a given country is one indication increased their IPv6 holdings in recent
tivity has had a faster of market maturity. These networks years, there are vast differences when it
encourage interconnection, offer security
comes to actual deployment rates. The
growth and penetration and increase resiliency in the market. As UAE leads the region in IPv6 deployment
rate than fixed broad- more service providers enter the domestic followed by Saudi Arabia.
band in the Gulf, given the market, this will drive down costs and Dependency on International Internet
increase innovation – all of which support
region’s high reliance on the long-term health of the local Internet exchange points (IXPs): Recent years have
mobile access. The region ecosystem. seen an increase in the number of Internet
exchange points (IXPs) in the Gulf region
has some of the highest Demand for connectivity and depletion with Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the
mobile subscriptions per of IPv4: Mobile Internet connectivity has United Arab Emirates each having at least
one operational IXP.
capita in the world. had a faster growth and penetration rate
than fixed broadband in the Gulf, given the

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