Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
The UAE topped Kearney’s inaugural Global Telecom Health Index for 2026, followed by Qatar, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.
The UAE received an overall score of 87 out of 100, ahead of Qatar at 85. Sweden scored 73, Norway 71 and Switzerland 70, according to the report.
The UAE ranked first among the 34 markets assessed for technology deployment and second for customer sentiment. Qatar ranked fourth for technology deployment and first for customer sentiment.
“The UAE and Qatar demonstrate the strong outcomes that can be achieved through well-structured markets, where coordinated investment delivers high-quality networks, high customer satisfaction, and sound commercial and financial health,” Kearney said.
The two Gulf countries were the only markets to combine a top-five position in technology deployment with the two highest customer sentiment rankings globally.
“Qatar and UAE stand out at the top of the index as two relatively small markets with only two national operators each that rank in the top five for technology deployment, and rank first and second respectively for customer sentiment,” the report said.
The index assessed the telecom sectors of 34 countries across five dimensions: financial performance, commercial ability, technology deployment, business environment and customer sentiment. The overall rankings were based on 20 metrics drawn from "proprietary Kearney data”, the report said.
Financial performance was assessed using operators’ returns on capital employed and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation over the previous three years.
Technology deployment covered the availability and performance of fibre and 5G networks, while customer sentiment was measured through Kearney’s consumer survey.
The index is an assessment of telecom markets at the country level and should not be interpreted as a ranking of individual operators, Kearney said.
The 2026 report expanded on Kearney’s European Telecom Health Index published last year, which covered 20 European countries.
Fourteen markets were added this year to turn it into a global index.
Malaysia ranked sixth, followed by Finland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and China. The United States placed 15th, India 20th and the United Kingdom 33rd among the 34 markets.
Kearney said it found no correlation between the size of a country or its gross domestic product per capita and the health of its telecom sector.
It said the US, despite its high GDP per capita and widespread fibre and 5G coverage, was held back by low customer satisfaction and mixed financial returns.
Market structure emerged as one of the factors associated with stronger telecom-sector performance. Of the markets covered, 24 had three or fewer mobile network operators, while 10 had four or more.
Markets with three or fewer operators recorded higher average scores across every dimension except customer sentiment, where the two groups were level.
Kearney said a smaller number of operators could support more coordinated investment and reduce the duplication of network infrastructure while still maintaining competition.
Tower ownership was another factor associated with the rankings. Markets where leading operators retained more than 50% ownership of their tower estates were more likely to rank highly in overall telecom health.
The UAE, Norway, Malaysia and Thailand, where operators retain greater tower ownership, performed particularly well in technology deployment and commercial measures, the report said.
Kearney said retaining towers and other passive infrastructure could allow operators to coordinate deployment, gain faster access to sites for upgrades and align network investment more closely with commercial priorities.
Kearney is a global management consulting firm that advises businesses, governments and institutions on strategy, operations and organisational transformation. Founded in 1926, it operates through offices in more than 40 countries.
