Jordan Internet Among Highest-Priced in Region
The Jordan Times is reporting that Jordan’s Internet prices are among the highest in the region due to the imposed 16 percent sales tax. In fact, Jordan ranks second only to Morocco, which applies a 20 percent sales tax on Internet.
According to the article…
The National ICT Strategy, launched in July 2007, seeks to increase the number of people who use the Internet up to 50 per cent from the current 11 per cent.
To realise this objective, there is a need to reduce Internet service prices and sales tax down to 5 per cent, the [Information and Communications Technology Minister Bassem Roussan] stressed.
So while (and if) the goverment gets around to slashing the sales tax, Internet service providers also need to boost the speeds (I have never, ever received the advertised 2MB/s!) and remove download caps. I’d say it’s about time to move Jordan’s Internet services into the 21st century. And I’m talking to you, Orange!
Global Voices Online » Jordan: Highest Internet Prices After Morocco April 1st, 2008 3:52 am
[...] ranks second only to Morocco, which applies a 20 percent sales tax on Internet,” writes An American in Jordan. Share [...]
Um Omar April 1st, 2008 7:07 am
And Orange, please get some customer service. I am talking to the unfriendly folk at the Mecca Mall basement! I am so sick of your ineptitude! I wouldn’t have to go there if you would just mail me all of the bills I need! And since this is a foreign owned company, I think we deserve much better quality than what we are getting! Hey, we are PAYING for it.
bambam April 1st, 2008 10:14 am
hmm that information is flawed, unless they were specifically talking about being the most expensive in terms of sales tax since i know for a fact that we are not the most expensive
bahrain 2 MB JD120
lebenon 512kb (they dont even have 1 mb) JD125
Algeria is still on prepaid so u can imagine how costly is that .
And thats just the countries i work in and can give accurate info about… So this is Total BS, internet here is pretty damn good. though i agree with the no limitation idea
Gert April 1st, 2008 11:54 am
i agree with bambam. There is no country in the Middle East, perhaps the world, where Internet is more expensive and slower than Lebanon.
Tololy April 1st, 2008 2:08 pm
With Queen Rania launching her own YouTube channel, internet connectivity MUST be made cheaper in Jordan. How else are citizens going to be influenced by state propaganda, seriously?
Jad April 1st, 2008 5:28 pm
and I can sense a conspiracy whenever I think of ADSL offers, it seems providers have agreed on maximum burn out that nobody should go beyond it.
TeData used to give unlimited bandwidth and when I called them complaining about changing the deal they said JTC isn’t helping us and when I called them again asking about why they don’t have 2MB they had the same answer.
I’m not sure if it’s JTC or some sort of masonic TRC laws or if Tedata is giving lies.
Zed April 6th, 2008 7:27 am
i wonder, do they already make us pay for the air we breathe? in some hidden tax or something
maybe it was the 1 JOD thats they deducted from my cell phone bill (orange)
mo April 6th, 2008 9:00 am
more expensive than lebanon??
lebanon is also mad expensive when it comes to cellular phone providers .. its almost $50 a month and its mandatory that u recharge every month even if u still have credit ..
Ameer April 17th, 2008 2:45 am
it aint that bad, this is first day i am with Orange Internet.
Also, you will never get the advertised Internet Speeds! Not even in USA or UK, because of Line contention and the speed deteriorates the further away your home is from the main internet connection point, the ISP etc.
I feel the internet speed is actually better than what Had in the UK. Because, not so many people use it here! (( Although I did have 20mb/s Cable which they are planning to upgrade to 40 in the summer!!!! )) Ah well, have to make do with 2 mb/s.
Dean Peters May 5th, 2008 2:58 pm
I don’t understand this - as Jordan is leading the way in leveraging dark fiber via their power lines to provision high speed access.
I know there is an initiative to do this Jordan-wide, but still, I can’t think such high taxes are good for a country that would benefit in so many ways from more access than less.