Study finds investment, spectrum and technology upgrades are the strongest drivers of world-class mobile network performance
29 July 2026, London: GSMA Intelligence published a new report, Mobile quality of service and market status: Saudi Arabia case study, examining Saudi Arabia’s mobile network performance and quality of service (QoS), benchmarking the Kingdom against international peers and analysing the investment, technology and policy factors associated with high-performing mobile networks.
The analysis finds Saudi Arabia ranks among the leading large economies globally for 5G development, scoring high on the GSMA Intelligence 5G Connectivity Index. The Kingdom also recorded average 5G download speeds of 314 Mbps in 2025, ranking in amongst the leaders of large countries included in the analysis.
The report also examines Saudi Arabia’s progress in enterprise digital transformation, highlighting the role of advanced mobile infrastructure, widespread 5G deployment and continued investment in supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives.
Drawing on analysis covering 187 countries, GSMA Intelligence found that the strongest drivers of improvements in mobile quality of service are continued investment in network infrastructure, technology upgrades, spectrum availability, fibre deployment and smartphone adoption.
The report also examines international approaches to quality of service (QoS) regulation, finding little evidence that increasingly prescriptive regulatory obligations alone improve network performance. Instead, the findings suggest that policies supporting long-term infrastructure investment, efficient spectrum management and innovation are more effective in delivering sustained improvements in consumer experience.
Pau Castells, Head of Economic Analysis, GSMA Intelligence, said: “Saudi Arabia has established itself as one of the world’s leading digital markets through sustained investment in advanced mobile infrastructure and 5G deployment. Our research shows that the strongest drivers of mobile quality of service are continued investment, spectrum availability, technology upgrades and fibre deployment. As countries continue to advance their digital ambitions, policies that encourage innovation and long-term infrastructure investment will be critical to delivering high-quality connectivity and supporting economic growth.”
Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA, GSMA, added: ” This case study highlights the importance of creating an environment that supports long-term investment, innovation and efficient spectrum management to deliver high-quality mobile connectivity. Saudi Arabia’s experience provides a valuable example of how these factors can come together to support digital transformation and improved consumer outcomes. While every market is unique, the findings offer practical insights that can help inform future policy discussions on mobile quality of service across the region and beyond.”
The report concludes that quality of service frameworks should balance consumer outcomes with policies that encourage continued investment, innovation and efficient spectrum management to support sustainable improvements in network performance.
The research benchmarks Saudi Arabia against regional and international markets and assesses global best practice in quality of service policy, including approaches adopted across Europe, Asia-Pacific and other advanced digital economies.
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