Josh Fomon | September 3, 2023

The Finals Are On, but Which Australian Football League Stadium Had the Best Mobile Performance?

The Australian Football League (AFL) Finals start this weekend and with the Pies holding off late challenges from the Lions and Port Adelaide to secure the top of the ladder — here at Ookla® we’re sure every team vying for a spot in the Grand Final at the MCG on Sept. 30 is sure to put on a show for fans across the country. With such a great footy season in 2023, the Finals are set to be a breathtaking, best-in-world spectacle, and Ookla wanted to find out which stadium’s mobile experience made fans the real winners this year.

Methodology

We used Speedtest Intelligence® to examine download and upload speeds and multi-server latencies for all mobile technologies and 5G at AFL stadiums with a 100-meter zone around the stadium from the start of the season in Q1 2023 through Q2 2023. We also used Consumer QoE™ data with the same criteria to determine the web page load time at each stadium to see which footy fans were racing ahead to post their team’s come-from-behind wins first, and which fans were left in a lurch waiting for web pages to load to check their rival’s scores.

These AFL stadiums had the fastest download speeds in 2023

While Sydney are out to avenge their stinging 2022 Grand Finals loss to Geelong, Swans fans should at least feel great knowing the Sydney Cricket Ground had one of the fastest median download speed of any stadium we surveyed with a download speed at 140.96 Mbps during Q1-Q2 2023. The SCG also had one of the fastest median upload speeds at 26.44 Mbps during Q1-Q2 2023, ensuring fans were getting all the latest real-time updates, and posting their photos and videos with relative ease.

Marvel Stadium was a runner up for both download and upload speeds at 117.50 Mbps and 23.06 Mbps during Q1-Q2 2023, with fans of the mighty Blues, the Dons, the Roos, the Saints, and the Bulldogs all sharing runner-up honors in the Docklands in Melbourne. Next on our list was Optus Stadium in Perth with Fremantle and West Coast fans experiencing a median download speed of 100.40 Mbps, followed by GIANTS Stadium in western Sydney at 81.34 Mbps, the Gabba in Brisbane at 70.63 Mbps, the MCG in Melbourne at 69.28 Mbps, and the Adelaide Oval at 66.79 Mbps. The GMHBA in Geelong and Heritage Bank Stadium in Gold Coast didn’t have enough samples to be included in this ranking.

For context, the city of Geelong had a median mobile download speed at 87.60 Mbps during July 2023 and greater Gold Coast had a download speed of 95.32 Mbps during the same time period according to the Speedtest Performance Directory™.

These AFL stadiums with the fastest 5G download speeds were too close to call, but fans in NSW are the true winners

Looking at download speeds over 5G during Q1-Q2 2023, there was no statistically fastest 5G download speed among AFL stadiums we surveyed. However, every stadium we evaluated except the Gabba had median 5G download speeds over 100 Mbps, with the Gabba having a median download speed of just 92.08 Mbps. While there was no winner over 5G, GIANTS Stadium saw a median 5G download speed at 182.61 Mbps, the SCG at 171.43 Mbps, Marvel Stadium at 166.66 Mbps, Optus Stadium at 133.82 Mbps, and the MCG at 122.62 Mbps. The Adelaide Oval, the GMHBA, and Heritage Bank Stadium didn’t have enough 5G samples to be included.

Fans at Marvel Stadium were able to upload their videos from matches the fastest, with the fastest median 5G upload speed at 34.27 Mbps. The SCG (29.02 Mbps), MCG (27.35 Mbps), and GIANTS Stadium (27.16 Mbps) followed with median 5G upload speeds greater than 20 Mbps.

Note that some 5G plans may have limited 5G access and 5G coverage varies by provider.

Multi-server latencies showed good parity between stadiums

Latency, also known as ping, is the reaction time of your network’s roundtrip connection, which is particularly important for streaming, video chats, and online gaming. For those footy fans who might be video chatting and bragging to their friends about their seats (or more likely their team winning against their friend’s team), latency is increasingly a very important measure for real-time online interactions.

Much like the middle of the ladder this season, the AFL stadiums we surveyed had a tight range of multi-server latencies for all mobile technologies combined with the SCG having the lowest at 28.97 ms and GIANTS Stadium having the highest at 36.17 ms. Multi-server latencies over 5G were about the same, with the SCG being the lowest at 28.63 ms and the Gabba having the highest at 35.86 ms. With lower latencies indicating a more responsive network, those looking to livestreaming a last second winner at the SCG might have a slightly better experience for their friends with less lag than those at the Gabba.

These stadiums had the fastest mobile web page load time experience

Speed and latency are important, but they’re not the only thing footy fans need from their mobile network while watching their team battling it out on the oval.

Using Consumer QoE data, we looked at web page load time data, which reflects consumers’ real-world experiences of trying to use the internet, to see the stadiums where fans could access websites like social media without any delay. A lower web page load time means fans wait less for websites to load and can get straight to bragging to their friends about their team’s come from behind victory. With a 2016 Google research study reporting 53% users leave a webpage if it takes more than three seconds to load, fast page load times are very important when gauging mobile users’ experience using their network. We’re happy to report all of the stadiums we surveyed fell under this benchmark during Q1-Q2 2023, with some fans experiencing slightly faster load times than others.

The SCG and GIANTS stadium led the pack once again, with a median page load time of 1,457 ms (1.457 seconds) and 1,459 ms (1.459 seconds), respectively, though there was no statistical winner. Marvel Stadium (1,533 ms) and Heritage Bank Stadium (1,540 ms) followed, with the Adelaide Oval (1,602 ms), the Gabba (1,606 ms), the MCG (1,623 ms), and GMHBA Stadium (1,654 ms) all having a median page load time under 1,700 ms. Optus Stadium was the only AFL stadium to have a page load time over 1,700 ms, leaving Dockers and Eagle fans waiting just a hair longer than their eastern Aussie counterparts.

Going to the Finals or Grand Final? Take a Speedtest® and show us your results

If you’re a supporter of Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, GWS, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St. Kilda, or Sydney, and you’re headed to a Finals match — we’re very jealous of you — here at Ookla we’d love to see how your experience stacks up to our findings. Before you head to the nearest oval, download the Speedtest app for your iOS or Android device to test your real-world network experience, and be sure to take a Speedtest while you’re cheering on your team wherever you may be. After the match, share your Speedtest result with us on Twitter or Facebook — and let us know who you support!

Want to learn more about mobile and fixed broadband internet in your area? Head over to the Speedtest Performance Directory to learn more about internet performance in your area and see if you’ve got a goal of a provider or you’re just scoring a behind.

Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | June 6, 2023

Live Fast, Work Abroad: Countries with Remote Work Visas and Great Internet

Taking advantage of remote work in another country is the dream for many. Who hasn’t imagined themselves sipping fresh squeezed juice on a gorgeous tropical beach during a team call, cozying up next to a crackling fire in a European castle while pouring over a spreadsheet, or even just working anywhere that isn’t the office or our home couch? COVID-19 made working remotely more readily an option for some, and 51 countries have even gone so far as to create remote work or “digital nomad” visas. Today, Ookla® brings you fresh data on how these countries’ internet compares so you can start planning a long-term escape from your current reality.

Using Speedtest Intelligence®, we looked for remote work countries with the fastest internet, tropical countries with remote work visas and fast internet, fastest European countries for remote work, countries where you won’t lose your connection, and seven affordable remote work countries with good internet. Read on to start planning your next life adventure.

Digital nomad countries with seriously fast internet

Getting the fast download speeds you need to do your daily tasks should be the least of your worries when you work abroad. Thailand had the fastest fixed broadband speeds among countries that have remote work visas with a median download speed of 196.20 Mbps and a median upload speed of 164.85 Mbps during Q1 2023. With speeds like those, you’ll be able to eat your Guay Teow while gaming, streaming multiple 4K videos, and uploading videos of your adventures with no issues (and you should be able to work, too).

Spain (172.04 Mbps) and Romania (171.15 Mbps) were next on our list of fastest remote work destinations, followed by Hungary (134.43 Mbps), Portugal (128.50 Mbps), Taiwan (127.85 Mbps), Norway (111.44 Mbps), Panama (108.84 Mbps), and Brazil (100.38 Mbps), which all had median download speeds over 100 Mbps during Q1 2023. Rounding out our list of fastest remote work countries are Malta (97.55 Mbps) and Bermuda (97.20 Mbps). If speed is of the utmost importance to you while you work and live in another country, rest assured that these countries can handle the bandwidth you need.

Soak up the sun with fast internet in these beachy countries with remote work visas

If you dream of a remote work escape and prefer tropical, sunny beaches where you can sip piña coladas, we’ve got you covered (though don’t forget your sunblock when you venture outside!) Twenty-seven countries have digital nomad visas, average temperatures above 65° F (roughly 18° C), and beach access. Unsurprisingly, Thailand, again takes the top spot with a median download speed of 196.20 Mbps, followed by Taiwan (127.85 Mbps), Panama (108.84 Mbps), Brazil (100.38 Mbps), Malta (97.55 Mbps), Bermuda (97.20 Mbps), Malaysia (92.53 Mbps), Dominica (80.00 Mbps), Barbados (74.21 Mbps), and St. Lucia (71.40 Mbps). Grenada (65.25 Mbps), Costa Rica (65.07 Mbps), and Montserrat (63.22 Mbps) followed closely behind the top 10.

If you choose to work remotely from one of these countries, we’ll be jealously awaiting you sharing your Speedtest® results on Twitter as you work from the beach, take a dip in the ocean during your break, and relax with a cool ocean breeze as your biggest worry in the world.

