Josh Fomon | December 20, 2022

Downdetector Presents the 10 Largest Internet Outages of 2022

For the past 10 years, Downdetector® has provided critical insights on real-time status and outage information for all kinds of services. We’ve seen huge, widespread outages over the years and 2022 was no exception. While no outage in 2022 eclipsed the biggest outage we’ve ever seen, which Meta experienced on October 4, 2021 when Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram all went down, 2022 still saw some big worldwide outages. We put together a list of the 10 biggest global outages of 2022, so read on to learn how outages affected users:

graph showing the top 10 global reported outages on downdetector

10. TikTok, September 15, 2022

U.S. TikTok users looking to find the latest dance crazes on TikTok awoke early in the morning on September 15 to some tough news: TikTok was down globally. Nearly 300,000 users flocked to Downdetector to report issues with accessing the website, but luckily the issue seemed to be resolved in a few hours.

9. Snapchat, July 12, 2022

Snapchat users looking to send friends some photo updates were in for a rude reality on July 12, when they experienced a nearly four-hour service issue. While users couldn’t send pictures of themselves with Snapchat’s newest filters, they did record over 300,000 reports on Downdetector.

8. Reddit, April 3, 2022

Reddit users flocking to the website to post their newest r/speedtest results found out they wouldn’t be able to brag about how fast their speeds were on April 3, with Reddit having major issues for roughly two hours. Downdetector recorded over 300,000 user reports during this period to land on our top 10 biggest outages list. Unlucky users had to sit with themselves during this outage and ponder, “AITA?”

7. Call of Duty, August 16, 2022

Gamers in Europe hoping to unwind their day with some Call of Duty rounds tried to log in without any luck for roughly four hours. During this issue, frustrated users around the world recorded over 350,000 issues with the game while they waited for the service to come back online.

6. Twitter, July 14, 2022

Global Twitter users saw a huge service disruption on July 14, 2022, with over 500,000 users recording issues on Downdetector. Users couldn’t load tweets, scroll through the latest news, or let Speedtest® know what download speeds they were experiencing for roughly an hour before services got back up and running.

5. Instagram, July 14, 2022

July 14, 2022 was a busy day for social media companies. A few hours after the Twitter outage, Instagram went down for people around the globe, with users recording nearly 600,000 issues over three hours. During the disruption, users couldn’t access the service or scroll through influencer’s photos or slide into any DMs.

4. Roblox, May 4, 2022

Global Roblox users had a rough day on May 4, 2022. Around midnight UTC, Roblox, which is one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world, saw a massive spike in players’ ability to access the game. That issue seemed to linger for some users for many hours, with users recording over 700,000 reports on Downdetector over the course of the incident.

3. Discord, March 8, 2022

March 8 marked a giant worldwide outage for both Discord and Spotify going down around the same time. While the outage only lasted about two hours, Discord users logged over 1.1 million reports on Downdetector while they waited patiently for the messaging service to come back online. During that period, folks had to resort to voice calls to catch up.

2. WhatsApp, October 25, 2022

Meta-owned WhatsApp is one of the most important global messaging services friends, families, and businesses use to keep in touch and connect to the world. But on October 25, WhatsApp’s 2 billion users found they were incommunicado and could not send any messages. Lasting for roughly two hours, the WhatsApp outage notched nearly 2.9 million issue reports on Downdetector, placing it as runner-up on our list for Downdetector’s biggest outage of the year.

1. Spotify, March 8, 2022

Competition for the largest worldwide outage was extremely tight this year, with Spotify edging out Meta-owned WhatsApp by about 20,000 reports on Downdetector at just over 2.9 million reports. As previously mentioned, March 8 was a big day of downed services. Spotify, the popular music streaming portal, had the biggest outage of the year that day, with users unable to stream their favorite music and podcasts for nearly two hours.

Honorable mention: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me”

Notably, but not on this list of biggest outages, Taylor Swift broke the internet a couple of times with the launch of her new album, Midnights. She first disrupted services on Spotify with the October 21 midnight launch of her album for a very brief moment. And then later in the year, to many fans’ frustration and anger, Ticketmaster became inaccessible on November 15 to would-be concert goers who sadly missed out on affordable tickets to her upcoming tour.

Another year, another Downdetector top 10 outages list

Downdetector will continue to leverage over 25 million monthly reports from individual users, real-time analysis, and verification of outage reports, and make sure you have reliable information about the status of services that are important to you. We’ll continue monitoring the world’s largest service disruptions, and be back this time next year with 2023’s largest outages.

Until then, if you want to keep up to date on the latest outages or want quick updates on what’s going on in your country, download the Speedtest app (which has Downdetector integration) for iOS or Android.

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.

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Josh Fomon | December 14, 2022

The Most Memorable Ookla Research Articles This Year

Ookla® illuminated dozens of major developments in internet connectivity on Ookla Research ™ during the course of 2022. We documented the spread of 5G across the world into many new markets, we analyzed the increasingly heated space race for rural and satellite connectivity, and we invested deeply in ways to better measure, understand, and help improve connected experiences. Read on for some of our top stories from 2022.

5G changed the internet landscape in 2022

5G devices raced ahead in 2022

article header for iphone vs galaxy fold

2022 saw the rapid development of new, fast 5G devices, with Apple iPhone 14 models and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 devices launching this year. We took a look at how these models fared across the world in the first few weeks of launching, and then looked at Q3 2022 data to see which 5G devices were fastest in their respective countries.

Indian consumers are ready for 5G

2022 was a huge year for 5G expansion across the world, with India launching commercial 5G in one of the largest mobile markets in the world. In mid-2022 ahead of the Indian 5G auction, Ookla surveyed Indian consumers and found that 89% of Indian smartphone users were ready to upgrade to 5G. And so far, they’ve had a lot to look forward to, with 5G download speeds reaching 500 Mbps over test networks. We’re excited to see what future data holds in this important market.

Ookla visualized 5G across the world

Ahead of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March, Ookla took 5G data from Speedtest Intelligence® and created a downloadable poster about the state of 5G in 2021, looking at 5G Availability worldwide. Download your poster today!

Noteworthy evolutions in internet connectivity during 2022

Starlink expanded rapidly, but speeds dipped

The past year had mixed results for Starlink as it raced ahead in Q4 2021 and reached download speeds of over 100 Mbps, leveled out in Q1 2022, started to slow in Q2 2022 while reaching over 400,000 worldwide subscribers, and then speeds dipped again in Q3 2022 in North and South America while showing huge expansion in U.S. counties. With major developments slated for multiple satellite providers in 2023, we are eagerly anticipating how the competition will stack up in the new year.

Ookla found consumers in the Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S. are “always on” their networks

In a groundbreaking study commissioned by Ookla, we found the percentage of consumers who describe themselves as always online grew from 30% to 69%. The study also found that consumers are generally dissatisfied with the customer service network operators provide, and are much more willing to churn to a new provider.

Travelers began to see fast airport speeds in more locations

As travelers began to fly more consistently in 2022, Ookla examined what Wi-Fi speeds in the world’s busiest airports were. We also examined Wi-Fi speeds experienced by travelers in the U.S. during Q3 2022 and found some very revealing data.

Canadian fiber is blazing ahead

Ookla examined fiber to the home (FTTH) connections in Canada to show how fast the upgrade to fiber is for current broadband consumers. We found fiber was 12x faster at the provincial level in Canada, and upload speeds were nearly 11x faster. If you’ve been mulling over an upgrade, definitely check out this article.

Ookla resources strengthened consumer choices in 2022

Ookla added cities to the Speedtest Global Index™ and launched the Ookla Performance Directory™

The Speedtest Global Index changed how the world benchmarks global speeds, which is why we were thrilled to introduce cities to the Speedtest Global Index, which benchmarks the internet performance of some of the most populous cities in the world. Increasing connectivity is at the core of Ookla’s mission, which is why we were also excited to give you access to information about internet performance in your area with the Ookla Performance Directory.

Ookla is taking connected experiences to the next level

Not only did Ookla expand its consumer data resources that you can readily access, we launched advanced connected experience measurement tools that will greatly benefit your internet experience. This year we launched Speedtest Maps™ for iOS, which allows you to see different levels of service in a particular area, as well as what you can expect from different operators in case you’re looking to switch providers. Shortly thereafter, we debuted loaded latency, which gives you a more nuanced picture of responsiveness and what the bottlenecks in your connection really are. Finally, in Summer 2022, Ookla acquired Cell Rebel, which will bring enhanced consumer network experience insights to the global telecommunications marketplace.

Ookla For Good™ helped highlight digital divides

At Ookla, we pride ourselves on working with researchers to expand connectivity in unserved or underserved parts of the world. This year Ookla For Good partnered with OECD to improve broadband access and address digital deserts, the University of Chicago Data Science Institute to help identify internet inequities, and the World Bank to examine digital infrastructure in Latin American countries.

Stay up to date with Ookla

Ookla will continue to deliver groundbreaking articles in 2023, so if you want to keep up to date with the latest news in internet connectivity, be sure to subscribe to Ookla Research today.

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Josh Fomon | November 30, 2022

Starlink Speeds Dipped Slightly During Q3 2022 as the Space Race Heats up

Ookla® has exciting, fresh data from Q3 2022 for SpaceX’s Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat in North and South America, as well as new Starlink markets we haven’t yet featured in our ongoing series on satellite internet. With accelerating competition on the horizon for 2023, we’ve been eager to see how Starlink continues to perform, especially as building new fiber connections continues to be costly around the world.

This analysis includes results from five additional countries, two new providers, and expanded data for Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat. We also examine how Starlink’s internet performance has changed over the past year in Canada, Chile, and the United States.

