The market is highly competitive with the three major operators - Zain, Orange and Umniah - all having over 30% market share each in terms of mobile subscribers.
Mobile broadband is a key growth area for Jordan, with 4G services already on offer. By 2020 4G penetration could reach as much as 70%. Orange Jordan has seen recent growth in subscriber numbers due to the more competitive mobile broadband services it can offer as a result of 4G deployments. The country also plays host to an MVNO, Virgin Mobile MEA.
The fixed broadband network is also growing and the government has been working for some time to deploy its national broadband network. Public facilities are being connected, with deployment to the Southern governates expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Work has also begun on the Northern governates.
Jordan is host to a growing number of ICT companies and has emerged as a technology start up hub for the Middle East, made possible due to a focus on ICT education and a regulatory environment conducive to ICT investment.
Jordan's thriving start up scene has underpinned Jordan's digital economy, which incorporates e-commerce, e-health, e-education and e-government. Most activity and attention is focused on the e-commerce sector given the commercial opportunities available. Tackling one of the largest impediments to e-commerce development in Jordan and the Middle East in general, the Central Bank of Jordan adopted a strategy for 2013 - 2017 to develop the legal framework for all e-payments systems in Jordan.
Jordan has placed a high priority on improving its government services and by January 2016 the Jordanian government was supplying 100 services electronically, with plans to launch a further 100 e-services during 2016/2017 and another 150 during 2018/2019.
The combination of a future national broadband network along with 4G LTE services and a highly competitive market will spur the overall telecoms sector on in Jordan and it is hoped that revenues for the sector will increase substantially.
While Jordan is demonstrating positive developments towards fixed and mobile broadband development, it has some challenges including the ongoing influx of refugees from Iraq and Syria which places strain on the countries' economy, infrastructure and society in general.
Competition is allowed in all sectors of the market and is predominantly infrastructure based, although the regulatory environment is slowly improving to create a viable wholesale market.
In 2017 there was a growing discontent amongst consumer in the wake of announcements that further levies might be directed at the telecoms sector. Jordan is already considered to have one of the most highly taxed telecoms sectors in the region.
3G penetration is already over 70% in Jordan. The second-hand smart phone market in Jordan is very strong and has enabled a broader demographic to own such devices.
