digital infrastructure

Internet Access in Qatar: A Comprehensive Report

Qatar’s fixed internet is dominated by fiber-optic FTTH, with the Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN) delivering fiber coverage to over 95% of the country and DSL largely obsolete. Ooredoo Qatar launched the world’s first live 5G network in May 2018 and both Ooredoo and Vodafone now offer nationwide 5G coverage with gigabit peak speeds. Mobile broadband penetration is around 150% of the population, reflecting widespread smartphone data use. Starlink was licensed in September 2022, and as of 2024 Starlink is active in Qatar on Starlink Business plans only, mainly for enterprise and offshore connectivity. In 2024, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund

7 July 2025

Fire, Ice, and Fiber: How Iceland’s Internet Leaves the World in the Dust

Fixed fiber dominates Iceland’s broadband, with FTTH at 88.7% of fixed lines and over 93% of homes having gigabit-capable fiber, including at least 1 Gbps nationwide and 10 Gbps in most areas. Iceland is linked internationally by four submarine cables—FARICE-1, DANICE, Greenland Connect, and IRIS (launched in 2023 to Ireland)—totaling 208.8 Tbit/s of capacity, of which about 3 Tbit/s is currently used. Three mobile operators—Síminn, Vodafone Iceland (Sýn), and Nova—provide nationwide 4G/5G, with Nova launching 5G in 2020 and Síminn and Vodafone in 2021. By 2023, 5G signals blanket most towns and transit routes across Iceland, with widespread 4G/5G coverage

29 May 2025

Connectivity · Fiber Optics · Global Tech · Iceland · Internet Speed