Starlink performance dipped once again during Q3 2022 (though only slightly)

Perhaps a victim of their own success, Starlink download speeds dropped once again in Canada (at least 14%) and the U.S. (at least 17%) from Q2 to Q3 2022, while speeds remained roughly the same in Chile quarter over quarter. During the same period, fixed broadband performance raced ahead, improving at least 8% to 115.18 Mbps in Canada, at least 4% to 207.04 Mbps in Chile, and at least 8% to 164.13 Mbps in the U.S.

Over the past year, as we’ve seen more users flock to sign up for Starlink (reaching 400,000 users worldwide during Q2 2022), speeds have started to decrease. Without a doubt, Starlink often can be a life-changing service for consumers where connectivity is inadequate or nonexistent. Even as speeds slow, they still provide more than enough connectivity to do almost everything consumers normally need to do, including streaming 4K video and video messaging. The biggest thing you might have issues with is if you’re trying to play multiplayer online games — even being a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, latency still lags far behind low-latency fixed broadband connections.

Starlink upload speeds remained roughly unchanged in all three countries we surveyed during Q3 2022, improving marginally in Canada and Chile, and essentially staying the same in the U.S.

Starlink remains a boon for rural U.S. consumers who can afford it

Over the past year, Starlink has proliferated across the U.S., going from having at least 10 unique users in 776 U.S. counties, or roughly 25% of all counties during Q2-Q3 2021 to 2,399 counties in Q2-Q3 2022, or roughly 75% of counties. That marks about a 200% increase year over year, indicating consumer confidence in the provider.

Looking at only “nonmetro” counties as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 336 counties showed at least 10 Starlink users in Q2-Q3 2021. That was about 17% of all nonmetro counties. In Q2-Q3 2022, that rose to 1359 counties, or about 69% of nonmetro counties, marking about a 300% increase year over year.

Starlink in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the fastest satellite internet in North America

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals that Starlink in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the fastest median download speed among satellite providers in North America at 85.88 Mbps and 85.57 Mbps during Q3 2022. Starlink in the Dominican Republic (72.01 Mbps), Canada (65.80 Mbps), Mexico (64.30 Mbps), and the U.S. (53.00 Mbps) followed. Starlink had faster median download speeds than all fixed broadband providers combined in all of these countries except Canada and the U.S., and Viasat outperformed fixed broadband in the Dominican Republic (22.92 Mbps).

Viasat and HughesNet recorded their fastest median download speeds in Puerto Rico at 36.65 Mbps and 22.19 Mbps, respectively. Almost every satellite provider on our list reached speeds fast enough to stream high-quality video at around 20 Mbps, though latency still was much higher than fixed broadband internet.

For upload speeds, Starlink outperformed fixed broadband providers combined in the Dominican Republic (14.68 Mbps to 5.83 Mbps) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (12.59 Mbps to 8.37 Mbps). Fixed broadband providers in Canada had the fastest upload on our list at 29.29 Mbps.

Multi-server latency showed satellite internet’s limits, with the huge distances between satellite and receivers adding up to long lags — and every satellite provider with higher latencies than fixed broadband providers. However, the Dominican Republic and U.S. Virgin Islands still had higher fixed broadband multi-server latencies at 55.45 ms and 76.15 ms, respectively. Starlink in the U.S. had the lowest multi-server latency at 67.16 ms, followed by Canada (77.32 ms), and Mexico (96.42 ms), which were the only satellite options that had a multi-server latency under 100 ms.

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

Brazilian satellite consumers weren’t lacking for fast internet options during Q3 2022, with Starlink blazing ahead among satellite providers in South America at 112.97 Mbps. Even Viasat notched a respectable median download speed of 45.15 Mbps. Starlink in Brazil was also the only satellite provider to outperform its country’s fixed broadband speeds, with ultrafast fixed broadband in Chile pulling ahead of Starlink 207.04 Mbps to 92.58 Mbps. Colombia was statistically too close to call in Q3 2022 with Starlink at 71.42 Mbps and fixed broadband at 83.76 Mbps. HughesNet trailed far behind with its fastest speed in Chile at 22.62 Mbps during Q3 2022.

For upload speeds, fixed broadband providers in every country we surveyed were faster than their satellite counterparts during Q3 2022. Starlink in Colombia had the fastest upload speed among satellite providers at 24.48 Mbps.

Speedtest Intelligence reveals multi-server latency told a similar story, with every country’s fixed broadband providers having a lower multi-server latency than their satellite counterparts. However, Starlink in Brazil and Chile had the lowest satellite multi-server latencies at 52.21 ms and 52.32 ms, respectively, during Q3 2022. Viasat and HughesNet lowest latencies were far behind with Viasat in Brazil at 670.63 ms and HughesNet in Chile at 713.04 ms.

New Q3 2022 Starlink countries have mixed results

Speedtest Intelligence data shows Starlink data in six new countries during Q3 2022, including Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Moldova, Norway, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Starlink in Estonia (93.48 Mbps), the U.S. Virgin Islands (85.57 Mbps), and the Dominican Republic (72.01 Mbps) were much faster options than fixed broadband providers in their respective countries during Q3 2022. Starlink in Norway (113.86 Mbps) and Colombia (71.42 Mbps) were statistically in the same range as fixed broadband providers in their respective countries during the same time period. Starlink in Moldova (53.11 Mbps) was much slower than all fixed broadband providers combined (105.65 Mbps), though for rural folks with fewer options, still provides a speedy connection.

In all six countries, Starlink underperformed all fixed broadband providers combined for upload speed during Q3 2022, lagging behind from 12.59 Mbps to 24.48 Mbps, while median fixed broadband upload speeds ranged from 30.66 Mbps to 93.80 Mbps.

Multi-server latency was generally much higher than fixed broadband, with Starlink in Colombia showing the lowest multi-server latency at 58.65 ms, followed by Norway (73.00 ms), Estonia (85.37 ms), Moldova (105.26 ms), the Dominican Republic (110.62 ms), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (113.12 ms).

The great space race is on

There is no doubt a new space race for connectivity is being waged across the world. Competitors are pouring hundreds of millions and even billions into unlocking the celestial connectivity dilemma. Here are some major updates about what’s next for various different satellite competitors:

Viasat is launching new, faster arrays in the form of Viasat-3 arrays later this year.
HughesNet is set to launch new JUPITER 3 satellites next year.
Eutelsat’s proposed merger with OneWeb, which seems to be making progress forward, has the potential to disrupt satellite connectivity and give consumers more internet options across the globe.
Starlink is entering into the RV and private jet markets.
The European Commission is still looking into creating their own LEO network.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is advancing and opening a new satellite factory, though its launch is delayed from Q4 2022 to early 2023.

With the competition for satellite connectivity heating up and Starlink facing potentially more competition in the coming months, we’ll be keeping our eyes to the sky to see how connectivity is performing. We’ll continue our series next quarter with Q3-Q4 2022 data from Europe and Oceania and any new countries where Starlink launches, and be back with North and South America data in Q2 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.

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Josh Fomon | November 21, 2022

Details on the Fastest 5G Mobile Devices (Just in Time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just a few days away, so Ookla® wanted to help you navigate those deals with hard data on the fastest 5G popular devices. We used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at 5G performance data in the 10 countries with the highest number of connected mobile devices according to GSMA that also had an established 5G market during Q3 2022. As a reminder, we already looked at the newer models in the Apple iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 earlier this quarter, right after both device models launched.

Our analysis examined the five fastest popular 5G devices in a given country. To be included, a device had to have a market share of greater than or equal to 0.5% of all devices and a minimum sample size of 100 devices in a given market. Each market we examined included only 5G samples from every 5G provider in a given country. That means performance most likely varies network to network and country to country, but this provides a snapshot of what you might typically expect.

It should be noted that some newer device models like the iPhone 14, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, and Google Pixel 7 launched in select markets on different days and may not have been included in our Q3 2022 analysis.

Fastest 5G devices in Brazil

According to Speedtest Intelligence, there was no statistically fastest 5G device in Brazil during Q3 2022, though every device on our list exceeded a median 5G download speed of 300 Mbps. That means each of these devices would make an excellent, fast choice if you can connect to 5G.

The Motorola Moto G 5G Plus had a median 5G download speed of 358.39 Mbps, the Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G at 355.43 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max at 344.44 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 mini at 341.21 Mbps, and the Apple iPhone 13 at 336.04 Mbps. That being said, the new iPhone 14 models and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 were also very fast in our recent launch article.

5 devices vie for fastest 5G in China

Competition for the fastest popular 5G mobile device was very close in China, with no statistically fastest device during Q3 2022. The OnePlus 9 5G had a median 5G download speed of 349.15 Mbps, the Huawei P40 5G was at 344.41 Mbps, the Huawei Mate 30 5G at 344.23 Mbps, the Huawei Mate 40 5G at 332.39 Mbps, and the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G at 328.25 Mbps. Every device on this list would make an excellent choice if you are looking for an upgrade.

New iPhones top fastest 5G devices in Germany

German iPhone users have a clear mandate: Upgrade your phone! During Q3 2022, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max had the fastest median 5G download speeds in the country among popular 5G devices at 181.09 Mbps and 177.98 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 13 Pro (148.87 Mbps) and iPhone 13 Pro Max (148.08 Mbps) followed, then the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G at 140.93 Mbps.

Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy 20 among fastest 5G devices in Japan

Japanese 5G consumers saw Sony devices take three out of the top five spots among the fastest popular 5G devices in Q3 2022. While there was no statistical winner, the Sony Xperia 1 II 5G had a median 5G download speed of 224.68 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G was at 189.22 Mbps and the Sony Xperia 1 IV at 184.90 Mbps. Any one of these three devices would make an excellent choice for an upgrade.

Many options for fastest 5G devices in the Philippines

Consumers in the Philippines have a handful of top 5G devices they can upgrade to, with no statistical winner for fastest 5G device during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy A53 had a median 5G download speed at 199.90 Mbps, the Huawei Nova 7 5G was at 192.80 Mbps, the Huawei Nov 7 SE 5G at 188.32 Mbps, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G at 185.85 Mbps, and the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G at 183.54 Mbps.

Tight competition for fastest 5G devices in South Africa

Speedtest Intelligence shows competition for the fastest popular 5G was incredibly tight in South Africa, with no statistically fastest 5G device during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ had a median 5G download speed of 228.31 Mbps during Q3 2022, the Apple iPhone 13 mini was at 226.44 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra at 218.26 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max at 212.94 Mbps, and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro at 211.73 Mbps.

Consumers looking to upgrade their phone have some great options here, and we suspect the new Apple and Samsung models are incredibly competitive with these devices.

Dead heat on fastest 5G devices in Thailand

Consumers in Thailand have many options when considering an upgrade, with no statistical winner among the top five fastest 5G devices. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro had a median 5G download speed of 236.35 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was at 233.15 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max at 232.80 Mbps, the Xiaomi Redmi K40 5G at 229.30 Mbps, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G at 228.29 Mbps.

iPhone dominates fastest 5G devices in the United Kingdom

U.K. Apple users should celebrate, with iPhone models taking the top five spots for the U.K.’s fastest 5G devices. While there was no statistically significant fastest device, the new iPhone 14 Pro Max had a median 5G download speed of 171.24 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max was at 165.49 Mbps, the iPhone 14 Pro at 158.24 Mbps, the iPhone 13 mini at 157.42 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 Pro at 154.50 Mbps.

Fastest 5G devices in the United States are new iPhones

Speedtest Intelligence reveals the new Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro were the fastest popular 5G devices in the U.S. with a median 5G download speed of 177.21 Mbps and 175.08 Mbps, respectively, during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 was a close third at 162.50 Mbps, while the Galaxy S21+ 5G and Galaxy S22 Ultra rounded out the top five at 140.06 Mbps and 137.42 Mbps, respectively. Ookla data shows there’s a pretty strong case you should consider upgrading your Apple or Samsung device in the U.S., which we highly recommend.

Older iPhones keeping up with fastest 5G devices in Vietnam

5G consumers in Vietnam were in the enviable position of receiving very fast 5G speeds during Q3 2022. While there was no statistical winner for fastest 5G device, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra had a median 5G download of 286.77 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 12 5G was at 278.32 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 270.99 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 266.99 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 259.35 Mbps. We suspect users who upgrade to the newest Apple and Samsung models will reap the rewards of even faster speeds.

Ookla will continue evaluating device performance

The launch of the new iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 models has already shown that new devices are speeding ahead and we’ll be monitoring results for the rest of the year. If you end up getting a great Black Friday deal to upgrade your phone, be sure to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app to make sure your mobile operator is delivering the speeds you need.

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Josh Fomon | November 1, 2022

7 Quick Tips to Fix Your Family’s Slow Internet

If you secretly suspect your parents invited you home to not only see your darling face but also because they’re waiting for you to fix their computers or mobile devices, you aren’t alone. Adult children of baby boomers are frequently tasked with tech support and a visit home is the perfect time for your family to capture your attention.

While this may seem like a chore because the internet feels so obvious to you, you probably have some untapped skills that could save your family a lot of time and frustration. If you want to give your family the gift of faster internet (and maybe show off a little), try this simple DIY home internet audit at the old homestead.

Houston, do we even have a problem?

Before you dive in with fancy fixes and shiny new equipment, it helps to get the lay of the land. Visit Speedtest.net for a free, quick snapshot of how fast your parents’ internet speeds actually are. Or, connect to their Wi-Fi and then run our mobile Android or iOS app. The global median download speed is 71.39 Mbps for fixed broadband connections as of September 2022, which is plenty if you are connecting a few devices. Connectivity over 50 Mbps download and more than 5 Mbps upload should allow you to do most things on the internet, but there are limits to that rule of thumb. If your family’s Speedtest result fails to reach those speeds, you might have a little work to do. Check out the Ookla Performance Directory^™ to find out what’s achievable in your hometown.

Step 1. Find out what type of service they’re paying for

If your parents’ internet bill says anything less than 25 Mbps, you’ve probably just found the source of slow speeds. Any download below 20 Mbps and any upload speed slower than 5 Mbps puts you in the bottom 10% of speeds for fixed broadband performance. Most streaming platforms require about 25 Mbps download to stream smoothly, and even more affordable satellite internet options can typically achieve that.

Whether you ask your parents to pony up for better service, you decide to pitch in to get them a faster plan, or you try to lobby their ISP to provide better service, you’re already on the road to improving your family’s connection to the internet.

Step 2. Search out their modem, wireless router, and any repeaters

Chances are that your parents have a modem/router combination that’s either leased from their ISP or, if they purchased it themselves, potentially very outdated. Many, many people do.

You want a modem and router or modem/router combination that are:

New(ish). While it is technically possible to use the same modem and/or router for five or more years, it’s a terrible idea if speed is at all a concern. Most modems and/or routers really only have a two- to three-year lifespan, and if your parents have waited longer than that to upgrade their equipment, those devices are probably slowing whatever speeds they are paying for waaaaay down. The latest routers operate on the 802.11ax standard (also referred to as Wi-Fi 6) and the latest modems have DOCSIS 4.0, but 3.0 or 3.1 should be more than enough to do the job. If your family’s computer is compatible with that, a new router makes a great birthday or holiday gift. Especially if you set it up for them. If you don’t know what to look for, check out PC Mag’s “Best Wireless Routers” or ask for recommendations at your local technology store.
Centrally located. Your parents’ modem is probably close to where service comes into the house — most likely from a coaxial cable line. Or it’s in an office, a closet, or under a bed. The location of the modem doesn’t really matter because it’s just translating the service into something your parents can actually use.

What does matter (and this matters A LOT) is where the router is located, especially if you have a router/modem combination. If it’s out of range of where your family members actually use their Wi-Fi, which could be about 30 feet or closer, they’re likely to suffer from slow speeds and dropped connections. Don’t put a router in a basement closet. Ever. That’s where your childhood trophies live. Even if a router is located near the computer, make sure it isn’t obstructed by objects like doors, chimneys, or thick plaster walls that might weaken the signal. And if your parents still live in the big family home, consider setting up a wireless repeater for them or if nothing else works, installing a mesh network.
Password-protected. Bandwidth matters. And while your parents probably aren’t streaming Netflix while playing a PlayStation game in one room and uploading 1,000 photos at a time in another, if their network isn’t password-protected, they might be inadvertently providing internet to the neighbors (or worse — exposing you to major privacy issues!) Sharing may be caring, but it’s okay to expect everyone on the street to pay for their own internet. Especially if there’s a bandwidth hog on the block.

Many routers these days come with different spectrum settings, which allows guests to be on one channel and your heavy bandwidth needs on another — but even those will hit limits, especially if your internet speeds are slow.
Not actually a 5G, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), or satellite internet connection. More and more ISPs are offering wireless connections that rely on mobile or satellite technologies. That’s great, but if you’re having difficulties figuring out what’s going on — maybe double check to make sure your parents’ connection isn’t supposed to be wireless.

While you’ll still need to make sure the connection isn’t too obstructed, knowing where your internet is supposed to be coming from will make troubleshooting much easier. If they are relying on satellite internet, you’ll still want to know where the connection is, and then confirm nothing is blocking it’s exterior line of sight to the satellite (which, unfortunately, may require a bit of dangerous work and a service call if the ISP doesn’t offer an app to make sure the satellite is lined up properly).
A malfunctioning or badly located repeater. Repeaters (also known as Wi-Fi extenders) are devices that receive and retransmit Wi-Fi signals, but they can be a double-edged sword for connectivity. On one hand, they extend the range of a Wi-Fi signal, and on the other, they can drastically slow the speeds. If you are having issues with slow speeds, make sure it’s not because you’re relying on a Wi-Fi repeater that’s out of date, working poorly, or maybe even competing with your main Wi-Fi signal. You should strategically place your router/modem where you need it the most, and use your extender where it is less important.

Step 3. Check the age of their computers

Computers, tablets, and phones are a little like race horses, once they reach a certain age, they’re never again going to set any records for speed (particularly when it comes to supporting modern Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ax). It’s perfectly okay if your family is happy plugging along in a bygone age of internet speeds, but if that were true you wouldn’t be reading this article. If all the devices you come across are of a certain age, it might be time to upgrade at least one to the modern era and designate that laptop or tablet for any internet use that requires speed.

Step 4. “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

You’ve probably heard this line any time you’ve reached out to a tech support professional for anything. That’s because it works! Turning a computer, router or modem off and then back on can sometimes clear up lingering issues present on the network. Simply unplug the power from both the modem and the router. After 60 seconds, plug the modem back in. Give it a minute or two to fully reboot, after which you can plug back in the router. If the internet’s running faster, you’ve already won. Sometimes this might require a hard modem reset directly from the ISP, but that hopefully should be only a quick call or easy request on a computer.