These European countries with remote work visas had the fastest internet speeds

Maybe you’ve been watching all the Eurovision or have been dreaming of jetting off to European locations every weekend. Luckily for you, 16 European countries offer some version of a remote work visa. Speedtest Intelligence data reveals that Spain had the fastest median download speed at 172.04 Mbps during Q1 2023. Romania, Hungary, Portugal, and Norway followed with median download speeds above 100 Mbps. Malta (97.55 Mbps), Germany (82.05 Mbps), Latvia (77.76 Mbps), Estonia (64.80 Mbps), and Czechia (55.97 Mbps) rounded out the top 10, with Cyprus (53.71 Mbps) coming up just behind. Regardless of which European country you choose, you’ll be a few hours away from multiple countries with plenty to do and eat!

10 remote work countries where you won’t lose your connection

You shouldn’t have to stress about your internet connection while you’re working abroad — especially if you have to video chat often. So we used Speedtest Intelligence data to examine the Consistency — calculated by the percentage of results showing at least a 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload speed over fixed broadband — in countries with remote work visas during Q1 2023. While there was no statistically highest Consistency, Thailand had a Consistency of 89.8%, Romania 89.7%, and Taiwan 89.5%. Norway followed at 87.3%, then Malaysia, Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, and Bermuda rounding out the top 10. Rest assured if you choose one of these countries, you should be able to stream and video chat while you work. Just remember to mute that movie during your team call.

Seven affordable places with good internet for digital nomads on a budget

Internet speed and consistency are important for remote work — but they’re not everything when you’re deciding where you want to spend your next adventure. If you’re looking for an affordable location to spend your time, save some money, and get good internet, we’ve got you covered.

We used thresholds of 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload, and under 100 ms latency to designate a country of having “good” internet — these speed thresholds are minimums to what should allow you to stream in 4K, video chat, and do most work-related tasks. The latency threshold number is high, but cheap, fast internet with super low latency is not common enough. We compared that list against World Bank data for GDP per capita (PPP) from 2021 which adjusts for cost of living, and narrowed down countries that have less than the world average of $18,607. Seven countries qualified for inclusion on our list based on those criteria: Barbados, Brazil, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Montserrat, and St. Lucia.

Brazil had the fastest download speed at 100.38 Mbps on our affordable countries for remote work list, followed by Dominica (80.00 Mbps), Barbados (74.21 Mbps), St. Lucia (71.40 Mbps), Grenada (65.25 Mbps), Montserrat (63.22 Mbps), and Ecuador, which eked out a place on this list at 50.55 Mbps. Every country on this list had a median upload speed above 20 Mbps. All of the countries had a Consistency higher than 70%, except St. Lucia, which was just under at 68.3%. If latency, which causes the kind of lag that can make video calls frustrating, is a major concern, only Ecuador (14 ms) and Brazil (18 ms) had latencies under 20 ms.

Regardless of where you choose to work remotely among these seven countries, you should have access to internet that can keep you on top of what you need to do at work, while you save some cash, live well, and hit the beach, since all of these countries have average temperatures above 70° F (21°C). You might just have to brush up on your Spanish, Creole, Patois, or Portuguese to really get an immersive experience, but you should sleep easy knowing that you can live well and continue to work online.

What do you need to know before applying for a remote work visa?

Currently, there are 51 countries that offer some form of a remote work visa. The requirements for these visas vary widely across each country, but generally there are a few key things you’ll need to know before you choose a country to apply to.

First, you need to decide where you are going! Besides checking internet performance, you’ll want to research how long a remote visa can last, how much money you are going to have to earn to qualify, what costs you’ll be looking at, options to renew the visa, and what kind of fees you’ll need to pay along the way. At a minimum, you’ll need a passport.

You often can’t just show up and start working remotely; for a long-term stay, you’ll need to apply for a visa (along with any family members you might want to bring along). Approval isn’t straightforward — you may need to prove your income, translate documents, get documents notarized, and even make a minimum amount of money each month. Once approved, you’ll typically pay a fee for each family member you are bringing, and you should make certain if you have any additional fees or taxes you’ll be liable to pay throughout your stay.

Once you have your visa in order, you’ll need to figure out your living situation — whether that is something longer term, or moving around a country, you’ll want to keep any requirements of your visa up to date. Do your due diligence while you apply so you don’t find yourself in an unpredictable situation you could have avoided.

Ookla has the resources you need to plan your remote work trip

We hope this short guide will help you choose the right remote work experience to help you feel fulfilled. If you want to learn more about the internet experience in any of the countries we mentioned, or even find city data or internet provider data for your remote work journey, check out the Speedtest Performance Directory™. If you’re struggling to find a decent internet provider in your area, check out our satellite internet series to see if there is a fast satellite internet connection available. And don’t forget to download the Speedtest app for Mac, Windows, or Linux to make sure you’re getting the speeds you need to continue working remotely!

Interested in what Ookla is doing? We offer fully remote positions around the world, so check out if there is an open role for you!

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | May 8, 2023

New Speedtest Data Shows Starlink Users Love Their Provider

Satellite internet competition is heating up and Ookla® has exciting, fresh data from Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 for HughesNet, SpaceX’s Starlink, and Viasat in North America, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as new Starlink markets we haven’t yet featured in our ongoing satellite internet series.

This analysis includes Starlink Net Promoter Score (NPS) for metro and nonmetro internet connections in the United States, year-over-year data for Starlink in Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the U.S., and Starlink results from three new countries (Philippines, Nigeria, and Peru).

Starlink users in metro and nonmetro areas love Starlink, fixed broadband users dislike their internet service providers

Using Speedtest Intelligence®, we examined NPS ratings by Starlink users and all fixed broadband providers combined for “metropolitan” and “nonmetropolitan” counties as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. NPS based on Speedtest® user responses after being asked how likely they are to recommend their provider to friends or family on a 0 to 10 scale. NPS ratings are categorized into Detractors (score 0-6), Passives (score 7-8), and Promoters (score 9-10), and is calculated as (% Promoters – % Detractors) x 100. Any NPS score above 0 indicates that a provider’s audience is more loyal than not.

As you see above, the difference in NPS between Starlink and all fixed broadband providers combined is stark: both metro and nonmetro Starlink far outperformed metro and nonmetro ISPs combined for NPS. Metro Starlink had a score of 31.94 compared to -23.62 for all metro fixed broadband providers combined, despite Starlink having a median download speed of 65.29 Mbps compared to 203.93 Mbps for all metro fixed broadband providers combined. Nonmetro Starlink had an even higher NPS at 42.21 compared to nonmetro ISPs at -21.27 — that’s especially notable given that Starlink’s median download speed was much closer to the median nonmetro fixed broadband speed at 72.18 Mbps to 100.41 Mbps.

Clearly, Starlink provides a much loved option for more rural, nonmetro users who often don’t have many good — if any — internet options. And the message is loud and clear: Starlink users are more than willing to recommend the service and love the internet they are getting.

Starlink speeds increased in Canada and the U.S. over the past two quarters, but are mixed year-over-year

As Starlink continues to become an increasingly popular and beloved option for users, especially those in more rural areas, steady increases in speeds in two large markets like Canada and the U.S. bode well for the internet provider. These increases come as major upgrades to Starlink’s satellite array are beginning, with Starlink having just launched 46 nextgen satellites on April 27, so we wouldn’t be surprised if speeds keep climbing across the globe.

In North America, all of the countries we surveyed saw slower median download and upload speeds during Q1 2023 than Q1 2022. However, Canada saw just about a 3 Mbps decrease in download speed from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023, with about a 28 Mbps increase over the past two quarters. The U.S., where Starlink has many more users, saw about a 24 Mbps decrease year-over-year for median download speeds, but at least a 13 Mbps increase during Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. Mexico, which saw 100+ Mbps median download speeds during Q1 2022, saw a roughly 49 Mbps dip year-over-year as more users signed up for the service; however, speeds leveled slightly with only an overall dip of about 8 Mbps during the past two quarters.

In South America, Chilean Starlink speeds slowed about 22 Mbps from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023, however, speeds only slowed about 8 Mbps over the past two quarters. Chile has continually ranked in the top four for fastest fixed broadband speeds on the Speedtest Global Index™ for over a year now.

Starlink in Canada blazed ahead as the fastest satellite provider in mainland North America

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that Starlink in Canada had the fastest download speed among satellite providers in mainland North America at 93.97 Mbps. That was about 40% faster than the runner-up, which was Starlink in the U.S. at 66.59 Mbps. Starlink in Mexico was next at 56.42 Mbps, and was faster than all fixed broadband providers in Mexico combined at 50.46 Mbps.

Viasat in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. made noticeable performance leaps over download speed from Q3 2022 when we last measured North American satellite providers. Canada went from 24.36 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 48.24 Mbps in Q1 2023, the U.S. from 28.07 Mbps to 36.47 Mbps, and Mexico from 16.14 Mbps to 24.06 Mbps. Hughesnet trailed over download speed in the U.S. (16.32 Mbps) and in Mexico (12.98 Mbps).

For upload speeds, all satellite providers trailed fixed broadband speeds in their respective countries, with Starlink in Canada achieving the fastest satellite upload speed at 9.60 Mbps, followed by Starlink in Mexico (8.47 Mbps) and the U.S. (7.74 Mbps). Viasat and HughesNet trailed behind.

Multi-server latency showed the stark difference of satellite internet’s real limitations, with the huge distances between satellite and users adding up to longer lag times than fixed broadband. Starlink had the only latencies under 100 ms among satellite providers, with Starlink in the U.S. having the lowest latency at 62 ms, followed by Canada (70 ms) and Mexico (97 ms). Viasat and HughesNet, which have farther geosynchronous orbits (GEO) than Starlink’s low-earth orbit (LEO), had much higher latencies.

