Tag: Australia

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 12, 2025

Cyclone Alfred Tests the Resilience of Telecom Infrastructure in Queensland, Australia

Network Resilience

Ex-cyclone caused widespread power outages across south Queensland and north New South Wales, putting the focus on Australian network resilience and the efforts of local government, utilities and telecom operators in restoring power and connectivity.

South Queensland and north New South Wales are in recovery mode after ex-cyclone Alfred made landfall over the weekend, leading to widespread flooding and power outages and severely impacted the availability and performance of telecom networks across the region. While the recovery effort is underway, we examine the impact of the ex-cyclone on Speedtest users in the region. Australia is an interesting case.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cyclone Alfred triggered a severe decline in mobile performance across all operators in Queensland. On the day the storm made landfall (early on March 8th local time), we saw a substantial uptick in outages reported on Downdetector across all mobile operators and the National Broadband Network (NBN), while median mobile download speeds declined strongly – Telstra’s dipped from 111.33 Mbps on Thursday March 6th, to a low of 51.76 Mbps on March 8th, with significant declines also observed for Optus and Vodafone.
  • Network hardening efforts and cyclone predictability appear to have helped reduce the impact on network infrastructure. In contrast to other major weather events that have impacted telecom networks, for example Storm Éowyn in Ireland and the UK, network performance in Queensland has shown a somewhat milder impact, and started to rebound quicker. The impact in Ireland was greater — with over 725,000 premises affected vs. over 450,000 in Queensland — but the predictable arrival of the cyclone combined with the targeted grant funding as part of the Mobile Network Hardening program likely played a role in Queensland ability to rebound. The program, currently in its third stage, specifically targets improved resilience and response to network outages from natural disasters.
  • The resulting impact on Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) service underscores user needs during severe network outages, and reinforces the importance of direct-to-cellular (D2C ) satellite services in outage scenarios. Cyclone Alfred reinforced the importance of planned D2C services as a “game changer,” in ensuring the continuity of connectivity during natural disasters, especially for a market such as Australia, with low population density and vast stretches of rural black spots. This comes hot on the heels of a recent government announcement that mobile operators will need to cover the bulk of the Australian continent by 2027 with voice, SMS and emergency service, as part of as revised Universal Service Obligation. Starlink Speedtest samples climbed by 166% on the day cyclone Alfred made landfall, and performance deteriorated under increased demand, highlighting the severity of the telecoms infrastructure disruptions as consumers scrambled to troubleshoot issues and turned to alternative connectivity solutions such as satellite.

Regional energy grid operator Energex, which manages the electricity grid in the parts of south Queensland hardest hit by the cyclone, reported “the greatest number of power outages in Queensland history caused by a natural disaster,” with more than 450,000 premises affected. Recovery efforts have proceeded rapidly, with 392,000 premises back online as of Wednesday March 12th. Energex forecasted that theremaining customers in the more challenging locations will have power restored by March 16th.

This cyclone, the first to hit this far south since Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974, has reinforced the importance of recent measures to ensure adequate communication with customers around network outages, introduced at the end of last year by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). While outages linked to natural disasters are currently excluded from the ACMA’s rules, it has indicated it is set to examine how to incorporate these kinds of outages in future, but with a view to avoiding impact on critical communications from emergency services. In the meantime, it is clear that the Australian network operators have really stepped up their communications during the outage, and have quickly moved to start restoring connectivity to affected areas. The relatively predictable path and timing of this cyclone has aided preparatory efforts.

Downdetector users highlight the impact of Cyclone Alfred across fixed and mobile services

Analysis of Downdetector® data highlights the uptick in outage reports as Cyclone Alfred made landfall, and began to disrupt the power grid and impact telecommunications infrastructure early on Saturday local time. While Telstra saw the highest number of outage reports, Optus, Vodafone and the NBN also saw spikes in user outage reports, which as of Tuesday, March 11th had still not returned to their pre-cyclone values.