Step 5. Make sure there isn’t a short-term outage

Sometimes the internet just isn’t working. A service can be down, there may be a localized outage, or a whole host of issues that aren’t necessarily your parents’ fault. If you can get any kind of service (either on your phone or internet browser), you should check out Downdetector^® to make sure your parent’s ISP isn’t down, see if other people in your area are having similar issues, or if there is another reason your internet isn’t working.

Step 6. If all else fails … call the ISP

If you’ve gotten this far, you have done an awesome job troubleshooting your family’s internet speed woes. But some things you just can’t fix on your own. So if you’ve discovered slow speeds despite a rocking router in a central location, newish devices and a squatter-free network, it’s time to call in the pros. Take heart that you’ve done your due diligence and see if you can schedule a service window before you skip town.

Step 7. Download the Speedtest app

Congratulations! You’ve probably just improved your family’s internet speeds by leaps and bounds. You’ve certainly made them feel loved. If you want to build on all this good work, download the free Speedtest app, which comes with a tab for Downdetector data, for your parents’ Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices. That way they’ll have a quick measure of internet speed to reference the next time they need your help, as well as a log of tests you can show your ISP if all else fails. If your dad’s like mine, he’ll present you with a spreadsheet of results graphed out over time so you can really dig into the data. Yay.

For extra bonus brownie points

If your family is still experiencing internet issues, or if you just want to pay your parents back for the lifetime of free storage they’ve provided for your childhood mementos, go the extra mile with any (or all) of the following tech-y projects:

About the Author

Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | October 26, 2022

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New iPhone 14 and Galaxy Z Fold4 Are (Spoiler: They’re Fast)

Consumers across the world have been waiting for the recent launches of new Apple iPhone 14 devices and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. With new chipsets and technologies, Ookla® was curious to see how much faster these devices were performing against previous models, so we used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at data from select countries during the first few weeks after launch. We compared how the iPhone 14 devices are performing against their iPhone 13 counterparts over 5G and how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is performing against the Galaxy Z Fold3 over 5G.

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 5G deployments, and other differences, including mobile 5G plans. Furthermore, it should be noted that the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models launched in select markets on different days than the iPhone 14, which is why the date ranges differ slightly in each market in our analysis.

Key takeaways:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 outperformed the Galaxy Z Fold3 in every country we surveyed except Australia, and performed about the same as the Fold3 in South Korea and Taiwan.
The new Apple iPhone 14 models outperformed their iPhone 13 counterparts in every country.

Key improvements to the new Galaxy Z Fold4 and iPhone 14

Consumers almost always want to know if the newest technology is worth the upgrade when they’re investing in a costly new phone. Each of these devices has various upgrades, but when it comes to performance, here’s a quick list of what’s different between the new and older models.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G modem whereas the Galaxy Z Fold3 has the older Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.
The Fold4 has an upgraded Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) and the Fold3 has an Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55).

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have Apple A16 CPU chipsets, which we expect to be faster than the iPhone 13s, whereas the iPhone 14 has the Apple A15 CPU chipset.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 chipset for 5G, which also supports the 2.4 GHz n53 band for satellite, while the iPhone 14 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 for 5G, which the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 13 Pro also use.
The Apple iPhone 13 models have 4 GB of memory, whereas the newer iPhone 14 models have 6 GB of memory.

Australia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Australia, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence shows the Galaxy Z Fold4 was not statistically faster than the Fold3 in Australia. The Galaxy Z Fold3 had a median 5G download speed at 338.58 Mbps and the Fold4 at 309.40 Mbps. The median upload speed was roughly the same, with the Fold4 achieving 23.71 Mbps and the Fold3 at 22.72 Mbps.

Recommendation: Australian Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Australia, 5G

Our data shows every new iPhone 14 model offering faster median download speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts in Australia. The iPhone 14 Pro Max had the fastest median 5G download speed at 347.67 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (327.09 Mbps). Even the iPhone 14 base model was comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 303.44 Mbps to 306.92 Mbps, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro (299.88 Mbps). The iPhone 13 base model “lagged” behind at a fast 265.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were generally similar, with the iPhone 14 models ranging slightly faster from 23.92 Mbps to 24.50 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 17.84 Mbps to 20.24 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Australia who want faster speeds should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model.

Brazil

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Brazil, 5G

During the first month of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s launch, Brazilian 5G consumers who upgraded saw tremendous improvements over the Galaxy Z Fold3. The Fold4 dramatically outpaced the Fold3 with a median download of 483.26 Mbps and median upload of 46.20 Mbps to the Fold3’s 173.09 Mbps download and 25.70 Mbps upload.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Brazil should upgrade their phone to the Galaxy Z Fold4 if they have access to 5G.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Brazil, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that every iPhone 14 model performed much faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts on 5G in Brazil. The iPhone 14 Pro Max raced ahead at 493.31 Mbps, then the iPhone 14 Pro (429.82 Mbps), and iPhone 14 (350.69 Mbps). The iPhone 13 (220.14 Mbps), iPhone 13 Pro Max (215.27 Mbps), and iPhone 13 Pro (200.35 Mbps) trailed behind.

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, ranging from 32.41 Mbps to 37.39 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 25.52 Mbps to 26.04 Mbps.

Recommendation: Brazilian iPhone 13 users should absolutely consider an upgrade to the new iPhone.

Canada

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Canadian consumers saw a moderate increase in 5G download speed if they upgraded their phone from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the Fold4, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 202.23 Mbps to the Fold3’s 165.36 Mbps. Upload speed remained relatively flat between the two models with the Fold4 achieving 27.73 Mbps and the Fold3 26.77 Mbps.

Recommendation: Canadian Galaxy Z Fold3 users should feel confident that upgrading their phone to the Fold4 will give them a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Canada, 5G

The new iPhone 14 models raced ahead of their iPhone 13 counterparts in Canada. The iPhone 14 Pro Max achieved a median 5G download speed of 198.12 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (193.53 Mbps), and then iPhone 14 (189.85 Mbps). The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 149.78 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (145.60 Mbps), and iPhone 13 (133.64 Mbps).

The iPhone 14 models were also faster for median upload speed ranging from 25.78 Mbps to 28.01 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 17.80 Mbps to 21.03 Mbps.

Recommendation: Canadian iPhone 13 users should beeline straight to their mobile operator to upgrade to a new iPhone 14 model.

France

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Speedtest Intelligence revealed that French consumers saw a jump in speeds over the past month if they upgraded from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the new Fold4, which achieved a median download speed of 290.83 Mbps over 5G. The Fold3 was far behind with a median download speed at 217.18 Mbps. 5G upload speeds were similar with the Fold4 at 15.81 Mbps and the Fold3 at 14.58 Mbps.

Recommendation: French Galaxy Z Fold3 users shouldn’t hesitate to immediately upgrade to the Fold4 for a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, France, 5G

The iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts in France. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest median 5G download speeds at 318.97 Mbps and 297.57 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 259.62 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 259.73 Mbps, with the iPhone 13 Pro (247.50 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (224.40 Mbps) following.

Upload speeds remained relatively similar, with all of the iPhone 14 models ranging between 16.02 Mbps to 19.44 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 15.01 Mbps to 16.43 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in France should absolutely consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

Saudi Arabia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Saudi Arabia, 5G

Saudi consumers who upgraded to the Galaxy Z Fold4 might not have noticed a marked improvement on their already blazing fast 5G speeds, with the Fold4 achieving a median 5G download speed of 435.10 Mbps to the Fold3’s 403.11 Mbps. Even on upload, the speeds were roughly the same at 38.78 Mbps and 35.20 Mbps for the Fold4 and Fold3, respectively.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Saudi Arabia don’t really need to upgrade your phones for great speeds. Base your decision on whether you want the other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Saudi Arabia, 5G

The launch of the new iPhone 14 models showed a similar story in Saudi Arabia as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. The new iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts, but all of the iPhones we looked at were very fast on 5G. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest download speeds at 432.96 Mbps and 429.61 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 base model was next at 396.18 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro followed at 392.44 Mbps and 391.14 Mbps, respectively, while the base iPhone 13 model was next at 385.68 Mbps.

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, which ranged from a median speed of 34.90 Mbps to 35.85 Mbps, while the iPhone 13 models ranged from 30.14 Mbps to 31.62 Mbps.

Recommendation: Saudi iPhone 13 users should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features, but most iPhone 13 users still experience very fast speeds.

Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Singapore, 5G

Consumers in Singapore saw a noticeable increase in median 5G download speeds by upgrading to the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the first month after its launch. The Fold4 outpaced the Fold3 346.79 Mbps to 293.20 Mbps for median 5G download speed. Upload speeds remained almost exactly the same with the Fold4 reaching a 5G median download speed at 33.83 Mbps to the Fold3’s 33.19 Mbps.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Singapore should rush to see how they can upgrade their phone to the Fold4 for faster speeds and new features.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Singapore, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that in Singapore the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models had much faster median 5G download speeds than their already fast iPhone 13 counterparts. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieved median download speeds of 377.78 Mbps and 397.53 Mbps, respectively. However, iPhone 13 model users are still experiencing fast speeds. The iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved 273.14 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 249.54 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 247.81 Mbps. The iPhone 14 base model didn’t record enough samples to be included in our survey for Singapore.

Speedtest Intelligence also showed that upload speeds over 5G didn’t vary too significantly, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieving 37.60 Mbps and 36.86 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 32.23 Mbps to 33.74 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Singapore won’t regret upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds, but most iPhone 13 users already experience fast speeds.

