Citizens of the US and Canada tend to pay the most expensive bills for a complete cell phone package, according to a new report from the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative (OTI, via Ars Technica). Meanwhile, users in India and Honk Kong pay the least for their mobile usage.
After examining prepaid, unlimited, and postpaid plans in 11 countries to determine the minimum cost for a complete cell phone package (voice, text, and data), OTI concluded that countries with more competition and more regulation usually have the best pricing. "Cost structures and business models undoubtedly vary as a result of the level of competition and innovation in each country and it is essential that in the countries that have high prices such as the U.S., we carefully consider additional steps that could be taken with respect to encouraging competition or imposing regulation such that the US becomes an engine of innovation for better and more competitively priced service offerings," the report concluded.
Mobile users in the US need to pay at least $59.99 for a complete cell phone package while users in Canada must pay $67.50. India and Hong Kong came in with the cheapest complete plans, at $12.90 and $13.50 respectively.