Cyclone Alfred Triggers Surge in Downdetector Network Outage Reports
Downdetector® | March 2025

Mobile users in Queensland see marked declines across all performance metrics, with network impacts continuing

The impact of the cyclone has been significant across all network operators. Optus noted a total of 419 mobile sites down, with just over 60% of those restored as of 8am AEDT on March 12th, via a combination of generators, and satellite-powered mobile base stations (SatCats). At the same time, Vodafone reported they had restored power to more than 100 mobile sites, but that 117 remained without power, of which only 15 lacked overlapping coverage. In addition, Telstra noted on X that it had been able to bring 85% of its impacted mobile sites back online as of the same timeline. The NBN, the national wholesale provider which manages the fixed broadband access infrastructure across Australia, mapped out a peak of 252,000 of its connections (both wired and FWA) impacted by the cyclone on Sunday March 9th, which by March 11th had fallen to 147,000. Network outages such as these present a dual strain: increased network load as fixed broadband outages shift traffic to mobile infrastructure, and a diminished mobile site grid due to power outages at mobile sites. Together, these factors significantly degrade mobile network performance, reducing overall network availability and pushing more subscribers into the cell edge, or into overlapping cells which will tend to have poorer performance.

Analysis of Speedtest Intelligence® data highlights the significant impact of Cyclone Alfred on mobile network performance in Queensland. Download and upload speeds have witnesses sustained declines, accompanied by increased latency and jitter across all operators in the state. While some recovery has been observed from Sunday (March 9th) onwards, all performance metrics remain materially below pre-storm levels. Outages such as this will reinforce calls for greater national roaming provision and mutual assistance in the event of outages, as outlined in the recommendations of a Parliamentary report presented following the review of Optus’ major network outage in November 2023.

Cyclone Alfred Blows Down Mobile Performance in Queensland Across All Metrics and Operators
Speedtest Intelligence® | March 2025

In addition to a decline in metrics like Consistency—designed to measure the proportion of Speedtest samples reflecting a consistent quality of experience (QoE)—the storm-induced network disruptions led to a substantial increase in failed or partially completed Speedtest sessions across all operators on the day of the storm. Similarly, the severe decline in 10th percentile performance—where aggregate download speeds fell, from a high of 9.10 Mbps on March 4th, to a low of 2.56 Mbps on March 8th. 10th percentile upload speeds plummeted to a low of just 0.24 Mbps, while latency rocketed to 293 ms—highlighting the extent of performance degradation experienced by mobile users at the bottom end of the scale.

Cyclone Alfred Triggers Deterioration in Consistency Across All Operators
Speedtest Intelligence® | March 2025

LEO satellites pick up some of the slack

While significant amounts of fixed traffic will have migrated to mobile as power outages occurred, and where mobile signal was still available, we also witnessed an uptick in Starlink Speedtest samples during the ex-cylone’s passage across southern Queensland. Starlink samples hit a high on Sunday March 9th, representing an increase of 166% over samples observed at the start of March. This additional demand on the service pushed performance levels down, hitting a low of 47.11 Mbps median download speed, but recovering swiftly afterwards.

Starlink Performance During Cyclone Alfred – Queensland
Speedtest Intelligence® | March 2025

Starlink’s performance here is interesting to observe in light of the recent Australian government announcement that all mobile providers in the country should provide near nationwide coverage for voice and SMS and Triple Zero (emergency) services by 2027, as part of the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO), itself part of an updated Universal Service Obligation (USO). D2C services via LEO satellites are imminent in the country, with both Telstra and Optus having inked deals with Starlink, while Vodafone (TPG Group) has an agreement in place with Lynk Global. We will continue to monitor network resilience around the world in the face of severe network outages, and highlight best practice. For more information on how Downdetector and Speedtest can help respond to outages, detect areas of poor performance and optimise networks, please contact us.

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.

Network Resilience

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 16, 2025

Checking In with Speed: Wi-Fi Performance in Luxury Hotels Across APAC’s Top Business Hubs

Hong Kong

For business travelers, fast and reliable Wi-Fi is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. In today’s digital-first business environment, seamless connectivity enables real-time communication, access to cloud-based applications, and virtual meetings, all of which are critical for productivity and efficiency. A hotel’s Wi-Fi quality plays a major role in a business traveler’s accommodation choice, making high-speed internet a key differentiator for luxury hotels in APAC’s top business cities.