Starlink in Chile raced ahead as the fastest satellite provider in South America

Starlink in Chile was the fastest satellite provider in South America during Q1 2023, edging out Starlink in Peru by about 5% with a median download speed at 84.62 Mbps to 77.17 Mbps. No satellite provider outperformed all fixed broadband providers combined in Q1 2023, but Starlink in Colombia and Brazil both reached median download speeds above 70 Mbps at 73.51 Mbps and 70.92 Mbps, respectively. HughesNet in Chile broke 20 Mbps at 21.01 Mbps, while Viasat in Brazil only reached 14.41 Mbps.

Satellites were outperformed by fixed broadband over upload speed in South America during Q1 2023, but Starlink had median upload speeds that ranged from 13.90 Mbps to 22.08 Mbps, the fastest being in Peru. HughesNet ranged from 2.12 Mbps to 3.21 Mbps, and Viasat in Brazil was at 1.42 Mbps.

Starlink’s multi-server latency dipped below 60 ms in three South American markets during Q1 2023: Peru (48 ms), Chile (54 ms), and Colombia (55 ms). Brazil followed at 75 ms, which was the next lowest. Viasat and HughesNet trailed far behind.

Starlink in Jamaica was the fastest Caribbean satellite provider

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that Starlink in Jamaica was the fastest satellite provider in the Caribbean at 83.79 Mbps during Q1 2023. Starlink was faster than all fixed broadband providers in Jamaica, and both Starlink and Viasat were faster than all providers combined in the Dominican Republic during Q1 2023. Starlink reached median download speeds of over 50 Mbps during Q1 2023 in Jamaica (83.79 Mbps), Puerto Rico (74.61 Mbps), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (57.08 Mbps), while it fell just short of that benchmark in the Dominican Republic (46.24 Mbps). Viasat had median download speeds of 37.07 Mbps and 33.37 Mbps in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively, during Q1 2023, while HughesNet had a median download speed of 23.74 Mbps in Puerto Rico during Q1 2023.

Upload speeds showed a bit more parity between satellite providers with only Starlink in Jamaica rising above 10 Mbps with a median upload speed of 13.45 Mbps during Q1 2023. Starlink had median upload speeds ranging from 6.65 Mbps to 13.45 Mbps, HughesNet had a median upload speed at 3.78 Mbps in Puerto Rico, and Viasat had upload speeds of 1.02 Mbps and 1.03 Mbps in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively, during Q1 2023.

For multi-server latency, Caribbean satellite users saw higher multi-server latencies than mainland North and South America with only Starlink in Jamaica breaking under 100 ms. While fast speeds for remote users are always going to be appreciated, multi-server latencies of over 100 ms do make some internet uses much harder to do well like live gaming and video conferencing.

New Q1 2023 Starlink countries show promising initial results

Speedtest Intelligence data shows new Starlink data in three countries during Q1 2023, including Nigeria, Peru, and the Philippines, where Starlink is still a nascent provider with limited market share. Median download speeds for new Starlink countries were: 110.78 Mbps in the Philippines, 77.17 Mbps in Peru, and 61.75 Mbps in Nigeria during Q1 2023.

Starlink had slower upload speeds than all fixed broadband providers combined in all of the new countries except Nigeria, which was too close to call at 11.17 Mbps to 10.70 Mbps. Starlink had a much higher latency than fixed broadband providers in the Philippines (162 ms) in Q1 2023, though it came very close in Nigeria 57 ms to 46 ms.

It should be noted that satellite constellations have limited network bandwidth capacity, which may affect the consumer experience as more users sign up for the service. Starlink’s reach within these markets will also be limited by the cost of equipment (CPE) in particular, which ranges from PEN 1,750 ($470) in Peru, to PHP 29,320 ($530) in the Philippines and NGN 268,584 ($590) in Nigeria (prices correct at time of publication).

The 2023 space revolution is off to a huge start

Here are some major updates about what’s next for various different satellite competitors:

Amazon’s Project Kuiper showcases low-cost customer satellite terminals

After Amazon’s Project Kuiper 3,236 satellite LEO constellation was greenlit by the FCC, Amazon swiftly moved to showcase its consumer terminals in March. These new terminals have different tiered models, which are promised to deliver 100 Mbps and 400 Mbps models for consumers and businesses, and 1 Gbps models for “enterprise, government, and telecommunications applications that require even more bandwidth.” Furthermore, Amazon is getting into the chipset business and producing their own 5G modem chip, which will feature in each terminal.

Viasat launched its Viasat-3 arrays

On April 30, 2023, Viasat launched the first of three long-awaited Viasat-3 arrays, which aims to provide 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of network capacity on each satellite, double that of the entire operating fleet. Add two more satellites and Viasat could raise the throughput up to 500-600% of its current network capacity. That could allow its users to experience 100+ Mbps connections — a huge improvement for many consumers. We’ll be eagerly anticipating results in the coming quarters.

Eutelsat, OneWeb, and Intelsat are making big moves

While the merger of Eutelsat and OneWeb has yet to be fully completed, both satellite operators inked major deals with Intelsat to add more global satellite capacity. Furthermore, OneWeb launched an additional 36 LEO satellites into orbit in late March 2023, providing additional options for many of its resellers.

European Union greenlights multi-orbit constellation

The European Union has approved its multi-orbit, €6 billion constellation plan, which includes GEO, MEO, and LEO arrays, and will offer connectivity to all EU citizens. The project will support EU connectivity priorities including the economy, environment, security and defense, and is hoping to launch in 2024, and be fully operational by 2027.

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in Q2 2023

Incumbent satellite internet provider HughesNet has revealed its new Jupiter 3 array, which is designed to offer 500 Gbps over Ka-band and will allow HughesNet to provide consumers offerings of 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps. While the array still doesn’t have an official launch, the Jupiter 3 array is “doubling the size of the Hughes JUPITER fleet over North and South America.”

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

As 2023 continues to shape up as a pivotal year for satellite internet providers, we’ll be watching the sky to make sure providers are providing the connectivity consumers need. We’ll continue our series next quarter with Q1 and Q2 2023 data from Asia, Europe, Oceania, and any new countries where Starlink launches, and be back with Africa, North America, and South America data in Q4 2023. In the meantime, be sure to download the Speedtest® app for Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices and see how your satellite internet stacks up to our findings.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 10 with clarifying details and an updated chart.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | April 17, 2023

47 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q1 2023

Ookla® Market Reports™ identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 47 markets using Speedtest Intelligence® and summarized a few top takeaways below. Click through to the market report to see more details and charts about the countries you’re interested in, including the fastest fixed broadband providers and mobile operators, who had the most consistent service, and 5G and device performance in select countries during Q1 2023. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

Cameroon: Speedtest Intelligence reveals that MTN had the fastest median mobile download speed in Cameroon at 14.46 Mbps during Q1 2023. blue had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 184 ms.
Ethiopia: Safaricom had the fastest median mobile download speed at 32.81 Mbps during Q1 2023. Ethio Telecom had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 55 ms.
Tanzania: There were no winners over fastest fixed broadband and mobile in Tanzania during Q1 2023. Dar es Salaam had the fastest median mobile download speed among Tanzania’s most populous cities at 28.73 Mbps during Q1 2023.

Americas

Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile (32.62 Mbps) and Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband (94.26 Mbps). Movistar had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 12 ms.
Belize: NEXGEN had the fastest median download over fixed broadband in Belize at 47.35 Mbps. Digi had the fastest median mobile download speed at 18.39 Mbps.
Canada: Bell was the fastest mobile operator in Canada with a median download speed of 111.11 Mbps at Q1 2023. Bell also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 183.29 Mbps. Bell pure fibre was fastest for fixed broadband (281.94 Mbps).
Colombia: Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 151.74 Mbps. ETB had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms.
Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators at 32.01 Mbps. Viva had the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 43 ms. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for fixed broadband at 45.65 Mbps.
Ecuador: The fastest mobile operator was CNT with a median download speed of 30.82 Mbps. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband (71.82 Mbps). Fibramax had the lowest multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 9 ms.
El Salvador: Claro had the fastest median download speed over mobile in El Salvador at 39.09 Mbps.
Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Guatemala with a median download speed of 33.13 Mbps. Claro also had the highest Consistency with 84.5% of results showing at least a 5 Mbps minimum download speed and 1 Mbps minimum upload speed.
Guyana: ENet was the fastest fixed broadband provider (60.27 Mbps), while Digicel was the fastest mobile operator (35.60 Mbps). ENet also had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 120 ms.
Haiti: Digicel was the fastest mobile operator in Haiti with a median mobile download speed of 11.12 Mbps. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest fixed broadband internet at 46.76 Mbps. Natcom had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 62 ms.
Jamaica: Flow was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Jamaica with a median download speed of 50.50 Mbps. Flow also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 36 ms.
Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 45.54 Mbps. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband (78.94 Mbps) and had the lowest median multi-server latency at 26 ms.
Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 22.39 Mbps. Apple devices had the fastest median download speed among top device manufacturers at 29.68 Mbps.
Suriname: Telesur had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 51.18 Mbps. There was no winner over fixed broadband, but Digicel+ had the lowest median multi-server latency at 57 ms.
Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 37.56 Mbps. Digicel+ had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 94.27 Mbps and the lowest median multi-server latency at 7 ms.
United States: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 165.22 Mbps. T-Mobile also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 220.70 Mbps. Spectrum edged out XFINITY as the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 234.80 Mbps. Verizon had the lowest median multi-server latency on fixed broadband at 15 ms.

