5.3 million people use Internet in Jordan — TRC

AMMAN — The number of Internet users in Jordan rose by 20 per cent during the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).

Internet penetration in Jordan reached 73 per cent by the end of the first quarter of this year, with some 5.3 million users of the service in the country, the TRC said in its quarterly report on telecom sector statistics.

Internet penetration stood at 69 per cent during the first quarter of 2013 with some 4.4 million users.

The TRC said growth in Internet subscriptions in Jordan stood at 21 per cent by the end of the first quarter of this year compared to 17.4 per cent during the same period of 2013.

The majority, or about 1.127 million Internet subscriptions, is mobile broadband subscribers, followed by ADSL with 205,102 subscriptions, Wi-Max with 122,774 subscriptions, 5,700 TV cable subscriptions, 1,614 leased line and 384 dial-up subscriptions, according to the report.

The TRC said mobile penetration in Jordan reached 157 per cent by the end of March this year, with about 10.4 million mobile subscriptions.

Of the total, 9.677 million were prepaid subscriptions.

In terms of telecom companies’ market shares, Zain Jordan ranked first with 4.095 million subscribers, followed by Orange Jordan with 3.263 million subscribers, and Umniah with 3.027 million subscribers, according to the report.

Land telephone subscriptions reached 379,135 by the end of March this year with a 5.2 per cent penetration rate, maintaining the same rate by the end of 2013, the TRC said.