Key Takeaways

  • Only five out of the selected 20 hotels provided Wi-Fi with a median download speed of at least 100 Mbps. The majority of selected hotels fall into either the good performers category (50–100 Mbps) or the laggards category (below 50 Mbps). Leading hotels such as The Peninsula Tokyo and Rosewood Hong Kong demonstrate the benefits of investing in high-quality Wi-Fi infrastructure. 
  • Having a strong national broadband infrastructure does not guarantee fast hotel Wi-Fi. Even in cities with strong broadband infrastructure like Singapore, inconsistent hotel speeds highlight the need for better in-house network optimization. Raffles Singapore and InterContinental Singapore, for example, recorded some of the lowest speeds at 21.35 Mbps and 20.03 Mbps, respectively, underscoring the importance of proper Wi-Fi setup for a better guest experience.
  • Wi-Fi performance in APAC luxury hotels strongly correlates with the adoption of modern technology and effective frequency band usage. Top-performing hotels lead with 47.1% of tests conducted on Wi-Fi 6 and a high reliance on the 5 GHz band (88.4%), delivering faster speeds and more stable connections. In contrast, hotels with download speeds less than 50 Mbps relied heavily on outdated standards, with 75.2% of tests conducted on Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 and only 69.8% of their tests using the faster 5 GHz band. 

Connectivity is a key factor for business travelers in APAC

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region remains a major hub for global business travel, driven by strong economic growth and dynamic markets. In 2023, business travel spending in APAC surged by 41%, reaching US$567 billion, with projections to exceed US$800 billion by 2027. The top five business meeting destinations in APAC; Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Sydney, serve as major business hubs, attracting professionals from around the world.

This report analyzes Wi-Fi performance in selected 5-star hotels across the five cities: Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Sydney, with the addition of hotels in Bali, a key location for international conventions and events such as the G20 Bali Summit, the APEC Summit, and the World Bank Annual Meeting.

Map: List of selected hotels and location (cities)

Map of locations of select 5-star hotels in APAC

APAC luxury business hotels show mixed Wi-Fi performance

Using Speedtest Intelligence® data, we analyzed median download speeds inside and around selected hotel properties throughout 2024. This year-long period allows us to assess Wi-Fi performance and stability under varying hotel occupancy levels and guest profiles. To ensure data reliability, we excluded hotels with insufficient measurement samples and focused only on the most commonly used Wi-Fi network at each hotel—typically the one freely accessible to guests.

Chart of Wi-Fi Performance for Select Hotels in Asia Pacific

The Wi-Fi download speeds of selected hotels across major APAC business destinations show significant variation, with some properties delivering top-tier connectivity while others fall short. In a similar report that analyzed Wi-Fi download speeds of luxury hotels in the MENA region, we categorized the results to three groups of hotels based on Wi-Fi download speed:

  1. Top performers are hotels that offer exceptionally fast Wi-Fi, with median download speeds exceeding 100 Mbps. Such speeds provide seamless connectivity for business travelers, enabling ultra-high-definition video conferencing, large file transfers, and lag-free virtual collaboration. These results suggest that these hotels have made significant investments in high-performance Wi-Fi infrastructure, ensuring a premium experience for their guests.
  2. Good performers offer solid Wi-Fi performance, ranging between 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps. These speeds are sufficient for most business activities, including video conferencing, cloud-based work, and high-speed browsing. While they don’t reach the top-tier speeds of the leading hotels, they still provide a strong and stable connection for business travelers.
  3. Performance laggards include hotels with a median download speed below 50 Mbps, which may impact business travelers relying on high-speed internet for seamless virtual meetings, large data transfers, or streaming-intensive work applications. 

Top performers represent 23.8% of the properties reviewed in this report. The Peninsula Tokyo is a leader, offering nearly double the speed (188.57 Mbps) of the next best hotel, Rosewood Hong Kong (113.21 Mbps). The InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong also secured a position among the top performers, with a reported download speed of 109.74 Mbps, reinforcing Hong Kong’s strong presence in high-quality hotel Wi-Fi infrastructure.