Asia

Afghanistan: The fastest mobile operator in Afghanistan was Afghan Wireless (5.92 Mbps), which also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 84 ms.
Bangladesh: Banglalink was the fastest mobile operator in Bangladesh with a median download speed of 21.94 Mbps. DOT Internet was fastest over fixed broadband at 89.50 Mbps and had the lowest median multi-server latency at 5 ms.
Bhutan: There was no fastest mobile operator in Bhutan during Q1 2023, but BT had the lowest median multi-server latency at 66 ms.
Brunei: There was no statistical winner on mobile during Q1 2023, but Apple devices had the fastest median download speed at 113.48 Mbps.
Cambodia: SINET had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband (42.00 Mbps). Cellcard was fastest over mobile at 32.05 Mbps.
China: China Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 138.95 Mbps. China Mobile also had the fastest median mobile 5G download speed at 291.24 Mbps. China Unicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 221.07 Mbps.
Georgia: MagtiCom had the fastest median fixed broadband speed in Georgia at 27.65 Mbps during Q1 2023. MagtiCom also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 11 ms. Geocell was fastest over mobile at 40.81 Mbps.
Indonesia: Telkomsel was the fastest Indonesian mobile operator with a median download speed of 24.48 Mbps. Telkomsel also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 45 ms.
Japan: NTT DoCoMo was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 48.86 Mbps during Q1 2023. So-net had the fastest fixed broadband speed at 282.13 Mbps, as well as the lowest median multi-server latency at 9 ms.
Malaysia: TIME was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Malaysia (107.56 Mbps) and had the lowest multi-server latency at 9 ms.
Pakistan: Transworld had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Pakistan at 16.23 Mbps. Jazz was fastest over mobile at 21.93 Mbps. Zong had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 46 ms.
Philippines: Smart delivered the fastest mobile download speed in the Philippines (33.39 Mbps).
Singapore: Singtel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 119.66 Mbps. StarHub had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 26 ms. SingTel had the fastest fixed broadband speed (263.13 Mbps).
South Korea: KT delivered the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband in South Korea at 145.28 Mbps. SK Telecom had the fastest mobile speed at 194.41 Mbps.
Sri Lanka: SLT-Mobitel delivered the fastest mobile and fixed broadband speeds in Sri Lanka at 20.62 Mbps and 44.76 Mbps, respectively. Dialog had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 36 ms.
United Arab Emirates: Etisalat had the fastest median fixed download speed (255.01 Mbps) and median mobile download speed (184.58 Mbps) in the UAE during Q1 2023. Etisalat also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 672.04 Mbps and lowest median multi-server latency at 35 ms.

Europe

Albania: ONE overtook Vodafone as the fastest mobile operator in Albania with a median download speed of 48.44 Mbps during Q1 2023. ONE also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 34 ms. Digicom was fastest for fixed broadband (87.71 Mbps).
Belgium: Telenet had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 135.65 Mbps, while Telenet/BASE had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 69.48 Mbps.
Denmark: YouSee was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark with a median download speed of 137.28 Mbps. Hiper was fastest for fixed broadband at 258.41 Mbps.
Estonia: The fastest mobile operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 91.34 Mbps. Telia had the lowest median multi-server latency on mobile at 30 ms. Elisa was fastest over fixed broadband at 92.20 Mbps.
Finland: DNA had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 101.59 Mbps. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband at 107.84 Mbps and had the lowest median multi-server latency at 11 ms.
Germany: Telekom was the fastest mobile operator in Germany with a median download speed of 96.61 Mbps. Deutsche Glasfaser overtook Vodafone as the fastest fixed broadband provider at 183.20 Mbps. Deutsche Glasfaser also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 14 ms.
Latvia: While there was no fastest mobile operator in Latvia during Q1 2023, Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 238.41 Mbps. Balticom also had the lowest median fixed broadband multi-server latency at 4 ms.
Lithuania: The mobile operator with the fastest median download speed was Telia at 109.53 Mbps. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband at 151.33 Mbps.
Poland: UPC was the fastest provider for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 214.34 Mbps. There was no statistical winner over mobile during Q1 2023.
Switzerland: Salt blazed ahead for the fastest fixed broadband with a median download speed of 367.36 Mbps. Salt also had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms.
Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 51.76 Mbps. Türk Telekom had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 38 ms. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband at 58.85 Mbps.

Oceania

New Zealand: MyRepublic had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband in New Zealand at 287.90 Mbps. There were no statistical winners among top mobile operators.

The Speedtest Global Index is your resource to understand how internet connectivity compares around the world and how it’s changing. Check back next month for updated data on country and city rankings, and look for updated Ookla Market Reports with Q2 2023 data in July.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on April 18 to exclude data from Vietnam while we continue to investigate anomalies in the market.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | March 27, 2023

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New Samsung Galaxy S23 Models Are

The new Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra models launched February 17 and Ookla® is here today to see how they’ve performed over 5G against their predecessor S22 models. Our analysis looks at data from the first month after launching in 12 of the largest mobile markets with an established 5G market and the highest number of connected mobile devices during Q4 2022 according to GSMA. Previously, in October 2022, we used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at 5G performance data right after the launches of the iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 in various countries.

Note that device data differs across markets due to a variety of factors, including: 5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations by operator, 5G Availability, the number of and different kinds of 5G deployments, and other differences, including mobile 5G plans. Read on to learn more and see whether or not you should upgrade your Samsung S22 to a newer model.

Key takeaways:

The Samsung S23 models only statistically outperformed corresponding S22 models in Germany and two out of three models in the United States for 5G download speed, but the S23 looks poised to be faster as further 5G adoption and build out continues and more spectrum is allocated for 5G across the C-band and mmWave frequencies.

Key improvements to the new Galaxy S23 models

You want to know if the latest technology is worth the price of an upgrade when you’re looking for a new phone. The S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra have various upgrades, but when it comes to performance, here’s a quick list of what’s different between the new and older models.

All Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 models

The Samsung S23 models have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while the Samsung S22 models have a Samsung Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The S23 models have a Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 modem, while the S22 models have an X65 modem
The S23 models have an upgraded GPU

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 base models

The S23 has a bigger battery capacity at 3,900 mAh over the S22’s 3,700 mAh
The S23 has slightly better ultra-wide and front cameras and video recording capabilities

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs. S22+ models

The S23+ has expanded storage capacity at a base level of 256 GB (which can be upgraded to 512 GB) over the S22+’s base of 128 GB
The S23+ has a bigger battery capacity at 4,700 mAh over the S22+’s 4,500 mAh
The S23+ has slightly better ultra-wide and front cameras and video recording capabilities

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. S22 Ultra models

The S23 Ultra has expanded storage capacity at a base level of 256 GB (which can be upgraded to 512 GB) over the S22 Ultra’s base of 128 GB
The S23 Ultra has much better main camera, with up to 200 MP vs. the S22 Ultra’s maximum of 108 MP

Samsung Galaxy S23 performance in the world’s largest mobile device markets

Brazilian S22 and S23 users saw seriously fast 5G speeds (even though 5G Availability remains low)

Speedtest Intelligence shows that the new S23 models were not yet statistically faster than the older S22 models in Brazil during the first month of launch, but they did exceed the median 5G download speed in Brazil during Q4 2022. Despite that, every S22 and S23 model had blazing fast speeds in Brazil, with median 5G download speeds faster than 400 Mbps. The S22 had a median download speed of 431.61 Mbps, the S22 Ultra was at 451.01 Mbps, and the S22+ at 451.85 Mbps. While the S23 models were not statistically faster than their S22 counterparts, the S23 had a median download speed of 459.76 Mbps, the S23 Ultra at 479.78 Mbps, and the S23+ at 494.18 Mbps. 5G upload speeds showed a similar trend, with no statistically faster S22 or S23 model, but with S22 models ranging from 35.73 Mbps to 39.42 Mbps and S23 models ranging from 39.30 Mbps to 42.59 Mbps. Multi-server latency — the latency you should expect to encounter more generally when your network is not under heavy load — ranged from 28.01 ms to 31.78 ms across all models over 5G.

Recommendation: Brazilian Galaxy S22 users should consider upgrading your phone if you can get 5G access; you’re going to get fast speeds and the new features of the S23, especially the camera of the S23 Ultra, may be worth it alone.

Chinese S23 users haven’t quite seen an improved 5G experience over S22 users

Data from the first month since the Samsung S23 launching illuminates that S23 models did not statistically outperform S22 models over 5G in China, and S23 models also didn’t quite exceed the Q4 2022 median 5G download speed. The S22 had a median 5G download speed of 267.47 Mbps, the S22 Ultra was similar at 265.65 Mbps, and the S22+ was at 301.41 Mbps. The S23 showed a median 5G download speed at 242.70 Mbps, while the S23 Ultra had a median download speed of 269.86 Mbps. 5G upload speeds on S22 models ranged from 48.40 Mbps to 62.93 Mbps, while the S23 and S23 Ultra were at 50.77 Mbps and 42.65 Mbps, respectively. While the S23 models showed lower median multi-server latency over 5G, there was no statistical winner between the S22 and S23 models. The S23+ did not meet the statistical threshold for inclusion in our analysis in China.

Recommendation: Chinese Galaxy S22 users should wait to upgrade your phone until speeds improve, unless the new S23 model hardware upgrades have you wanting a new phone.

French S23 users saw promising 5G results, S22 users might want to wait to upgrade

There was no statistically faster Samsung Galaxy S22 or S23 model over 5G in France during the first month of the S23’s release. However, median 5G download speeds for the S22 models ranged from 177.98 Mbps to 219.32 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 196.53 to 249.46 Mbps. 5G upload speeds showed a similar story, with no statistical winner. Upload speeds on S22 models ranged from 11.46 Mbps to 14.15 Mbps, and upload speeds on S23 models ranged from 14.89 Mbps to 19.22 Mbps. 5G multi-server latency was virtually the same for both models, which all ranged from 41.40 ms to 43.24 ms.