South Korea

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, South Korea, 5G

Home to Samsung’s headquarters, South Korea has some of the fastest 5G speeds in the world. However, consumers who upgraded from the Fold3 to the Fold4 haven’t yet seen a noticeable improvement upon their already super fast internet experience. The Galaxy Z Fold4 reached a similar median 5G download speed as the Fold3 at 520.29 Mbps to 513.39 Mbps, respectively. However, the Fold4 was just faster than the Fold3 for upload speed at 51.96 Mbps to 42.65 Mbps.

Recommendation: It’s hard to say “wait to upgrade” to South Korean Galaxy Z Fold3 users, but with such ridiculously fast speeds on the Fold3 that are comparable to the Fold4, users should consider waiting — unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, South Korea, 5G

We’re jealous of iPhone users in South Korea, who experienced lightning fast 5G download speeds on every model of iPhone we surveyed, which ranged from 570.01 Mbps to 663.43 Mbps. While we didn’t find a statistically significant fastest median 5G download speed, the iPhone 14 Pro had a median download speed of 663.43 Mbps, the iPhone 14 Pro Max at 635.23 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 602.17 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 596.18 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 570.01 Mbps. The base model of the iPhone 14 didn’t have enough samples to be included.

Median 5G upload speeds for the iPhone 14 models were also very fast, ranging from 37.14 Mbps to 62.46 Mbps. However, the iPhone 13 models still had very fast upload speeds, which ranged from 41.96 Mbps to 43.45 Mbps.

Recommendation: South Korean iPhone 13 users who want to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model should do so for the new features — 5G speeds are extremely fast no matter what model you have.

Switzerland

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Swtizerland, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence shows that Swiss Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 users only saw a moderate increase in median 5G download speed when upgrading from the Fold3, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 232.70 Mbps to the Fold3’s 202.69 Mbps. The Fold4 was faster than the Fold3 for median upload speed at 49.31 Mbps to 39.76 Mbps during the same time period.

Recommendation: Swiss Galaxy Z Fold3 users have a tough decision: Speeds aren’t much faster yet for the new model, so unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers, you may want to wait.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Switzerland, 5G

iPhone consumers in Switzerland waiting to see how the new iPhone 14 performs can rest easy. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models are faster than their iPhone 13 predecessors, achieving median 5G download speeds at 242.41 Mbps and 214.62 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models only achieved 192.70 Mbps and 184.53 Mbps, respectively, during the same time period. While there weren’t enough samples to evaluate the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 had a median 5G download speed at 158.33 Mbps.

The iPhone Pro Max and Pro had faster upload speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts at 41.99 Mbps and 43.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models achieved 36.11 Mbps and 35.05 Mbps, respectively.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Switzerland who want faster speeds shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model and new features.

Taiwan

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Taiwan, 5G

Taiwanese consumers experienced roughly the same median 5G download speed for the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold3 at 321.12 Mbps and 320.78 Mbps, respectively. If you’re concerned about upload speed, the Fold4 does pull ahead of the Fold3 on 5G, 47.44 Mbps to 37.32 Mbps.

Recommendation: We noticed operator speed makes a large difference to device performance in Taiwan, so check our Ookla Market Report™ to see what kind of speeds you should expect from your operator. If your operator makes the cut, you should consider upgrading your phone. Other Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Taiwan, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that iPhone 14 models in Taiwan were much faster than iPhone 13 models, which were already very fast. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro had the fastest median 5G download speed at 373.25 Mbps and 366.28 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 329.46 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 319.53 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (298.37 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (272.79 Mbps).

Download speeds for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro were fast at 41.30 Mbps and 42.39 Mbps, respectively.The iPhone 14 (33.91 Mbps) was more on par with the iPhone 13 Pro Max (34.84 Mbps) and iPhone 13 Pro (34.05 Mbps). The iPhone 13 trailed behind at 29.61 Mbps.

Recommendation: Most iPhone 13 users in Taiwan aren’t lacking for 5G speeds, but iPhone 13 users should upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

United States

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, United States, 5G

According to Speedtest Intelligence, the Fold4 outperformed the Fold3 in the U.S. with a median 5G download speed of 165.63 Mbps to 124.12 Mbps. Upload speeds were roughly the same with the Fold4 at 15.58 Mbps and the Fold3 at 15.96 Mbps.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in the U.S. should embrace the Fold4 with open arms. Not only will you experience new features, you’ll continue to see faster speeds, especially as providers expand in 5G investments across the country.

Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, United States, 5G

Even the base model of the iPhone 14 substantially outperformed every iPhone 13 model in the U.S. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models led the way for fastest median 5G download speed at 177.92 Mbps and 174.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 was at 150.08 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models followed behind at 121.19 Mbps and 121.08 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 trailed at 109.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were relatively similar, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models reaching median 5G upload speeds of 19.22 Mbps and 18.37 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 14 followed at 15.91 Mbps. The iPhone 13 models weren’t much further behind, ranging from 13.20 Mbps to 15.39 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone fans in the U.S. who are waiting to see how the iPhone 14 performs should feel confident in taking the plunge to upgrade their phones.

Ookla will continue monitoring how devices are performing

After blazing fast launches which already saw the iPhone 14 models race ahead in the U.S. and other markets on the Ookla Market Reports™, we’ll eagerly be watching results for the rest of the year. If you recently upgraded your phone, be sure to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app to make sure you are getting the speeds you need along with up to 2 GB of free VPN browsing every month and access to video testing.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | October 17, 2022

Ookla Ranks Internet Performance in the World’s Largest Cities, Plus Read 34 New Ookla Market Reports

You’ve come to rely on the Speedtest Global Index™ for our ranking of internet performance in countries around the world. Today we’ve expanded that resource to include internet speed rankings for some of the world’s largest cities. Read on to find out which city has the fastest download speed, learn how to find the information you’re looking for, and view a sneak peek at our 34 latest Ookla Market Reports™.

Shanghai and Beijing are the fastest cities on the Speedtest Global Index

The Speedtest Global Index now ranks median internet download speeds in nearly 200 cities all over the world. The Speedtest Global Index shows China topped the list with Shanghai as the fastest city on our list for mobile with a median download speed of 158.63 Mbps, while Beijing was fastest for fixed broadband during September 2022 at 238.86 Mbps.

Our list includes the two largest cities from each country. The cities must also have over 500,000 inhabitants and sufficient samples to be included. They are ranked according to median download speed based on Speedtest® data from the month prior.

You can find city data simply by switching the toggle at the top center of the page. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates on new data, or check back next month to see how the rankings change as governments and internet providers build out their infrastructure to better serve consumers. If you’re looking for data on more cities, visit the Speedtest Performance Directory™.

Ookla Market Reports benchmark internet performance in 34 countries around the world

This quarter we are showcasing Q3 2022 Speedtest Intelligence® data from 34 countries in our Ookla Market Reports. We’ve summarized a few top takeaways below, and you’ll want to click through to the report to see more detail and charts about the countries you’re most interested in, including who was the fastest provider on mobile and fixed broadband, who had the most consistent service, and 5G and device performance in that country. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

Côte d’Ivoire: MTN was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 16.73 Mbps. CANALBOX was fastest for fixed broadband at 44.34 Mbps.
Kenya: Safaricom had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 22.19 Mbps. Faiba was fastest for fixed broadband (25.66 Mbps).
Libya: Almadar Aljadid was the fastest mobile operator in Libya during Q3 2022 with a median download speed of 12.42 Mbps.
Tanzania: A median download speed of 17.63 Mbps made Halotel the fastest mobile operator in Tanzania during Q3 2022.

Americas

Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile (29.41 Mbps) and Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband (87.20 Mbps).
Bolivia: VIVA had the highest mobile Consistency with 80.1% of results showing at least a 5 Mbps minimum download speed and 1 Mbps minimum upload speed.
Brazil: The fastest mobile operator was Claro with a median download speed of 37.17 Mbps.
Canada: TELUS was the fastest mobile operator in Canada with a median download speed of 76.03 Mbps. Rogers was fastest for fixed broadband (223.89 Mbps).
Colombia: WOM was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 15.60 Mbps. Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband at 125.32 Mbps.
Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators at 27.74 Mbps. Altice was fastest for fixed broadband at 23.54 Mbps.
El Salvador: Claro also had the fastest median download speed over mobile in El Salvador at 33.83 Mbps.
Ecuador: The fastest mobile operator was CNT with a median download speed of 34.03 Mbps. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband at 63.35 Mbps.
Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 28.56 Mbps. Tigo had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 26.90 Mbps.
Jamaica: Digicel+ was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 45.27 Mbps.
Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 36.07 Mbps. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband at 74.64 Mbps.
Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 21.94 Mbps.
Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 38.19 Mbps.
United States: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 116.14 Mbps. Spectrum was fastest for fixed broadband at 211.66 Mbps.

Asia

Cambodia: SINET had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 40.51 Mbps.
China: China Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 132.33 Mbps. China Unicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 177.70 Mbps.
Singapore: Singtel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 112.28 Mbps.
Vietnam: Viettel was the fastest mobile and fixed broadband provider with a median download speed over mobile of 44.81 Mbps and 88.69 Mbps for fixed broadband.

Europe

Albania: Vodafone was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 46.75 Mbps. Digicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 77.83 Mbps.
Belgium: Telenet had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 126.79 Mbps.
Denmark: YouSee was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark with a median download speed of 118.32 Mbps. Fastspeed was fastest for fixed broadband at 270.80 Mbps.
Estonia: The fastest operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 72.95 Mbps. Elisa was fastest over fixed broadband at 84.09 Mbps.
Finland: DNA had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 74.65 Mbps. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband at 103.79 Mbps.
Germany: Telekom was the fastest mobile operator in Germany with a median download speed of 78.85 Mbps. Vodafone was fastest for fixed broadband at 112.58 Mbps.
Latvia: LMT had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 63.59 Mbps. Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband at 203.31 Mbps.
Lithuania: The operator with the fastest median download speed was Telia with 102.09 Mbps. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband at 131.63 Mbps.
Poland: Orange had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 43.02 Mbps. UPC was fastest for fixed broadband at 206.22 Mbps.
Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 51.92 Mbps. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband at 50.94 Mbps.

