Mobile telephony in Algeria: 49 million subscribers in 2022 (+4.26%), Mobilis in the lead 

By: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- The number of mobile phone subscribers had amounted to 49 million till December 31, 2022 in Algeria, compared to 47 million subscribers in the same period of 2021, an increase of 4.26%, according to the latest report from the Post and Electronic Communications Regulatory Authority (ARPCE).

According to the same data, of the 49 million active subscribers to mobile telephony (GSM, 3G and 4G), 4.26 million were subscribers to the GSM network, i.e. 8.69%, against 44.75 million subscribers to the 3G/4G network, i.e. 91.31%.

The mobile telephone network penetration rate recorded a net change of 4.34% in one year, from 106.71% till December 31, 2021 to 111.05% till December 31, 2022.

“This development is due to the slight increase in the mobile phone market on the one hand and the Algerian population on the other hand,” explained the same source.

This report has been drawn up according to an Algerian population estimated at 44.14 million inhabitants and a number of households estimated at 7.35 million till December 31, 2022.

Mobilis in the lead, followed by Djezzy and Ooredoo

With regard to mobile telephone operators, Mobilis remains in the lead, in terms of subscribers to GSM, 3G and 4G networks till December 31, 2022, with 21.09 million subscribers, followed by Djezzy (15.17 million) and Ooredoo (12.74 million), notes ARPCE.

The Mobilis operator thus recorded an increase in its number of GSM, 3G and 4G subscribers with 21.09 million subscribers at the end of 2022, compared to 19.82 million at the same period of 2021, noted the report.

It is followed by the operator Djezzy with 15.17 million subscribers in 2022 (14.59 million in 2021) and Ooredoo with 12.74 million subscribers till December 31, 2022 (12.59 million in the same period of 2021).

Mobilis’ market share was estimated at 43.04% till December 31, 2022 (42.18% during the same period of 2021), that of Djezzy was estimated at 30.96% in 2022 (31.04% in 2021) and Ooredoo at 25.99% in 2022 (26.78% in 2021).

Fixed telephony: 5.57 million subscribers in 2022

According to the ARPCE report, the number of subscribers to fixed telephony networks exceeded 5.57 million till December 31, 2022, while it was 5.09 million in the same period of 2021, an increase of 9.40%.

Of the 5.57 million subscribers to fixed telephony networks (wired, 4G LTE and FTTH), more than 5.12 million were residential subscribers and 450,093 business subscribers.

The authority also specified that of the total number of subscribers to fixed telephony networks till  December 31, 3.66 million were subscribers to wired networks and 1.42 million to 4G LTE wireless networks.

The number of subscribers to the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network has seen a significant increase, from 167,244 customers till December 31, 2021 to 478,172 till December 31, 2022. ARPCE also noted that the proportion of households with a fixed telephone line reached 75.80% till December 31, 2022, an increase of nearly 6.4% compared to the same period of 2021.

The penetration rate of fixed telephony also experienced an evolution (+1.06% in the space of one year), going from 11.57% at the end of the 4th quarter of 2021 to 12.63% at the end of the same period of 2022. This report was drawn up according to an Algerian population estimated at 44.14 million inhabitants and a number of households estimated at 7.35 million till December 31, 2022.