The UAE is the most connected country in the Arab World, according to the Arab Advisors Group's annually released Total Country Connectivity Measure (TCCM). Saudi Arabia and Qatar were second and third respectively.
According to GulfNews.com, the Arab Advisors Group calculates its Total Country Connectivity Measure (TCCM) by adding the household mainlines penetration, cellular penetration, and internet users penetration rates in each country. The household mainlines penetration is measured by dividing the residential mainlines by the number of households in each country.
Annual results of Arab Advisors Group's Total Country Connectivity Measure (TCCM) reveal substantial — mostly cellular service driven-improvements in overall scores.
The Arab broadband internet markets also registered very positive growth.
The TCCM shows the extent of connectivity of individuals in a certain country whether via fixed lines, cellular lines and/or the internet.
According to the report, The Total Country Connectivity Measure results for 2009 revealed the continued leadership of GCC countries. UAE maintained the top spot (with a score of 352%), followed by Saudi Arabia (286%), Qatar (254%) and Bahrain (250%). In last place is Sudan with a TCCM value of 51.2 %.
"By looking at the TCCM scores, it is noticeable that high scores are correlated with high-income levels. GCC countries dominate the TCCM, as income levels and GDP per capita in these countries is significantly higher than the rest of the Arab countries," said Samer Abbas, senior research analyst at the Arab Advisors Group.
"Moreover, countries with competitive markets have seen their scores improve rapidly as competition drove down rates and enhanced awareness amongst consumers." -- Source: Gulf News