Oceania

Australia: Telstra was the fastest mobile operator in Australia with a median download speed of 95.83 Mbps. Aussie Broadband was fastest for fixed broadband at 67.40 Mbps.
New Zealand: MyRepublic had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 271.12 Mbps.

The Speedtest Global Index is your resource to understand how internet speeds compare around the world and how they are changing. Check back next month for updated data on country and city rankings, and look for updated Ookla Market Reports for Q4 2022 in January.

About the Author

Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | September 28, 2022

5 Critical Services that Keep the Internet Up and Running (And How to Identify Which is Causing Your Outage)

Every internet user has encountered a website being down, an app not working, or even a browser failing to connect to the internet. Every day, thousands of users like you use Downdetector® to report real issues for websites and apps, but the outage you’re experiencing is often more complicated than it seems. We’re here to identify the major points of failure for the internet so you can understand what is happening and how long you might expect services to be down. Read on to find out what’s really going on during these incidents and how one service can cause critical failures across the internet.

What a large outage or incident looks like

GIF of internet going down with distressed consumer about to watch a show, then it cascading to dozens of consumers

Over the past few years, the internet has been hobbled by major outages. Some of these incidents lasted for hours (and even days) and prevented people from accessing online services like websites, streaming video platforms, social media, mobile apps, ATMs, emergency services, and more.

On the best of days, you can simply log onto the internet with the ease of clicking open a browser. However, the internet is a complex web of interconnected parts that exist on physical servers around the world. Often, when one part of the internet has an issue, it cascades to other services and companies that depend on that particular component. For example, if your internet service provider (ISP) blinks out, you might think that the site you were just visiting is down, while others using a different ISP can use the site just fine. Similarly, when you can’t access a website or app you want to use, the root cause might not be the app or website, like when an AWS incident took out Netflix in April 2021.

These five potential points of failure can take down the internet and online services

Internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile operators connect you to the web

The simplest internet outage to understand occurs when an ISP or mobile operator goes down or can’t be accessed. This can happen for many reasons, including a severed fiber line or a power outage taking out a local cell tower. When an ISP or mobile network suffers an outage, the internet still functions correctly, but your computer or device won’t be able to access it. This is frustrating and also makes it complicated to identify what the problem even is.

One way to figure out if your ISP or mobile provider is down is to try to access the internet from a different network (if you’re on mobile, try your computer; if you’re on your computer, try your mobile network). If the site is accessible on the other device, you may have a carrier or ISP outage. Check with your ISP on Downdetector or social media to see if they are aware of the problem, then know they are hard at work on fixing it. Usually these types of outages are resolved within a couple of hours.

Fixed Broadband ISPs

Image of a cut ISP line, which then fans out to services with upload and download lines for banks, businesses, online gaming, point-of-sale devices, emergency services, and shows a severed connection. Title: What happens when an ISP or mobile network goes down

ISPs can go down due to hardware failures, severed cable lines, natural disasters, human error, or even network cyberattacks. These are often contained to small local areas, but some ISP incidents have been nationwide.

Consumers and businesses both rely on ISPs to offer and access internet-based services. When a specific ISP does go down, cities, banks, businesses, online gaming, point-of-sale devices, and more that use single ISPs can all face outages because those services may depend on specific ISP access to the internet. But that doesn’t mean everything goes down in your area if one ISP goes down in an area; if other ISPs are operational, they’ll be able to connect to the internet. This is why some businesses use multiple ISPs to insure against outages.

If you think your ISP may be down, check Downdetector on your phone for real-time incident reports by users in your area. For those who are comfortable with running terminal commands, you can run `mtr -rn 8.8.8.8` to see which hop within your connection may be having issues.

Mobile operators

You’ve probably seen a cell tower in your neighborhood. Mobile networks connect your device to the internet using radio waves collected by those towers and other infrastructure. When a mobile network goes down, either the equipment sending or receiving radio waves is having an issue or the network that equipment connects to is having an issue. This may be contained as a local issue with a single mobile deployment, but mobile networks aren’t immune from larger incidents. Though more rare, mobile outages can be caused by natural disasters, faulty equipment, or human error.

For you, a mobile outage means you may not be able to text or call from your mobile network until the problem is resolved. If you think your mobile operator may be down, use your computer to check Downdetector for real-time incident reports by users in your area.

Content delivery networks (CDNs) deliver critical content

How Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) incidents happen, show businesses that put content onto a cloud CDN network, which then goes to multiple consumers, with a severed line from the CDN to the consumers

CDNs allow content (like images, videos, and other critical parts of websites) to be stored physically closer to you using networks of point of presence servers (POPs) around the world. Websites and apps use CDNs to dramatically speed up and stabilize your experience, because the information has to travel less distance and bypass potential bottlenecks on the internet. In addition, many ISPs and mobile operators have CDN POPs within their own networks, further reducing the distance a request has to travel to be fulfilled.

CDNs are a vital part of modern internet infrastructure and are particularly helpful when a service needs to respond quickly to increased demand. Examples include a surge in online shopping on Cyber Monday or a rush of viewers streaming the next episode of that most popular TV show. Still, CDNs can experience incidents that impact their reliability. Since these are consolidation points for internet traffic, CDN outages can have huge effects on a wide range of internet services all at once. When CDNs go down, sites aren’t able to be served and apps aren’t able to receive the content stored on these networks. These failures make the sites and services appear to be down. CDN failures can stem from coding bugs or a cyberattack. CDN issues are often difficult to diagnose since they operate behind the scenes and cover specific geographies. This means a CDN network can work in one part of the world, while other parts experience a blanket outage for all the businesses that depend on it.

One indicator that you might be dealing with a CDN outage is if a group of sites and services that rely on one CDN provider are all showing issues on Downdetector in your area, as you can see on the image above related to the Akamai service outage of June 2021. We will often flag CDN outages on Downdetector with a banner to show how trending incidents may be connected.

Domain Name System (DNS) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) direct internet traffic

DNS and BGP are two systems that serve as the foundation for the global internet. You could say that DNS defines the addresses to which packets of information need to navigate and BGP effectively defines the roads of the internet. Without directions from DNS and BGP, the internet would not function. DNS and BGP issues can be contained or they can cause global internet outages.

Domain Name System (DNS)

DNS provides the connection between human names and network addresses — every website has a domain name (like speedtest.net), which DNS translates to a string of numbers that forms the IP address for every site you visit. Without DNS, your browser won’t be able to determine where to send a request to, like attempting to drive to a business without being able to find their address.

DNS incidents can either be caused by a bad DNS record which sends traffic to the wrong location or if a large DNS provider has issues responding to requests. Because DNS servers are so important, there are many redundancies to prevent global failure — but they can go down due to cyber attacks, power incidents, or human error.

If the DNS issue is on your equipment, it can sometimes be resolved by restarting your router and/or modem, clearing your device’s DNS cache, or even switching browsers. Larger DNS issues can be identified by querying a server (if you feel confident doing so), and you can also go to Downdetector to see if it’s a larger issue impacting many people. Visitors to Downdetector will often leave a comment if they’ve run a query and found a DNS issue.

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

BGP is the routing system for the internet, receiving routing information from other networks on the internet and using Autonomous Systems (AS) to find the fastest and most efficient path to connect your device to the destination network. BGP isn’t centralized or controlled by any party, it’s up to internet providers to provide accurate and trustworthy information to other peer networks. BGP-related outages often are due to bad routing information being shared across the internet, which causes data to be sent to incorrect networks.

BGP issues can be harder to identify, because when BGP goes down, the route to a particular network doesn’t appear to exist even if it’s there — and information can’t automatically update because everything is decentralized. Visit Downdetector to troubleshoot your outage. You can learn more about whether the incident is caused by a BGP issue by checking the comments. Because of the decentralized nature of these outages, the issue may take a while to resolve. Be prepared to maybe take a walk or find something to do until the engineers work it all out.

Services and their Application Programming Interfaces (API) direct programs communicating

The final type of widespread incident types on our list involves service failures. When services go down, they may impact other applications that communicate and rely upon them through an API. An API is an interface that enables two or more programs to communicate together. For example, a weather app on your mobile device may fetch forecast info from a weather station’s API. If that API is down, your weather app may display a blank content box or not work at all.

APIs include everything from applications like Google Maps interfacing with GPS data to get you to a destination, posting a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the your device’s camera app, sending a GIF from Giphy on your messaging app, completing a transaction on a commerce site with a payment app like PayPal, and security protocol programs like Auth0 or OneLogin that provide single sign-on services for additional security to your logins.

With many companies increasingly relying on external services for payment services (Square and Stripe), security measures (OneLogin and Google Safe Browsing), programming queries (Javascript and Python), storage (Dropbox and Google Drive), and many other different service APIs like Spotify, incidents at these types of services can have huge impacts across the internet.

Diagnosing a problem caused by a service or their API isn’t straightforward. Often, service issues stem from a coding error that occurs that doesn’t allow the program to communicate information to the service’s API. Engineers at the services monitor service health carefully, but these errors may only occur in edge cases, or for a small subset of users. Even if a service doesn’t have a large amount of reports on Downdetector, check the comments to see if anyone else is reporting a similar issue to yours.

