A recent World Bank study reveals significant problems of high cost and lagging quality of internet service in Georgia, compared to other countries in the region, DF Watch reports.

According to the findings, published by Georgia’s Communications Commission, the median fixed internet download speed in Georgia was just 20 Mbps in July 2024, compared to 150 Mbps in the European Union. In 93% of speed tests, users failed to exceed 30 Mbps, which means Georgia is behind its neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan, despite being a key internet transit country for both.

Experts say the problem is especially acute for households. “Users are paying more for higher speeds, but the service hasn’t improved,” telecom expert Levan Narimanidze told Rezonansi. “Prices have steadily increased since the pandemic, even though quality hasn’t.”

Mobile internet has improved with 5G deployment, but fixed internet remains sluggish. Consumer advocates blame an uncompetitive market dominated by three major providers and ineffective regulation. “We have dozens of small operators, but they don’t shape the market,” said analyst Giorgi Kapanadze.

A separate benchmarking report shows that while Georgia offers cheaper low-speed plans, prices for high-speed internet significantly exceed the European average, by 136% for 100 Mbps fixed internet.

Analysts are calling for stronger oversight, better consumer protection, and more competition to ensure fair pricing and modern digital access.