The good performers category included properties such as Island Shangri-La Hong Kong (99.33 Mbps), Four Seasons Hotel Sydney and Tokyo (99.05 Mbps and 80.68 Mbps respectively), Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (88.58 Mbps), The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo (73.46 Mbps), and Marina Bay Sands Singapore (70.51 Mbps). These speeds are sufficient for most business activities, including video conferencing, online collaboration, and cloud-based applications. Notably, hotels in Bali, such as W Seminyak Bali and The St. Regis Bali Resort performed well, recording download speeds of 56.63 Mbps and 50.25 Mbps respectively, suggesting that luxury resorts catering to international business events are prioritizing strong internet connectivity. The presence of multiple Four Seasons properties in this range also indicates that while this chain generally provides good connectivity, they do not always reach the highest tier of performance.

Almost all of the cities have hotels in the laggards’ category. Despite Singapore’s strong fixed broadband infrastructure, and consistently topping Speedtest Global Index fixed broadband ranking, hotel Wi-Fi performance varied significantly. This suggests that the issue is most likely with the Wi-Fi network configuration rather than national broadband capacity. Raffles Singapore and InterContinental Singapore recorded some of the lowest speeds in the list, at 21.35 Mbps, and 20.03 Mbps respectively.

Modern Wi-Fi technology boost hotel connectivity performance 

Many factors influence Wi-Fi performance, including network design and the number of users connected to each access point (AP). Wi-Fi technology has also evolved significantly, with each generation introducing key improvements in speed, efficiency, and capacity. Rolling out modern, well-configured Wi-Fi equipment enhances reliability while maximizing the performance benefits of newer Wi-Fi technology.

Speedtest Intelligence data reveals a clear correlation between Wi-Fi standards and network performance across the three categories. Top performers reported more test samples on Wi-Fi 6 (47.1%), with a smaller share using Wi-Fi 5 (32.9%) and Wi-Fi 4 (20.0%). In contrast, good-performing hotels reported 61.9% of samples were on Wi-Fi 5, with only 21% utilizing Wi-Fi 6. Performance laggards rely more on older Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 setups, with a combined total of 77.7% of test samples reported on these two Wi-Fi standards.

Test Distribution by Wi-Fi Standard for Different Hotels’ Performance Levels
Source: Speedtest Intelligence | Jan 2024 – Dec 2024

The distribution of Wi-Fi frequency bands further demonstrates the impact of network optimization on hotel performance. Hotels in the Top Performers category conducted 88.4% of their tests on the 5 GHz frequency band, followed by 80.8% for Good Performers hotels. Performance Laggards reported the lowest distribution at 64.6%.

Test Distribution by Frequency Band for Different Hotels’ Performance Levels
Source: Speedtest Intelligence | Jan 2024 – Dec 2024

Meeting the needs of modern business travelers

Reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi is essential for business travelers in luxury hotels. Poor connectivity disrupts productivity, affects virtual meetings, and leads to guest dissatisfaction. To remain competitive, hotels must invest in strategic Wi-Fi planning and infrastructure upgrades to meet the increasing connectivity demands of business travelers.

Effective Wi-Fi planning requires upgrading to modern standards such as Wi-Fi 6E or 7, thereby unlocking wider channels in the  6 GHz band to help alleviate congestion, and optimizing network capacity for high-density environments. Hotels must assess access point placement, bandwidth allocation, interference management, and simultaneous device connections to ensure a seamless experience for guests.

To address these connectivity gaps, professional Wi-Fi design solutions like Ekahau help hotels optimize network configurations from the outset. These tools enable precise access point placement, configuration, and performance monitoring, ensuring reliable coverage and high-speed connectivity across all areas of the hotel. Proper planning and investment in advanced Wi-Fi infrastructure are critical for delivering a seamless and high-quality digital experience for business travelers.

Ookla can assist hospitality property managers in designing Wi-Fi networks, monitoring their performance, and optimizing them. Please contact us to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence and Ekahau.

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.