Recommendation: French Galaxy S22 users who want faster speeds might want to wait to upgrade your phone, but the new features of the S23 may make upgrading very tempting.

German Samsung Galaxy S22 users should feel confident upgrading to S23 models

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that German S23 users experienced faster 5G download speeds than their S22 counterparts during the first month of S23 availability across all models. The S23 outperformed the S22 for median 5G download speed, 147.26 Mbps to 112.01 Mbps, the S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 Ultra 141.56 Mbps to 124.45 Mbps, and the S23+ outperformed the S22+ 174.74 Mbps to 128.69 Mbps. Upload speeds had a bit more parity with the S22 models showing a range of 5G upload speeds from 20.47 Mbps to 26.10 Mbps, while the S23 models showed a range from 23.59 Mbps to 31.64 Mbps. Multi-server latency over 5G showed no statistical winner for either model but ranged from 36.76 ms to 38.58 ms.

Recommendation: Germany Galaxy S22 users shouldn’t hesitate to run to your operator to immediately upgrade your phone to an S23 model for faster speeds and better features.

Samsung Galaxy S23 users in Italy saw mixed 5G results after launch

New Speedtest Intelligence data reveals that while the basic S23 model outperformed the S22 model over 5G in Italy for median download speed 178.67 Mbps to 128.53 Mbps during the first month after launch, the S23 Ultra and S23+ models didn’t statistically outperform their S22 counterparts. That held true for upload speeds as well, with the S23 recording a median 5G upload speed of 21.73 Mbps to the S22’s 15.50 Mbps, while the S23 Ultra and S23+ weren’t statistically faster than the S22 Ultra and S22+, respectively. All of the S23 and S22 models during the first month of the S23 launch, except the S22 base model, were statistically faster than the 5G median download speed in Italy during Q4 2022. Median multi-server latency showed closer parity, with S22 models ranging from 45.02 ms to 47.79 ms, and S23 models ranging from 43.50 ms to 48.24 ms.

Recommendation: Unless you want a basic Galaxy S23 model and have consistent 5G access in Italy, you might want to wait to upgrade your phone to the S23 models unless you really want the new features.

Samsung Galaxy S23 showed 5G potential in the Philippines

Fresh data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that while the S23 and S23+ had faster median 5G download speeds than their S22 counterparts during the first month of the S23’s launch, there were no statistical winners between the models in the Philippines. The S23 models’ median 5G download speeds ranged from 142.31 Mbps to 185.32 Mbps, while the S22 models ranged from 131.87 Mbps to 143.57 Mbps. Median 5G upload speed for the S23 Ultra was faster than its S22 Ultra counterparts at 15.46 Mbps to 12.68 Mbps, respectively. There were no statistical winners for median multi-server latency over 5G, though the S22 models ranged from 35.42 ms to 38.39 ms, while the S23 models ranged from 34.29 ms to 35.31 ms.

Recommendation: Filippino Galaxy S22 users should upgrade their phones to the S23 models if they want new features, but shouldn’t expect faster speeds and a better experience quite yet.

Polish Samsung S23 models had a promising debut over 5G

Speedtest Intelligence data shows Poland had some of the slowest median 5G download speeds on Samsung S23 and S22 models among the countries we surveyed. While the new S23 models had a higher median 5G download speed than their counterparts during the first month after launching, there were no statistically significant faster speeds. The S23 models ranged from 83.74 Mbps to 98.99 Mbps, while the S22 models ranged from 75.70 Mbps to 80.43 Mbps. Upload speeds were similarly faster, but not statistically so, with S22 models ranging from 16.89 Mbps to 19.62 Mbps and S23 models ranging from 19.94 Mbps to 24.25 Mbps. Median multi-server latency over 5G was a mixed bag, with the new S23+ actually having a higher latency than the S22+ 44.25 ms to 38.37 ms, respectively. The other two models were too close to call.

Recommendation: Polish Galaxy S22 users can upgrade their phones to the S23 models for the new features, but might not yet experience faster 5G speeds on the new models.

Samsung S23 models in South Africa don’t live up to the hype just yet

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that the new S23 models weren’t yet statistically faster than their S22 counterparts over 5G in South Africa during the first month after launch. S22 models had median 5G download speeds that ranged from 172.07 Mbps to 206.03 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 187.62 Mbps to 202.10 Mbps. There was one bright note — the median 5G upload speed for the S23 Ultra was faster than the S22 Ultra 20.43 Mbps to 14.75 Mbps. Median multi-server latency showed parity over 5G for the S22 models and S23 models. The S22 models ranged from 29.06 ms to 33.75 ms, while the S23 models ranged from 31.41 ms to 32.92 ms.

Recommendation: South African Galaxy S22 users should probably wait to upgrade their phones to the S23 models if they are looking for faster 5G experience, but the S23 features may outweigh the parity in speeds between models.

South Koreans saw fast 5G speeds on the new Samsung Galaxy S23 models

Home to Samsung, South Korea showed some of the fastest 5G speeds on our list. Every S23 model had a faster median 5G download speed than the corresponding S22 models, but statistical winners remained elusive during the first month after launch, which we expect will probably change upon more adoption in the near future. S22 models recorded median 5G download speeds between 418.57 Mbps and 537.28 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 503.99 Mbps and 584.08 Mbps. Upload speeds were similarly impressive — though with no statistically faster median 5G upload speeds than another — with S22 models ranging from 37.76 Mbps to 51.66 Mbps over 5G, and S23 models ranging from 47.51 Mbps to 57.62 Mbps. Median multi-server latency over 5G showed ranges from 65.00 ms to 69.81 ms for the S22 models, and a range of 66.13 ms to 68.15 ms for the S23 models.

Recommendation: If you’re a South Korean Galaxy S22 user, you can probably expect slightly faster speeds if you upgrade to the new S23 models, but an upgrade for the new features, especially for the new S23 Ultra camera, might be more justified.

Thai Samsung Galaxy S22 and S23 users saw faster 5G speeds than the median average during Q4 2022

Speedtest Intelligence shows that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the only S23 model to achieve faster median 5G speeds than its predecessor in Thailand during the first month after launching. The S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 Ultra 222.21 Mbps to 198.74 Mbps over 5G for download speed and 33.57 Mbps to 30.10 Mbps for upload speed, respectively. The S23 and S23+ were not statistically faster, though the S23+ and S23 had median 5G download speeds of 202.64 Mbps and 229.56 Mbps, respectively. Median 5G multi-server latency showed close parity with the S22 ranging from 31.06 ms to 32.34 ms and the S23 ranging from 30.40 ms to 34.14 ms.

Recommendation: Thai Galaxy S22 Ultra users should feel confident in upgrading your phones to the S23 Ultra, especially for the new features. If you are a S22 and S22+ 5G user, you should absolutely consider upgrading, but might not yet see faster speeds.

Samsung Galaxy S23 results showed potential in the United Kingdom, but you still may want to wait to upgrade

New 5G data from the U.K. reveals that while the new Samsung Galaxy S23 models have higher median download speeds, the S23 models are not statistically faster than the S22 models. The S22 models had median 5G download speeds that ranged from 113.18 Mbps to 129.16 Mbps, and the S23 models ranged from 123.57 Mbps to 137.20 Mbps. 5G download speeds in the U.K. weren’t the slowest we saw among the countries we surveyed, but they were quite close to Poland’s bottom-tier results. The S23 Ultra was one stand-out performer, which had a faster median 5G upload speed than the S22 Ultra at 15.36 Mbps to 13.07 Mbps, though the other models weren’t significantly faster, but came close. Median multi-server latency over 5G was too statistically close to call, with the S22 models between 43.04 ms and 45.09 ms, and the S23 models between 41.77 ms and 46.63 ms.

Recommendation: U.K. Samsung Galaxy S22 users should wait to upgrade their phones to the S23 models unless you’re dying for the S23’s new features. But don’t expect faster results quite yet, especially as the U.K. continues to lag behind other more mature 5G markets around the world.

If you have 5G and a Samsung Galaxy S22 in the United States, don’t hesitate to upgrade to an S23 model

New data from Speedtest Intelligence reveals that during the first month of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series’ availability, the S23 and S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 and S22 Ultra for 5G download speeds, respectively, while the S23+ and S22+ were statistically too close to call. The S23 raced ahead of the S22 177.15 Mbps to 145.91 Mbps, and the S23 Ultra was faster than the S22 Ultra at 187.83 Mbps to 161.87 Mbps. All of the S22 and S23 models outperformed the median 5G download speed in the U.S. during Q4 2022. The Samsung S23 Ultra was the only S23 model to statistically outperform its counterpart for median 5G upload speeds, with an upload speed of 17.56 Mbps to 14.60 Mbps. The S23 and S23+ were too close to call. Looking at median multi-server latency over 5G, the S23 Ultra edged ahead of its S22 Ultra counterpart 50.44 ms to 51.52, while the other S23 didn’t have a statistical leg up.

Recommendation: U.S. Samsung Galaxy S22 users shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade to the S23 models, especially for the new features and hardware — particularly if you want the S23 Ultra’s 200 MP camera. With 5G networks increasingly getting faster, we suspect the S23 models have yet to see their full potential in the U.S., too.