Downdetector is your first line of support during a widespread incident

Do you think your service or internet is down? First, check your device or router and restart those. If that doesn’t work, go to Downdetector to report your incident with the internet or service you’re trying to reach and see if other users are reporting the same issues you are, or if there are other root causes that may be contributing to an incident you’re experiencing. Remember, while Downdetector can detect widespread issues, it does not diagnose them, so after logging your issue on Downdetector, check in with the service you’re having trouble with to see if they have any error reports.

Having issues with the internet can be a huge headache, so we hope this article helps you better understand what’s going on with your internet experience. Do you want to stay on top of issues that might be affecting your internet experience? Download the Downdetector app for iOS or Android.

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | September 20, 2022

Starlink Slowed in Q2, Competitors Mounting Challenges

Ookla® has covered SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet for over a year now with our ongoing series on satellite internet performance. We’ve seen Starlink launch in new locations across the world, and while some speeds have shown signs of slowing down from their initial launches, the newly announced T-Mobile partnership with Starlink could extend the benefit of satellite connections to the mobile market.

Today, we have fresh data on satellite performance during Q2 2022 in Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America. This analysis includes results from eight additional countries, two new providers, and expanded data for Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat. We also examine how Starlink’s internet performance has changed over the past year in Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Starlink speeds decreased in every country we surveyed over the past year as more users sign up for service

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals that median download speeds for Starlink fell across Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K, and the U.S., dropping between 9% and 54% from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022 as more users signed up for the service. However, Starlink still reached a median download speed of at least 60 Mbps in North America during Q2 2022, which is more than enough for at least one connected device to do most everything on the internet including streaming video, downloading games, and chatting on video with friends and family.

Upload speeds also slowed on Starlink, with speeds decreasing across all of the countries we’ve tracked over the past year. Latency fared a little better with latency remaining relatively flat (though high when compared to fixed broadband) in most countries. New Zealand was the outlier, with latency dropping 23 ms. For most users, we still suspect these dips are still worthwhile for areas that have no service, slow service, or few affordable options for fast internet.

Starlink in Puerto Rico was the fastest satellite provider in North America

Starlink in Puerto Rico had the fastest satellite internet in North America during Q2 2022 with a median download speed of 112.22 Mbps, followed by Starlink in Mexico (80.17 Mbps), Canada (75.73 Mbps), and the U.S. (62.53 Mbps). Starlink in Puerto Rico and Mexico was faster than their countries’ fixed broadband providers combined (74.80 Mbps and 45.50 Mbps, respectively), while fixed broadband in the U.S. (150.12 Mbps) and Canada (106.41 Mbps) was faster than each country’s satellite providers.

In every country except Mexico, fixed broadband upload speeds were faster than satellite speeds. Starlink in Mexico edged out fixed broadband providers 14.48 Mbps to 12.20 Mbps. Latency was higher for every satellite provider compared to fixed broadband. Starlink in the U.S. had the lowest median latency among satellite providers at 48 ms.

Starlink outperformed fixed broadband average in 16 European countries

Speedtest Intelligence shows Starlink was fast in Europe during Q2 2022, outperforming fixed broadband median download speed in 16 countries and reached download speeds over 100 Mbps in 10 countries. In contrast, fixed broadband only achieved median download speeds over 100 Mbps in six countries: Romania, Spain, Portugal, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands during Q2 2022. Starlink was fastest for median download speed in Portugal at 123.01 Mbps, the Netherlands (122.43 Mbps), Austria (112.01 Mbps), France (110.98 Mbps), and Belgium (110.40 Mbps). Romania and Spain were the only countries to have fixed broadband beat Starlink for fastest median download speed, achieving 131.41 Mbps and 127.19 Mbps, respectively.

For upload, Starlink in Greece and Austria was the only satellite provider to achieve faster upload speeds than all fixed broadband providers combined at 19.34 Mbps to 5.14 Mbps, and to 17.14 Mbps to 15.90 Mbps, respectively. Fixed broadband providers in Spain (99.21 Mbps), Romania (94.23 Mbps), Sweden (92.77 Mbps), France (88.22 Mbps), Lithuania (83.54 Mbps), and Portugal (73.13 Mbps) all recorded median upload speeds greater than 70 Mbps, with the closest satellite provider being Starlink in Portugal at 28.52 Mbps.

All satellite providers fell far behind fixed broadband providers in the whole of Europe for latency during Q2 2022. Starlink in Spain and the United Kingdom recorded the lowest satellite latencies at 37 ms and 39 ms, respectively — still a far cry from the closest fixed broadband latency, which was 14 ms in Germany, Greece, and Italy.

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

Our analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data found Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America with a median download speed of 128.38 Mbps during Q2 2022, followed by Starlink in Chile at 94.79 Mbps. Chilean fixed broadband internet was still much faster for those who could get access to it. The Speedtest Global Index™ found Chile had the second fastest fixed broadband internet in the world with a median download speed of 211.43 Mbps during August 2022. Starlink in Brazil was the only satellite provider to be faster than its country’s fixed broadband providers combined.

Like last quarter, South American fixed broadband providers surpassed satellite providers in each respective upload speeds during Q2 2022. All satellite providers had a higher median latency than fixed broadband, though Starlink in Brazil and Chile had latencies of 38 ms.

Starlink in New Zealand was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania

Starlink’s fastest median download speed in Oceania was in New Zealand at 105.99 Mbps, though this still fell short of fixed broadband providers in the country. Starlink in Australia was faster than fixed broadband providers by a wide margin at 102.76 Mbps to 51.46 Mbps during Q2 2022. Starlink outperformed fixed broadband providers in new-to-our-list Tonga 45.25 Mbps to 22.32 Mbps.

New Zealand’s fixed broadband dominated for the fastest median upload speed in Oceania at 87.29 Mbps during Q2 2022, while Australia’s fixed broadband fell far behind with an upload speed of 17.86 Mbps. Both speeds were still faster than Starlink’s median upload speeds in New Zealand and Australia (12.31 Mbps and 10.45 Mbps, respectively). Tonga didn’t have a statistical winner for fastest upload speed, but Starlink reached 19.26 Mbps and fixed broadband 18.11 Mbps. Fixed broadband also had a lower median latency than Starlink during Q1 2022, which clocked in at 49 ms in Australia, 78 ms in New Zealand, and 98 ms in Tonga.

Biggest questions lie ahead, but competition will be good for consumers

Satellite connectivity is coming to mobile, with Starlink’s new partnership with T-Mobile and new mobile devices becoming satellite enabled. This will cause ripples across North America, which is a net positive for consumers who live in areas with low mobile and fixed broadband connectivity. Connecting with the world won’t be a question of how anymore, it will be a question of how good your experience is. That’s hopefully a win-win for consumers, especially as more providers vie for the fastest and best satellite experience — a true global space race.

Starlink isn’t stopping there — they’re trying to get into airplanes, cruise ships, and cars. But they’re not the only satellite provider making moves; Viasat is launching its Viasat-3 fleet, OneWeb is combining business with Eutelsat, and Amazon is sending 3,236 Project Kuiper satellites into orbit. We’ll be here monitoring the skies in our ongoing satellite series. Take a Speedtest® to help us provide an accurate and more complete picture of real-world performance. And if we’re missing data on your satellite network, send us a screenshot of your speed on Twitter or Facebook.

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | July 18, 2022

New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q2 2022

Ookla® Market Reports^TM identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 26 markets that include details on fastest mobile and fixed broadband providers, performance of most popular devices and chipsets, and internet speeds in cities. Click a country on the list below to see highlights or scroll through the article to learn what Speedtest Intelligence® revealed in all 26 markets:

Africa and the Middle East | Asia | Europe | North and South America

Africa and the Middle East

Côte d’Ivoire: Speedtest Intelligence reveals there was no statistical winner among top mobile providers in Côte d’Ivoire during Q2 2022, with MTN showing a median download speed of 15.17 Mbps and Orange clocking in at 14.56 Mbps. There was also no statistical winner for fastest fixed broadband provider in Côte d’Ivoire during Q2 2022, though CANALBOX had a median download speed at 38.86 Mbps, Moov Africa at 34.41 Mbps, and Orange at 32.22 Mbps.
Jordan: Speedtest Intelligence finds fixed broadband provider Orange again provided the fastest median download speed in Jordan at 89.11 Mbps during Q2 2022, a modest increase over its speed in Q1 2022 (78.08 Mbps). Umniah was again the fastest mobile operator in Jordan during Q2 2022, delivering a median download speed of 33.74 Mbps.
Kenya: Mobile operator Safaricom had the fastest median mobile download speed in Kenya at 22.74 Mbps during Q2 2022. On fixed broadband, Faiba had the fastest median download speed (24.94 Mbps) and highest Consistency (50.6%) in Kenya during Q2 2022. At the city-level, Mombasa was home to the fastest mobile and fixed broadband download speeds at 23.59 Mbps and 12.03 Mbps, respectively, during Q2 2022.
Libya: Speedtest Intelligence reveals that mobile operator Libyana again had the fastest median mobile download speed in Libya at 12.34 Mbps during Q2 2022. Among top fixed broadband providers, AWAL Telecom had the fastest median download speed in Libya at 17.70 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Tanzania: Among top mobile operators in Tanzania, Halotel again had the fastest median download speed (17.12 Mbps) during Q2 2022. Mwanza had the fastest median mobile download speed among Tanzania’s most populous cities at 17.25 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Turkey: Speedtest Intelligence reveals mobile provider Turkcell again had the fastest median download speed and highest Consistency in Turkey at 54.62 Mbps and 92.2%, respectively, during Q2 2022. Among popular device manufacturers, Apple devices bested Samsung devices in Turkey at 41.77 Mbps compared to 30.55 Mbps during Q2 2022. For fixed broadband in Turkey, TurkNet again had the highest median download speed (49.46 Mbps) and Consistency (77.2%) during Q2 2022.

