Algeria’s telecom market has entered a new phase of competition following the commercial launch of 5G service by Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo in late 2025, according to Ookla.
The rollout, supported by ARPCE licensing in the 3.5 GHz band, has significantly improved network performance at both national and city levels.
Download and upload speed performance improved sharply after 5G deployment. National download speed increased from 23.6 Mbps in January 2025 to 40.87 Mbps in December 2025.
In leading 5G cities, download speeds reached 102.56 Mbps in Algiers, 76.94 Mbps in Setif, 64.47 Mbps in Constantine, and 55.69 Mbps in Oran. While detailed operator-level upload speeds were closely matched, overall improvements reflect better uplink capacity enabled by mid-band spectrum, Ookla report said.
Market share remains led by Mobilis with 42.4 percent, followed by Djezzy at 31.6 percent and Ooredoo at 25.9 percent. The market is largely prepaid at 95.6 percent, with 4G still dominant at 88.8 percent usage, though 5G is rapidly gaining traction.
5G performance in top cities shows a clear boost in user experience, especially in Algiers, where early deployment has driven higher speeds and improved latency. Operators are combining 3.5 GHz capacity with refarmed 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands to expand coverage.
RootMetrics drive tests in Algiers confirm strong competition. Reliability scores across operators ranged between 968.53 and 990.85, indicating high network stability. Djezzy and Mobilis recorded similar overall reliability, while Ooredoo trailed slightly.
Data reliability performance, which carries 80 percent weight, was strong across all operators. Djezzy led in uplink and downlink access success, Ooredoo excelled in downlink task completion, and Mobilis led in lighter data tasks. Scores across operators remained very close, highlighting consistent data performance.
Call reliability performance showed Mobilis leading with the lowest blocked call rate at 0.58 percent, though with slower call setup time of 7.6 seconds. Djezzy outperformed in dropped call rate at 0.29 percent and achieved faster call setup, indicating better voice experience.
Share of active 5G network usage varied significantly. Ooredoo led with about 76 percent of test samples on 5G in Algiers, demonstrating the most aggressive rollout. Djezzy recorded over 30 percent 5G usage, supported by carrier aggregation with 4G spectrum, while Mobilis remained largely LTE-focused during the early phase.
Overall, the launch of 5G has materially improved speeds and reliability across Algeria, intensifying competition among Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo. Continued investment in 5G expansion, especially by Mobilis, is expected to further reshape performance leadership in the market.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