The Speedtest® Android app can help benchmark your device’s 5G performance

After promising launches that have seen the Samsung Galaxy S23 models pull ever-so-slightly ahead in the U.S. and Germany, you can track how the Samsung Galaxy S23 performs on our next release of Ookla Market Reports™. If you recently upgraded your phone, be sure to download the Android Speedtest app to make sure you are getting the speeds you need along with access to video testing. We’ll be back throughout the year with fresh data on new phone launches, so if you’re considering upgrading your phone, be on the lookout for a new Ookla® device report.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | February 24, 2023

Here’s What to Expect for Mobile Coverage in Barcelona during MWC

2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) starts next week in Barcelona and Ookla® has new mobile data to prepare for your connected experience in and around MWC as you take in the Gaudí sights, the delicious food, and everything Barcelona has to offer. Last year, we looked at various landmarks around the city, and this year we’re back using Ookla Cell Analytics™ to highlight 4G LTE and 5G signal strength and signal quality, download throughput, and user density data at Camp Nou, Fira Gran Via, and La Sagrada Familia. In addition to network performance, coverage, and signal data, we’ve also included User Experience data on web browsing, teleconferencing, and video performance in the Barcelona province of Catalonia.

Camp Nou shows good signals don’t necessarily translate into a good connected experience

First up, we have Camp Nou, the sacred ground for famed soccer team, FC Barcelona. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to catch a game in Barcelona during MWC 2023. But if you visit Camp Nou to see all of their trophies and take in the storied atmosphere, you might have some trouble video chatting your experience to make your friends jealous. Looking at 4G LTE RSRP signal strength (ranging from -87 dBm to -100 dBm) and RSRQ signal quality (ranging from -11 dB to -14 dB) during Q4 2022, which shows that even though operators cover the stadium reasonably well, issues such as interference, poor RSRQ, and capacity do not allow for better speeds. Looking at the 4G LTE download throughput map, we see that median download speeds generally range from 5 to 100 Mbps, though there are more spots that have 5 Mbps or less in the stadium than anything higher than 100 Mbps.

Camp Nou also shows how far we’ve come since COVID-19 lockdowns

Furthermore, as you can see from the maps above — life’s back to normal at Camp Nou after COVID lockdowns in Q1 2021 when fans weren’t allowed to attend games. The user density is very dense in dark orange throughout the stadium when looking at data from the start of the soccer season in Q3 2022, while during Q1 2021 there were hardly any users in the stadium at all.

Fira Gran Via (home to MWC) has great coverage and throughput

While you’re visiting Ookla at MWC at Hall 2, Stand 2i28, you’ll get to experience some seriously fast 5G speeds as you take a Speedtest® on your iOS or Android devices at our booth, where we’ll also have other demos on hand, including Speedtest Intelligence®, Downdetector®, Cell Analytics, and more.

Comparing 4G LTE RSRP signal strength during Q1 2022 to 4G LTE RSRP signal strength during Q4 2022, we see the strong consistency of operator coverage over time. Furthermore, during Q1 2022 (and MWC 2022), the 5G download throughputs experienced at Fira Gran Via are very fast with many, if not most, speeds being greater than 500 Mbps with pockets of throughputs over 750 Mbps in most of the convention center. These show that operators have made 5G investments at the venue to ensure visitors have an excellent connected experience, whereas 5G speeds around the Fira Gran Via are a little slower, with many locations showing 5G download throughputs of only 100 to 500 Mbps.

La Rambla shows 5G’s potential compared to 4G LTE

La Rambla is Barcelona’s most popular pedestrian street, which showcases Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and astute commitment to urbanism. A major tourist destination, as well as an important street for locals, La Rambla is full of shops, restaurants, and excellent connectivity as you can see below.

Looking at the 4G LTE RSRP signal strength maps during Q3 2022 (which is the peak of the tourist season) and the period covering the last three months, we see that most operators’ signal strength improves slightly, with only Yoigo seeing a slight decline over time. With fewer tourists in the off seasons, that may be a sign of shifting user patterns or optimization changes. It’s clear every operator has prioritized the area and is delivering strong signals.

Looking at 4G LTE vs. 5G download throughput during Q3 2022, we see a stark contrast and evidence that 5G is typically much faster than 4G LTE on La Rambla. As you can see, 5G reaches speeds over 100 Mbps throughout much of La Rambla, with concentrated areas of speeds over 500 Mbps around Catalonia Square near the top of the map, which has a few throughputs of over 750 Mbps. While there are still some slower areas of 5G download throughput, almost all of the 4G LTE download throughputs range between 5 to 100 Mbps with a few areas of fast 4G LTE over 100 Mbps near the center of the map, all of which will allow you to access social media, stream audio and video, and download apps quickly.

User Experience data in Cell Analytics sheds light on mobile user experience in Catalonia’s Barcelona province

Finally, looking at Catalonia’s Barcelona province, we examine latency, video conferencing latency, and page load time over the past year.

Data collected over the last year shows Movistar had a median latency at 116 ms, followed by Yoigo (119 ms), Vodafone (123 ms), and Orange (124 ms) in the Barcelona province of Catalonia. Median video conferencing latency showed Yoigo at 44 ms, while Movistar was next (45 ms), followed by Vodafone (48 ms), and Orange (54 ms), which are all more than plenty to be able to have a video call. Median page load time was tight with Yoigo at 1,123 ms and Movistar at 1,126 ms. Vodafone followed at 1,193 ms, and Orange followed at 1,221 ms. Importantly, all operators still came in under a 2016 benchmark Google found where 53% of users will abandon a website if it doesn’t load in under 3 seconds.

Cell Analytics can help you optimize your network where it will most improve consumer experience

We hope this tour of mobile coverage and performance at a few of Barcelona’s landmarks shows you how useful Cell Analytics is for benchmarking and improving your network. For more details, watch our recent webinar, Discover Hidden Network Problems Using Real-World QoS and QoE Measurements. To learn more about Cell Analytics, including the newly available User Experience and Radio Network Coverage modules, please inquire today or come by Hall 2, Stand 2i28 at MWC for a demo.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | February 22, 2023

Starlink Resurgence? Speeds Increase in Europe and Oceania

Ookla® is back with exciting, fresh data from Q3 and Q4 2022 for SpaceX’s Starlink and Sky Logic in Europe and Oceania, as well as new Starlink markets we haven’t yet featured in our ongoing series on satellite internet. With the FCC greenlighting Amazon’s Project Kuiper and many other exciting satellite developments launching this year, we’re certain all eyes will be on the sky in 2023 as new orbital connectivity options become available for consumers.

This analysis includes Starlink results from six new countries, and data for Starlink and Sky Logic in Europe and Starlink in Oceania. We also examine how Starlink’s internet performance has changed over the past year in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

Starlink is mostly speeding up again from Q3 to Q4 2022, but is still slower than a year ago

As Starlink rides the wave of becoming an increasingly popular connectivity option for consumers, we’ve seen the service speed up and then slow down year-over-year in most markets. However, Q4 2022 data shows many countries are experiencing a modest rise in median download speeds when compared to Q3 2022. That’s encouraging for consumers, especially as Starlink hit over 1 million users in Q4 2022, and could be a sign that Starlink seems to be maturing its constellation’s capacity. That’s particularly intriguing as Starlink launches more next-gen satellites, which were first deployed at the tail end of Q4 2022 and will most likely show up in Q1 2023 results.

In Europe, all the countries we evaluated for year-over-year median download speeds were slower for Q4 2022 than Q4 2021 when there were fewer users on each network. Most countries showed between 10-20% slower speeds in Q4 2022 than what users experienced in Q4 2021, including Ireland (at least 11% slower), Austria (at least 13%), Portugal (at least 14%), Italy (at least 15%), Germany (at least 16%), and the U.K. (at least 19%). Users in France saw very similar speeds year over year, with just a 4% decrease from Q4 2021 to Q4 2022, while users in Poland saw a large decrease (at least 56% slower), and users in the Netherlands (at least 21%) and Belgium (at least 28%) saw substantial decrease during the same period.

In Oceania, Starlink year-over-year results were mixed, with Starlink’s download speed in Australia 24% slower in Q4 2022 than during Q4 2021, while in New Zealand it was 4% faster in Q4 2022 than Q4 2021.

Starlink in Denmark and Switzerland had the fastest satellite internet in Europe during Q4 2022

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals there was no fastest satellite provider in Europe during Q4 2022, though Starlink in Denmark (147.52 Mbps) and Switzerland (136.03 Mbps) led the pack for fastest median download speed. In all, Starlink download speeds were faster than 100 Mbps in 10 out of 15 European countries during Q4 2022 — a rise from just five out 15 in Q3 2022.

Starlink outperformed fixed broadband providers over download speed in eight countries, including: Austria (105.67 Mbps), Belgium (104.84 Mbps), Croatia (102.99 Mbps), Czechia (64.67 Mbps), Germany (94.37 Mbps), Ireland (103.39 Mbps), Italy (101.06 Mbps), and the U.K. (96.79 Mbps). Fixed broadband providers were faster than satellite providers analyzed in Denmark, France, Netherlands, and Poland. Results were too close to call in Sweden with fixed providers at 106.73 Mbps and Starlink at 101.83 Mbps, as well as Portugal with Starlink at 108.02 Mbps and fixed broadband at 117.97 Mbps. Skylogic was too close to call between the median fixed broadband speed in Italy at 55.50 Mbps to 59.40 Mbps, and had download speeds faster than 40 Mbps in France (44.46 Mbps) and Sweden (48.09 Mbps).

For upload speeds, every country’s combined fixed broadband providers had faster median upload speeds than every satellite provider, though Starlink in Portugal had the fastest upload speed among satellite providers at 20.86 Mbps. All Starlink upload speeds ranged between 10-20 Mbps except Poland (9.79 Mbps) and Denmark (8.04 Mbps).