Hong Kong
WiFi

About the Author

Affandy Johan

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 20, 2021

Starlink Expands but Q3 2021 Performance Flattens in Some Areas

Network Evolution


Satellite internet is making headlines across the globe as Starlink continues to launch service in new countries and Viasat plans to acquire Inmarsat. We’re here to check in on our ongoing series on satellite internet performance around the globe with fresh data from Q3 2021 to see if Starlink’s performance is holding up and how satellite internet compares to fixed broadband in 12 countries.

United States: Starlink fastest, speeds decreasing

Consumers in the U.S. looking to use satellite service to connect to the internet will find that performance was mostly flat when comparing Q3 2021 to Q2 2021. Starlink’s median download speed decreased from 97.23 Mbps during Q2 2021 to 87.25 Mbps in Q3 2021, which could be a function of adding more customers. HughesNet followed distantly at 19.30 Mbps (comparable to the 19.73 Mbps we saw in Q2 2021) and Viasat third at 18.75 Mbps (18.13 Mbps in Q2 2021). For comparison, the median download speed for all fixed broadband providers in the U.S. during Q3 2021 was 119.84 Mbps (115.22 Mbps in Q2 2021).

ookla_satellite-performance_us_1221-01-1

Starlink’s median upload speed of 13.54 Mbps (down from 13.89 Mbps in Q2 2021) was much closer to that on all fixed broadband (18.03 Mbps in Q3 2021 and 17.18 Mbps in Q2 2021). Viasat and HughesNet followed at 2.96 Mbps (3.38 Mbps in Q2 2021) and 2.54 Mbps (2.43 Mbps in Q2 2021), respectively.
As we saw last quarter, Starlink, which uses low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, was the only satellite internet provider with a median latency anywhere near that seen on fixed broadband in Q3 2021 (44 ms and 15 ms, respectively). Viasat and HughesNet, which both utilize higher “geosynchronous” orbits, had median latencies of 629 ms and 744 ms, respectively.

Starlink performance varies at the county level

We saw sufficient samples during Q3 2021 to analyze Starlink performance in 304 counties in the U.S. While there was about a 100 Mbps range in performance between the county with the fastest median download speed (Santa Fe County, New Mexico at 146.58 Mbps) and the county with the slowest median download speed (Drummond Township, Michigan at 46.63 Mbps), even the lower-end speeds are well above the FCC’s Baseline performance tier of at least a 25 Mbps download speed.

ookla_united_states_median_download_starlink_map_1221g-01-1

Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

We examined satellite internet performance in countries with an established market share to see how well their speeds compare to local fixed broadband. We’re excited to add analysis on satellite performance in Australia and Belgium this quarter.

Australia: Starlink outperformed Viasat and fixed broadband average

Starlink radically outperformed Viasat in Australia during Q3 2021 with a median download speed of 138.12 Mbps to Viasat’s 15.60 Mbps. Starlink also outpaced Viasat for median upload speed at 22.63 Mbps and 1.04 Mbps, respectively. Compared to the median download speed over all fixed broadband of 51.17 Mbps, Starlink could be an attractive alternative to traditional fixed broadband on all levels except latency where Starlink showed 42 ms vs. 10 ms for all fixed broadband combined.

ookla_satellite-performance_au_1221-01-1

Belgium: Starlink dramatically faster than fixed broadband

Starlink’s median download speed of 127.46 Mbps during Q3 2021 was dramatically faster than the country’s median download for all fixed broadband of 72.90 Mbps. At 16.73 Mbps, Starlink’s median upload speed was only slightly slower than the overall median of 17.98 Mbps. However, Starlink’s 49 ms latency was higher than the country’s average of 13 ms. Starlink was the only satellite internet provider with adequate samples to analyze in Belgium during Q3 2021.

ookla_satellite-performance_be_1221-01

Brazil: Viasat close to national average

Viasat’s median download speed in Brazil improved to 66.32 Mbps during Q3 2021 (up from 60.30 Mbps in Q2 2021. This was close to the national median for fixed broadband of 71.50 Mbps. Viasat’s median upload speed (1.06 Mbps) was much slower, however, than that on fixed broadband (36.37 Mbps), and Viasat’s latency was much higher (615 ms vs 6 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_br_1221-01-1

