Tunisia has fallen to 72nd place worldwide in mobile internet speeds, according to Ookla’s 2025 annual Speedtest Global Index,
The index, which analyzes data from late 2025 and early 2026, is based on median download and upload speeds as well as network latency for both fixed and mobile networks, measured through user-conducted tests in each country.
The report highlights that some markets, including North Africa as well as Bahrain and Oman, recorded significant gains in both fixed and mobile speeds, allowing them to climb in the global ranking.
Tunisia was the first country in North Africa to commercially launch 5G on February 14, 2025, with its three main operators activating networks. However, the expected boost in national performance and global ranking proved short-lived.
Tunisia initially reached 47th place in April 2025, but by December, it had dropped to 72nd place, despite an overall improvement of 11 positions over the year.
Median mobile download speeds also declined, falling to 57.3 Mbit/s, a change attributed by the report to a mismatch between growing demand and the actual capacity of the infrastructure: “This suggests that infrastructure has not kept pace with rising demand.”
As a result, Tunisia ceded its pioneering 5G leadership in the region to Morocco, which launched 5G in November 2025 but quickly built a more robust infrastructure, climbing 22 spots from 61st to 39th in the global mobile speeds ranking.
Elsewhere in North Africa, Egypt, which activated 5G in June 2025, only advanced three places globally, moving from 86th to 83rd, with median download speeds remaining low at 44.51 Mbit/s, barely higher than pre-5G levels.
Algeria improved notably, gaining 11 positions to reach 78th place, placing it third in the sub-region ahead of Egypt. Libya closed the regional ranking, dropping four spots to 103rd in 2025.
Globally, Gulf countries dominate mobile speed rankings. The United Arab Emirates leads with a median download speed of 691.76 Mbit/s, followed by Qatar (573.57 Mbit/s) and Kuwait (415.67 Mbit/s). Bahrain (303.21 Mbit/s) and Bulgaria (289.41 Mbit/s) round out the top five.
The report notes that these results largely reflect favorable structural conditions. In several Middle Eastern and African countries, high urbanization rates allow for easier network deployment, with shorter cell distances and better fiber-optic penetration.