Multi-server latency for all satellite providers was higher than fixed broadband providers in every European country in Q4 2022, which ranged from 12.34 ms in Sweden to 23.46 ms in Italy. However, Starlink had a median multiserver latencies of less than 60 ms in the U.K. (53.24 ms), Portugal (56.81 ms), and the Netherlands (58.85 ms). Most latencies were between 60-75 ms, with Poland having the highest latency at 86.46 ms — still low enough to have a good quality of experience and be able to video chat.

Starlink in New Zealand was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania

During Q4 2022, Starlink in New Zealand had the fastest median download speed among satellite providers in Oceania at 124.72 Mbps, followed by Starlink in Australia (106.43 Mbps), and Starlink in Tonga (35.15 Mbps). However, New Zealand fixed broadband outperformed Starlink, while Starlink in Australia outperformed fixed broadband providers. In Tonga, speeds were too close to call.

Speedtest Intelligence shows Starlink falling behind fixed broadband providers for median upload speeds in New Zealand (16.89 Mbps) and Australia (11.38 Mbps), while Tonga was again too close to call.

Multi-server latency was higher over Starlink than fixed broadband in all three countries we surveyed in Oceania during Q4 2022. However, Starlink’s median latency was under 50 ms in New Zealand (48.11 ms), which is a very exciting development for consumers, especially with latency becoming an increasingly important metric. Starlink latency in Australia was higher at 65.52 ms, while Tonga followed at 88.81 ms.

New Q4 2022 Starlink countries show very promising results

Speedtest Intelligence shows the six new countries where we found new Starlink data are off to a roaring start in Q4 2022, which include Bulgaria, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, and Malta. Starlink had faster median download speeds than the country’s respective fixed broadband providers combined in two countries: Bulgaria (110.76 Mbps versus 65.69 Mbps), and Jamaica (87.43 Mbps vs. 48.34 Mbps), while results were too close to call in the remaining four markets. However, Starlink showed promising 100+ Mbps speeds in Japan (156.94 Mbps), Finland (102.70 Mbps), and Malta (101.36 Mbps).

Median upload speeds for Starlink lagged behind fixed broadband providers in all markets, though Malta was too close to call (20.40 Mbps for Starlink and 20.25 Mbps for fixed broadband). Starlink upload speeds ranged from about 14 Mbps to 20 Mbps in every market.

Consumers and enterprises stand to benefit from satellite developments in 2023

Starlink dominated headlines in 2022 — and for good reason. They’ve gained over 1 million users worldwide, will be available in connected vehicles, planes, RVs, and ships, partnered with T-Mobile to bring Starlink to mobile devices, and launched their second-gen satellites at the end of 2022. But that could very seriously change in 2023 with multiple competitors deploying major offensives in the satellite market. We’ll say it again: there is a new space race for connectivity being waged, and we’re just at the tip of what’s to come.

Here are some major updates about what’s next for various different satellite competitors:

Amazon’s Project Kuiper approved by the FCC

The biggest news concerning satellite connectivity is the FCC approving Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation, which will include 3,236 satellites in an LEO array. On two fronts, this poses two potential challenges for Starlink: on one hand, Amazon has the global reach, scale, and consumer base that being one of the largest companies in the world provides. On the other, Blue Origin is a direct competitor of SpaceX, and won’t have to rely on the service or other vendors to launch their array into space. Amazon is in a good position to compete and Project Kuiper could become a major player if their prototypes, which will be launched in early 2023, reach speeds anywhere close to competing with broadband internet.

Viasat set to launch Viasat-3 arrays around April 8, 2023

Long-term incumbent satellite internet provider, Viasat, has a big year ahead after years of planning and providing connectivity to remote locations around the world. Viasat is finally set to launch its Viasat-3 array, which aims to provide 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of network capacity on each satellite, allowing its users to experience 100+ Mbps connections; that’s a huge improvement for the mainly GEO provider. While consumers likely won’t see these results until Q4 2023, we’re very excited to see how Viasat improves its network.

Eutelsat’s merger with OneWeb approved by Eutelsat board, second-gen array being planned

One of the biggest mergers in recent years among satellite providers has jumped a major hurdle and was approved by the Eutelsat board. While the combined entities still have to be approved by shareholders and regulators, this merger could expand both companies’ market share, particularly in India, which has fast become an important satellite market. Furthermore, OneWeb is already planning a second-gen satellite, which they’re aiming to launch in 2025.

European Commission forges ahead on Constellation Iris

The European Union has been working to create its own satellite constellation since 2020, and during November 2022, agreed to a plan to commit €2.4 billion for a third satellite array named Iris, in addition to Galileo and Copernicus. The project, which includes GEO, MEO, and LEO arrays, will help support EU connectivity priorities including the economy, environment, security, and defense, and is hoping to launch in 2024, and be fully operational by 2027.

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in H1 2023

Incumbent satellite internet provider HughesNet is planning to launch its new Jupiter 3 array in the first half of 2023, which will help expand its network capacity, “doubling the size of the Hughes JUPITER fleet over North and South America.” While the Jupiter 3 array will still be a GEO constellation, the added network capacity will alleviate congested networks and give consumers more bandwidth to use the internet.

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

As 2023 continues to shape up as a pivotal year for satellite internet providers, we’ll be watching the sky to make sure providers are providing the connectivity consumers need. We’ll continue our series next quarter with Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 data from North and South America and any new countries where Starlink launches, and be back with Europe and Oceania data in Q3 2023. In the meantime, be sure to download the Speedtest® app for Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices and see how your satellite internet stacks up to our findings.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | January 17, 2023

44 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q4 2022

Ookla® Market Reports™ identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 44 markets using Speedtest Intelligence® and summarized a few top takeaways below. Click through to the market report to see more details and charts about the countries you’re interested in, including the fastest fixed broadband providers and mobile operators, who had the most consistent service, and 5G and device performance in select countries during Q4 2022. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

Algeria: Ooredoo was the fastest mobile operator in Algeria at 21.91 Mbps during Q4 2022.
Tanzania: A median download speed of 32.09 Mbps made Tigo the fastest fixed broadband provider in Tanzania.
Togo: The fastest mobile operator was Togocom with a median download speed of 25.43 Mbps and CANALBOX was fastest over fixed broadband at 32.73 Mbps.

Americas

Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile (31.65 Mbps) and Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband (92.83 Mbps).
Belize: NEXGEN had the fastest median download over fixed broadband in Belize at 47.84 Mbps. Digi had the fastest median mobile download speed at 14.07 Mbps.
Canada: There was no fastest mobile operator in Canada. Rogers was fastest for fixed broadband (249.08 Mbps).
Colombia: Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband at 141.32 Mbps.
Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators at 32.80 Mbps. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for fixed broadband at 50.40 Mbps.
Ecuador: The fastest mobile operator was CNT with a median download speed of 32.65 Mbps. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband (67.57 Mbps).
El Salvador: Claro had the fastest median download speed over mobile in El Salvador at 34.37 Mbps.
Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 32.56 Mbps.
Guyana: ENet was the fastest fixed broadband provider (56.50 Mbps), while Digicel was the fastest mobile operator (30.49 Mbps).
Jamaica: Flow overtook Digicel+ as the fastest fixed broadband provider in Jamaica with a median download speed of 48.88 Mbps.
Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 43.04 Mbps. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband (80.36 Mbps).
Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 22.08 Mbps, while Win delivered the fastest fixed broadband download speed (111.02 Mbps).
Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 34.58 Mbps. Digicel+ had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 93.43 Mbps.
United States: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 151.37 Mbps. XFINITY overtook Spectrum as the fastest fixed broadband provider at 226.18 Mbps.

Asia

Afghanistan: The fastest mobile operator in Afghanistan was Afghan Wireless (6.82 Mbps).
Bangladesh: Banglalink was the fastest mobile operator in Bangladesh with a median download speed of 19.00 Mbps.
Bhutan: TashiCell had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 25.81 Mbps.
Brunei: Imagine was the fastest mobile operator in Brunei at 111.09 Mbps.
Cambodia: SINET had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband (41.86 Mbps). Cellcard was fastest over mobile at 28.69 Mbps.
China: China Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 147.45 Mbps. China Unicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 214.17 Mbps.
Indonesia: Telkomsel was the fastest Indonesian mobile operator at 20.85 Mbps.
Pakistan: Transworld had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Pakistan at 17.89 Mbps. Jazz was fastest over mobile at 20.84 Mbps.
Philippines: Smart delivered the fastest mobile download speed in the Philippines (32.16 Mbps).
Singapore: Singtel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 120.24 Mbps.
Sri Lanka: SLT-Mobitel delivered the fastest mobile and fixed broadband speeds in Sri Lanka at 19.98 Mbps and 33.49 Mbps, respectively.
Vietnam: Viettel was the fastest mobile and fixed broadband provider with a median download speed over mobile of 46.52 Mbps and 87.89 Mbps for fixed broadband.

Europe

Albania: Vodafone was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 45.89 Mbps. Digicom was fastest for fixed broadband (81.80 Mbps).
Austria: Magenta had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed (156.33 Mbps).
Belgium: Telenet had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 131.96 Mbps, while Telenet/BASE had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 69.40 Mbps.
Denmark: YouSee was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark with a median download speed of 129.39 Mbps. Hiper was fastest for fixed broadband at 249.76 Mbps.
Estonia: The fastest mobile operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 80.48 Mbps. Elisa was fastest over fixed broadband at 85.98 Mbps.
Finland: DNA had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 91.56 Mbps. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband at 105.57 Mbps.
Germany: Telekom was the fastest mobile operator in Germany with a median download speed of 90.33 Mbps. Vodafone was fastest for fixed broadband at 116.19 Mbps.
Latvia: LMT delivered the fastest median download speed over mobile at 71.84 Mbps. Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband at 219.23 Mbps.
Lithuania: The mobile operator with the fastest median download speed was Telia with 112.03 Mbps. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband at 142.96 Mbps.
Malta: The fastest mobile operator in Malta was GO at 71.90 Mbps, while the fastest fixed broadband provider was Melita at 121.43 Mbps.
Poland: Orange had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 44.12 Mbps. UPC was fastest for fixed broadband at 205.62 Mbps.
Switzerland: Swisscom delivered the fastest median download speed over mobile at 100.71 Mbps, while Salt blazed ahead on fixed broadband at 355.71 Mbps.
Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 52.78 Mbps. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband at 55.82 Mbps.