Canada: Starlink performance relatively flat

Our previous article showed that Starlink’s median download speed exceeded that of fixed broadband in Canada during Q2 2021 (86.92 Mbps vs. 84.24 Mbps). In Q3 2021, Starlink’s median download speed decreased slightly to 84.55 Mbps while that over all fixed broadband increased to 90.67 Mbps. This is in line with what we expect to see on new technologies as additional users are added to a system. Starlink’s median upload speed was slower than fixed broadband (13.87 Mbps vs. 20.67 Mbps). Latency on Starlink was much higher (56 ms vs. 12 ms). Starlink is still a viable alternative to fixed broadband in Canada, especially for consumers without access to other options.

ookla_satellite-performance_ca_1221-01-1

Starlink faster than overall fixed broadband in 5 provinces

Starlink showed enough samples to analyze performance in nine out of 10 provinces in Canada during Q3 2021. Starlink’s Q3 2021 median download speed was faster than the median for all fixed broadband in five provinces: Manitoba (81.04 Mbps vs. 65.91 Mbps), Nova Scotia (109.60 Mbps vs. 99.82 Mbps), Prince Edward Island (118.02 Mbps vs. 46.86 Mbps), Quebec (92.59 Mbps vs. 72.07 Mbps) and Saskatchewan (97.67 Mbps vs. 57.59 Mbps). Download speeds were comparable between Starlink and overall fixed broadband in New Brunswick (104.56 Mbps vs. 104.28 Mbps), and overall fixed broadband was faster than Starlink in Alberta (92.65 Mbps vs. 82.48 Mbps), British Columbia (111.36 Mbps vs. 87.34 Mbps) and Ontario (86.26 Mbps vs. 79.54 Mbps).

ookla_canada_median_download_starlink_map_1221g-01

Chile: HughesNet slower than fixed broadband average

HughesNet was hard pressed to compete with Chile’s fixed broadband, which ranked fourth in the world during October 2021. HughesNet showed a 15.21 Mbps median download speed compared during Q3 2021 with the country’s fixed broadband average of 133.81 Mbps during the same period. Median upload speeds also showed a wide gap (3.50 Mbps for HughesNet to 62.18 Mbps on fixed broadband), and HughesNet’s latency was very high (626 ms vs. 8 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_cl_1221-01-1

Colombia: HughesNet slow but improving

HughesNet’s median download speed increased in Q3 2021 to 12.12 Mbps (up from 9.28 Mbps during Q2 2021), compared with Colombia’s 46.08 Mbps for fixed broadband overall (35.90 Mbps in Q2 2021). Median upload speed was also slower using the satellite internet provider (3.05 Mbps) than fixed broadband (10.50 Mbps), and latency was much higher on satellite (753 ms vs. 15 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_co_1221-01-1

France: Starlink speeds decreasing, remains faster than fixed broadband average

Starlink users in France saw a median download speed of 102.15 Mbps in Q3 2021 (down from 139.39 Mbps in Q2 2021, likely due to increased usage). Starlink’s download speed easily beat the country-wide median for fixed broadband of 75.47 Mbps (up from 70.81 Mbps in Q2 2021). Starlink’s upload speed during Q3 2021 was slower than the fixed broadband median (19.84 Mbps vs. 56.66 Mbps), and Starlink’s latency was higher (54 ms vs. 13 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_fr_1221-01

Germany: Starlink faster than country average for fixed broadband

Starlink’s median download speed in Germany of 95.40 Mbps was much faster than the country median of 60.99 Mbps during Q3 2021. Starlink was slightly slower for upload speed than overall fixed broadband (17.63 Mbps vs. 21.05 Mbps) and Starlink showed a higher latency (45 ms vs. 15 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_de_1221-01-1