Asia

China: According to Speedtest Intelligence, fixed broadband provider China Unicom’s median download speed of 172.81 Mbps was the fastest in the country, overtaking China Telecom’s 162.30 Mbps in Q2 2022. The race for fastest 5G in China was likewise tight in Q2 2022, with China Mobile again edging out China Telecom 299.26 Mbps to 290.70 Mbps, with China Unicom following at 272.66 Mbps. Among top device manufacturers, Huawei devices had the fastest median download speed in China at 113.70 Mbps during Q2 2022.

Europe

Belgium: Telenet decisively retained its spot as Belgium’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q2 2022, posting a median download speed of 129.30 Mbps. VOO followed at 111.93 Mbps. Among top mobile operators, Telenet/BASE again had the fastest median download speed at 76.09 Mbps, a modest rise over its speed in Q1 2022 (66.92 Mbps). Antwerp had the fastest median mobile download speed at 120.10 Mbps among Belgium’s most populous cities during Q2 2022.
Czechia: Speedtest Intelligence reveals T-Mobile was again Czechia’s fastest mobile provider during Q2 2022, recording a median download speed of 57.17 Mbps. When it comes to fixed broadband, Vodafone was again Czechia’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q2 2022, delivering a median download speed of 90.60 Mbps. At the city-level, Brno was home to both the fastest mobile and fixed broadband median download speeds in Q2 2022.
Denmark: Fastspeed was Denmark’s fastest fixed broadband provider again during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 283.79 Mbps. YouSee was Denmark’s fastest mobile operator, registering a median download speed of 125.76 Mbps during Q2 2022, which marked a modest increase over 115.87 Mbps in Q1 2022. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro were ahead of the competition at 177.17 Mbps and 174.31 Mbps, respectively, during Q2 2022.
Estonia: According to Speedtest Intelligence, Elisa was again the fastest fixed broadband provider in Estonia during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 77.19 Mbps. Telia again had the fastest median mobile download speed in Estonia at 71.48 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Finland: DNA edged out Elisa and Telia as Finland’s fastest fixed broadband provider in Q2 2022, recording a median download speed of 91.08 Mbps. DNA also took top honors as Finland’s fastest mobile operator at 72.24 Mbps. In addition, DNA had the fastest 5G download speed in Finland, achieving a median download speed of 279.95 Mbps.
Germany: Vodafone was Germany’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q2 2022, earning a median download speed of 110.42 Mbps. Telekom achieved the fastest median mobile download speed (77.35 Mbps) and highest Consistency (88.9%) among top German mobile operators during Q2 2022. Telekom also took the top spot by a wide margin for the fastest median 5G download speed in Germany at 195.38 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Latvia: Balticom had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Latvia at 198.90 Mbps and highest Consistency (91.7%) during Q2 2022. LMT had the fastest median mobile download speed in Latvia at 68.48 Mbps during Q2 2022 — a large increase from 50.70 Mbps during Q1 2022. Among Latvia’s most populous cities, Olaine achieved the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speeds at 127.09 Mbps and 126.30 Mbps, respectively during Q2 2022.
Lithuania: Telia had the fastest median mobile download speed in Lithuania at 90.11 Mbps during Q2 2022, a modest increase from 77.77 Mbps during Q1 2022. Cgates again had the fastest median fixed broadband speed in Lithuania at 113.78 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Poland: UPC was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Poland, achieving a median download speed of 203.69 Mbps during Q2 2022. Mobile operator Plus had the fastest median 5G download speed in Poland at 171.14 Mbps during Q2 2022, a gain of roughly 4 Mbps over its speed in Q1 2022.

North and South America

Argentina: Personal was Argentina’s fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 27.22 Mbps during Q2 2022. Buenos Aires (24.30 Mbps) and Rosario (23.93 Mbps) led the way among Argentina’s most populous cities for fastest median mobile download speed.
Brazil: Speedtest Intelligence finds Claro was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Brazil during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 31.93 Mbps and Consistency of 84.2%.
Canada: Shaw was again Canada’s fastest fixed broadband provider, clocking a median download speed of 209.44 Mbps during Q2 2022. TELUS took the top spot as the fastest mobile operator in Canada, achieving a median download speed of 79.09 Mbps during Q2 2022. Competition for the fastest 5G in Canada was tight during Q2 2022 with no statistical winner, but Bell (139.75 Mbps) and TELUS (137.17 Mbps) led the way, with Rogers trailing at 93.06 Mbps.
Chile: Among popular device manufacturers in Chile during Q2 2022, Apple devices were the fastest, with a median download speed of 34.59 Mbps.
Colombia: Apple devices had the fastest median download speed among major device manufacturers in Colombia at 16.62 Mbps during Q2 2022.
Ecuador: According to Speedtest Intelligence, Netlife was Ecuador’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 58.22 Mbps and Consistency of 77.2%, both of which marked increases over Q1 2022. CNT was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Ecuador during Q2 2022, with a median download speed of 33.32 Mbps and Consistency of 86.3%.
Guatemala: According to Speedtest Intelligence, Claro was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Guatemala during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 20.05 Mbps and Consistency of 78.4%. Tigo was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Guatemala, with a median download speed of 27.51 Mbps and Consistency of 58.4% during Q2 2022.
Mexico: Telcel was Mexico’s fastest mobile operator during Q2 2022, leading the market with a median download speed of 33.24 Mbps. Totalplay was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Mexico, achieving a median download speed of 60.55 Mbps and Consistency of 78.2% during Q2 2022, both moderate increases over Q1 2022.
Peru: According to Speedtest Intelligence, Winet Telecom was Peru’s fastest fixed broadband provider by a wide margin, achieving a median download speed of 106.90 Mbps during Q2 2022. Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Peru during Q2 2022, delivering a median download speed of 21.52 Mbps.
United States: Speedtest Intelligence reveals Cox claimed the fastest fixed broadband download speed among top providers in the United States during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 196.73 Mbps. T-Mobile took the top spot as the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in the U.S. during Q2 2022, achieving a median download speed of 116.54 Mbps and Consistency of 85.7%. Looking at tests taken only on 5G, T-Mobile achieved the fastest median 5G download speed at 187.33 Mbps during Q2 2022. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was the fastest popular device in the U.S. at 105.26 Mbps during Q2 2022.

Read the full market analyses and follow monthly ranking updates on the Speedtest Global Index^TM

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Josh Fomon

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How Boingo Leverages Ookla's Comprehensive Network Intelligence

Ookla Joins Ericsson's Leading Telecommunications Open RApp System

Downdetector Presents the 10 Largest Internet Outages of 2022

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10. TikTok, September 15, 2022

9. Snapchat, July 12, 2022

8. Reddit, April 3, 2022

7. Call of Duty, August 16, 2022

6. Twitter, July 14, 2022

5. Instagram, July 14, 2022

4. Roblox, May 4, 2022

3. Discord, March 8, 2022

2. WhatsApp, October 25, 2022

1. Spotify, March 8, 2022

Honorable mention: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me”

Another year, another Downdetector top 10 outages list

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Josh Fomon

The Most Memorable Ookla Research Articles This Year

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5G changed the internet landscape in 2022

5G devices raced ahead in 2022

Indian consumers are ready for 5G

Ookla visualized 5G across the world

Noteworthy evolutions in internet connectivity during 2022

Starlink expanded rapidly, but speeds dipped

Ookla found consumers in the Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S. are “always on” their networks

Travelers began to see fast airport speeds in more locations

Canadian fiber is blazing ahead

Ookla resources strengthened consumer choices in 2022

Ookla added cities to the Speedtest Global Index™ and launched the Ookla Performance Directory™

Ookla is taking connected experiences to the next level

Ookla For Good™ helped highlight digital divides

Stay up to date with Ookla

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Josh Fomon

Starlink Speeds Dipped Slightly During Q3 2022 as the Space Race Heats up

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Starlink performance dipped once again during Q3 2022 (though only slightly)

Starlink remains a boon for rural U.S. consumers who can afford it

Starlink in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the fastest satellite internet in North America

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

New Q3 2022 Starlink countries have mixed results

The great space race is on

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Josh Fomon

Details on the Fastest 5G Mobile Devices (Just in Time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday)

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Fastest 5G devices in Brazil

5 devices vie for fastest 5G in China

New iPhones top fastest 5G devices in Germany

Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy 20 among fastest 5G devices in Japan

Many options for fastest 5G devices in the Philippines

Tight competition for fastest 5G devices in South Africa

Dead heat on fastest 5G devices in Thailand

iPhone dominates fastest 5G devices in the United Kingdom

Fastest 5G devices in the United States are new iPhones

Older iPhones keeping up with fastest 5G devices in Vietnam

Ookla will continue evaluating device performance

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Josh Fomon

7 Quick Tips to Fix Your Family’s Slow Internet

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Houston, do we even have a problem?

Step 1. Find out what type of service they’re paying for

Step 2. Search out their modem, wireless router, and any repeaters

Step 3. Check the age of their computers

Step 4. “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

Step 5. Make sure there isn’t a short-term outage

Step 6. If all else fails … call the ISP

Step 7. Download the Speedtest app

For extra bonus brownie points

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Josh Fomon

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New iPhone 14 and Galaxy Z Fold4 Are (Spoiler: They’re Fast)