Oceania

Australia: Telstra was the fastest mobile operator in Australia with a median download speed of 96.16 Mbps.
New Zealand: MyRepublic had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband in New Zealand at 283.27 Mbps.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | January 12, 2023

Travelers Left Grounded After FAA Systems Go Down

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had a major service disruption early yesterday morning, affecting many travelers in the United States. Data from Downdetector® shows all of the major airlines experienced a spike in user-reported issues around the time of the outage, with a sharp rise in problem reports just before 8:00 a.m. EST. While the FAA had a nationwide computer outage that delayed the departure of hundreds of flights, Downdetector data shows all of the major airlines in the U.S. began to experience upticks in user-reported issues (mostly delays) starting at around 7:30 a.m. EST, and peaking at about 9:30 a.m. EST, and dropping in frequency shortly after that.

Graph showing outage reports by the hour on Downdetector for major american airlines

At 8:50 a.m. EST, the FAA lifted the stop on flights taking off, with NBC News reporting more than 6,500 flights delayed. While the problem reports started to subside after about an hour, travelers who were flying yesterday felt the aftershocks of the FAA ground stop as airlines tried to make up for the delay and travelers scrambled to reach connecting flights on time. While this issue may have been unavoidable, data from Downdetector could have alerted aviation stakeholders much more quickly, saving time, resources, and mean-time to resolution.

Downdetector Enterprise™ can help your company monitor third-party services your business relies on, such as CDN providers, so you know immediately when they go down. Using Downdetector’s real-time alerts you can quickly adjust communications to better serve your customers. Contact us here to learn how your network operations, DevOps, engineering and customer care teams can get faster outage detection. Read more here about the different types of outages and what contributes to them.

Editor’s Note: Graph was updated on January 12, 2023 to better clarify the graphic.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

Ookla Research™ Articles

Josh Fomon | January 4, 2023

The Speedtest Global Index Shows These Countries Sped Forward for Internet Experience in 2022

Internet connectivity continues to speed ahead for people around the world, especially as countries prioritize and improve mobile and fixed broadband networks. That’s nowhere more apparent than on the Speedtest Global Index™, which tracks countries’ internet speeds and the overall global median internet speeds. Last year, we took a look at the state of the internet speeds over the years, and today we’re back to see how most of 2022 fared from November 2021 to November 2022, and what countries made our top 10 fastest mobile and fixed broadband lists.

Mobile download speed jumped nearly 17% over the last year globally, fixed broadband up at least 28%

The improvement of global median download speeds has been somewhat asymmetrical over the past year on the Speedtest Global Index. Fixed broadband speeds made greater strides over the past year than mobile download speeds, with fixed broadband speeds becoming at least 28% faster and mobile becoming nearly 17% faster from November 2021 to November 2022. Gains in upload speed were even more pronounced with mobile becoming at least 9% faster and fixed broadband becoming at least 30% faster. Latency, which is becoming an increasingly important metric, decreased on mobile over the course of the year from 29 ms in 2021 to 28 ms in 2022, while fixed broadband latency remained the same at 10 ms.

Top 10 rankings remain relatively constant over the past year, U.A.E. joins fixed broadband list and Denmark, Macau (SAR), and Brunei race ahead for mobile during 2022

Chile raced ahead on fixed broadband

The competition for the fastest fixed broadband was neck-and-neck on the Speedtest Global Index during 2022, with Chile (216.23 Mbps) taking top honors and China (214.23 Mbps) and Singapore (214.23 Mbps) a hair behind. Over the course of the year, the top 10 countries for fastest fixed broadband remained relatively the same while each country jostled up and down the list for fixed broadband superiority. Only Spain was replaced from the top 10 with the U.A.E. taking its place. Notably, China jumped four places from sixth to second, improving its median download speed from 146.62 Mbps in 2021 to 214.58 Mbps in 2022. Romania’s tenth place finish in 2022 would have earned fourth place in 2021, showing how fast these countries are all prioritizing improved fixed broadband speeds.

Qatar soars to first for fastest mobile country

Ahead of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022®, Qatar rocketed to first place on the Speedtest Global Index with a median download speed of 176.18 Mbps in November 2022 from 98.10 Mbps in November 2022. Next on the list was the U.A.E. at 139.41 Mbps, which had the fastest median download speed in November 2021. Notably, all 10 countries on our November 2022 list had median mobile download speeds greater than 100 Mbps. New to our 2022 list Denmark (113.44 Mbps), Macau (SAR) (106.38 Mbps), and Brunei (102.36 Mbps) replaced Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, and Kuwait from our 2021 list.

Most of the top 10 countries perform well for fixed and mobile

Out of the 17 countries appearing on either the fastest fixed broadband or mobile Speedtest Global Index top 10s during November 2021 — with China, Denmark, and the U.A.E. appearing on both lists — all but Monaco met the statistical threshold to be included to look at overall fixed and mobile performance. Looking at the remaining 16 countries, most every country on both lists performed relatively well against the global median for both fixed and mobile, which appear as gray lines in the image above. Three countries underperformed a global median: Brunei and Bulgaria for fixed, and Chile for mobile. Thailand performed at about roughly the global median for mobile, as did Romania.

We’re excited to see how global speeds and rankings change over the next year as individual countries and their providers choose to invest and expand different technologies, particularly in 5G and fiber. Be sure to track your country’s and check in on our monthly updates on the Speedtest Global Index. If you want more in-depth analyses and updates, subscribe to Ookla Research™.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

| More Articles

How Boingo Leverages Ookla's Comprehensive Network Intelligence

Ookla Joins Ericsson's Leading Telecommunications Open RApp System

The Finals Are On, but Which Australian Football League Stadium Had the Best Mobile Performance?

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Methodology

These AFL stadiums had the fastest download speeds in 2023

These AFL stadiums with the fastest 5G download speeds were too close to call, but fans in NSW are the true winners

Multi-server latencies showed good parity between stadiums

These stadiums had the fastest mobile web page load time experience

Going to the Finals or Grand Final? Take a Speedtest® and show us your results

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Live Fast, Work Abroad: Countries with Remote Work Visas and Great Internet

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Digital nomad countries with seriously fast internet

Soak up the sun with fast internet in these beachy countries with remote work visas

These European countries with remote work visas had the fastest internet speeds

10 remote work countries where you won’t lose your connection

Seven affordable places with good internet for digital nomads on a budget

What do you need to know before applying for a remote work visa?

Ookla has the resources you need to plan your remote work trip

About the Author

Josh Fomon

New Speedtest Data Shows Starlink Users Love Their Provider

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Starlink users in metro and nonmetro areas love Starlink, fixed broadband users dislike their internet service providers

Starlink speeds increased in Canada and the U.S. over the past two quarters, but are mixed year-over-year

Starlink in Canada blazed ahead as the fastest satellite provider in mainland North America

Starlink in Chile raced ahead as the fastest satellite provider in South America

Starlink in Jamaica was the fastest Caribbean satellite provider

New Q1 2023 Starlink countries show promising initial results

The 2023 space revolution is off to a huge start

Amazon’s Project Kuiper showcases low-cost customer satellite terminals

Viasat launched its Viasat-3 arrays

Eutelsat, OneWeb, and Intelsat are making big moves

European Union greenlights multi-orbit constellation

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in Q2 2023

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

About the Author

Josh Fomon

47 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q1 2023

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New Samsung Galaxy S23 Models Are

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Key takeaways:

Key improvements to the new Galaxy S23 models

All Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 models

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 base models

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs. S22+ models

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. S22 Ultra models

Samsung Galaxy S23 performance in the world’s largest mobile device markets

Brazilian S22 and S23 users saw seriously fast 5G speeds (even though 5G Availability remains low)

Chinese S23 users haven’t quite seen an improved 5G experience over S22 users

French S23 users saw promising 5G results, S22 users might want to wait to upgrade

German Samsung Galaxy S22 users should feel confident upgrading to S23 models

Samsung Galaxy S23 users in Italy saw mixed 5G results after launch

Samsung Galaxy S23 showed 5G potential in the Philippines

Polish Samsung S23 models had a promising debut over 5G

Samsung S23 models in South Africa don’t live up to the hype just yet

South Koreans saw fast 5G speeds on the new Samsung Galaxy S23 models

Thai Samsung Galaxy S22 and S23 users saw faster 5G speeds than the median average during Q4 2022

Samsung Galaxy S23 results showed potential in the United Kingdom, but you still may want to wait to upgrade

If you have 5G and a Samsung Galaxy S22 in the United States, don’t hesitate to upgrade to an S23 model

The Speedtest® Android app can help benchmark your device’s 5G performance

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Here’s What to Expect for Mobile Coverage in Barcelona during MWC

Get the latest Ookla Research™

Share

Camp Nou shows good signals don’t necessarily translate into a good connected experience

Camp Nou also shows how far we’ve come since COVID-19 lockdowns

Fira Gran Via (home to MWC) has great coverage and throughput