Mexico: Viasat faster than HughesNet for downloads

Viasat, with a median download speed of 14.94 Mbps during Q3 2021 (up from 13.95 Mbps in Q2 2021), was faster than HughesNet (10.64 Mbps in Q3 2021, down from 11.92 Mbps in Q2 2021) but slower than the country’s median for fixed broadband (33.14 Mbps in Q3 2021, 29.99 Mbps in Q2 2021). HughesNet was slightly faster than Viasat for upload speed during Q3 2021 (3.21 Mbps vs. 2.03 Mbps). While Viasat’s latency was high (675 ms vs 12 ms for fixed broadband), it was lower than HughesNet’s (748 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_mx_1221-01-1

New Zealand: Starlink slowed slightly, remained faster than fixed broadband average

Starlink’s Q3 2021 median download speed (120.10 Mbps, down from 127.02 Mbps in Q2 2021, likely due to increased usage) was much faster than New Zealand’s median fixed broadband download speed (84.98 in Q3 2021 up from 78.85 Mbps in Q2 2021). Starlink was slower than New Zealand’s overall fixed broadband for Q3 2021 upload speed (16.87 Mbps vs. 23.62 Mbps). While Starlink’s median latency improved from 101 ms in Q2 2021 to 81 ms in Q3 2021, it was still slower than New Zealand’s median for all fixed broadband of 7 ms during Q3 2021.

ookla_satellite-performance_nz_1221-01-1

United Kingdom: Starlink nearly twice as fast as fixed broadband average

Starlink showed a much faster median download speed in the U.K. during Q3 2021 (111.66 Mbps, up from 108.30 Mbps in Q2 2021) than the country’s median for fixed broadband (53.16 Mbps in Q3 2021, up from 50.14 Mbps in Q2 2021). Starlink’s upload speed was comparable to the median for all fixed broadband in the U.K. (16.02 Mbps vs. 15.77 Mbps), and the latency was pretty good, given the distance traveled (37 ms vs. 15 ms).

ookla_satellite-performance_uk_1221-01-1

We look forward to updating this data again next quarter with new locations as satellite internet continues to become a more viable option for many. If you’re using satellite internet, take a Speedtest to help us provide an accurate picture of real-world performance.

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.

Network Evolution
Satellite

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| February 22, 2023

Starlink Resurgence? Speeds Increase in Europe and Oceania

Network Evolution

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starlink in New Zealand was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania

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

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

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

New Q4 2022 Starlink countries show very promising results

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

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

Consumers and enterprises stand to benefit from satellite developments in 2023

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

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

Amazon’s Project Kuiper approved by the FCC

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

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

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

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

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

European Commission forges ahead on Constellation Iris

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

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in H1 2023

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

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

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

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.

Network Evolution
Satellite

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 20, 2022

Starlink Slowed in Q2, Competitors Mounting Challenges

Network Evolution

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

Chart of Starlink performances in select countries

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

Chart of Satellite performance versus fixed broadband internet 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

Chart of Satellite performance versus fixed broadband internet in Europe

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

Chart of Satellite performance versus fixed broadband internet 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 

Chart of Satellite performance versus fixed broadband internet 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.

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.

Network Evolution
Satellite

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 16, 2022

Starlink Hits 100+ Mbps Download Speed in 15 Countries During Q4 2021

Network Evolution

Fast satellite internet has become increasingly available to more and more people across the globe. It’s already a huge boon to rural communities that might otherwise be too remote for fixed broadband service. Starlink, Viasat, HughesNet, and other satellite providers are all placing big bets on low-earth orbital (LEO) satellite constellations, and Starlink is even introducing a new premium service with speeds expected to be around 150-500 Mbps. It’s a gamble, as Starlink recently learned after losing about 40 satellites to a geomagnetic storm, but it’s a gamble worth making. The European Commission is even planning a multibillion Euro investment to connect the continent to satellite internet. 

We’ve analyzed fresh satellite internet performance data from Q4 2021 including results from seven additional countries to update our ongoing series.

