Mobile Internet Sector Experiences Significant Growth
According to the 2023 Annual Infrastructure Indicators Report released on 6 March by the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the mobile‑internet market has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past decade.
| Year | Total Mobile Subscriptions* | Growth Since 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3.4 million | – |
| 2023 | 11.6 million | +8.2 million |
*Includes subscriptions from Tunisie Télécom, Ooredoo Tunisie, Orange Tunisie, Lycamobile, and Cayon Cloud Communications (3C).
Overall, the number of mobile subscriptions (all operators combined) reached 16.2 million in 2023, up from 12.7 million in 2013.
3G Coverage
- 2013: 89.5 % of the population covered by 3G services.
- 2023: 99.2 % coverage.
“This improvement is mainly due to continuous investments aimed at modernising the infrastructure: expanding and upgrading switching systems, enhancing and diversifying service quality, and extending and densifying the capacity of the mobile telephone network.”
Fixed‑Line Telephony
The fixed‑line sector also recorded strong growth between 1994 and 2023.
| Year | Fixed‑Line Subscriptions | Lines per 100 Inhabitants |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 0.5 million | 5.3 |
| 2023 | 1.9 million | 15.7 |
| 2024 (forecast) | 2.0 million | 16.4 |
Fixed‑Line Internet
Fixed‑line broadband saw a substantial increase as well:
- 2013: 0.60 million subscriptions.
- 2023: 1.7 million subscriptions.
Consequently, the fixed‑line internet density rose to 14.5 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2023, compared with 5.5 per 100 inhabitants in 2013.
Key Takeaways
- Mobile subscriptions grew more than threefold from 2013 to 2023.
- Near‑universal 3G coverage (99.2 %) demonstrates the success of infrastructure upgrades.
- Fixed‑line telephony and broadband both experienced steady expansion, with density figures now exceeding the 1994 baseline by a factor of three.
- Projections indicate continued growth, with fixed‑line subscriptions expected to reach 2 million by 2024.
These figures underline the rapid digitalisation of Tunisia’s telecommunications landscape and the effectiveness of ongoing modernization policies.