United States: Starlink was the fastest satellite provider during Q4 2021 and speeds increased over Q3 2021

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed in USA

U.S. consumers saw mixed satellite performance when comparing Q3 2021 to Q4 2021, while the United States government has been trying to increase satellite internet competition. Starlink’s median download speed increased from 87.25 Mbps during Q3 2021 to 104.97 Mbps in Q4 2021 — an important benchmark that inches Starlink closer to reaching the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund’s (RDOF) baseline of download speeds greater than 100 Mbps. Viasat overtook HughesNet to follow Starlink distantly at 21.81 Mbps (comparable to the 18.75 Mbps we saw in Q3 2021) and HughesNet followed at 20.92 Mbps (19.30 Mbps in Q3 2021). SES, new to our list this quarter, trailed far behind at 2.19 Mbps. For comparison, the median download speed for all fixed broadband providers rose moderately in the U.S. during Q4 2021 from 119.84 Mbps in Q3 2021 to 131.30 Mbps in Q4 2021.

Starlink saw a slight decrease in median upload speed from 13.54 Mbps during Q3 2021 to 12.04 Mbps in Q4 2021, still short of the median upload speed for all fixed broadband, which rose to 19.49 Mbps in Q4 2021 from 18.03 Mbps in Q3 2021. Viasat followed at 2.88 Mbps (2.96 Mbps in Q3 2021), then HughesNet at 2.54 Mbps (2.13 Mbps in Q3 2021), and SES at 1.19 Mbps.

As we’ve seen over the past year, Starlink, which uses only low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, was once again the only satellite internet provider with a median latency anywhere close to fixed broadband in Q4 2021 (40 ms and 14 ms, respectively). SES, Viasat, and HughesNet, which all utilize higher geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellites for now, had much higher median latencies at 613 ms, 627 ms, and 725 ms, respectively.

Starlink performance continues to vary widely at the county level

Median Download Speed for Starlink in Selected US Counties

During Q4 2021, we saw about a 130 Mbps range in performance between the U.S. county with the fastest median download speed over Starlink (Miami Dade County in Florida at 191.08 Mbps) and the county with the slowest median download speed (Columbia County in Oregon at 64.95 Mbps). Even the lower-end speeds were well above the FCC’s baseline performance tier for broadband internet of at least a 25 Mbps download speed.

Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

We examined satellite internet performance in countries with an established market share to see how well their speeds compare to local fixed broadband. We’re excited to add analyses on satellite performance in Austria, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal this quarter. We’ve also added Starlink to the list of providers in Chile. With Starlink continuing to launch in additional countries, we’re looking forward to seeing how Starlink performs during Q1 2021.

Australia: Starlink nearly triples fixed broadband download average

Starlink performed well in Australia during Q4 2021 with a median download speed of 141.55 Mbps. The median download speed for all fixed broadband providers was 51.35 Mbps. Starlink’s 14.84 Mbps median upload speed fell behind fixed broadband providers’ 18.01 Mbps. Starlink is a clear alternative to traditional fixed broadband for speeds, however Starlink can’t yet compete for latency, with Starlink showing a median latency of 43 ms vs. 10 ms for all fixed broadband combined.

Austria: Starlink download speed outpaces fixed broadband by more than double

New to our list this quarter, Austrian consumers had fast speeds over Starlink during Q4 2021, achieving faster median download speeds than that of all fixed broadband providers combined at 131.84 Mbps vs. 50.33 Mbps on fixed broadband. Starlink also had a faster median upload speed at 19.91 Mbps vs. 14.34 Mbps on fixed broadband. Starlink trailed fixed broadband on median latency during Q4 2021, 52 ms vs. 13 ms.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Austria

Belgium: Starlink much faster than fixed broadband

Starlink’s median download speed of 155.15 Mbps during Q4 2021 was much faster than the country’s median download for all fixed broadband of 76.94 Mbps. That’s also a large increase from Starlink’s median download speed of 127.46 Mbps in Q3 2021. For median upload speed, Starlink was only slightly slower at 15.15 Mbps than the median fixed broadband upload speed of 18.05 Mbps. However, Starlink’s 45 ms latency was higher than the country’s median latency of 13 ms. Starlink was the only satellite internet provider with adequate samples to analyze in Belgium during Q4 2021. For rural Belgians, Starlink is a strong option.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Belgium

Brazil: Viasat fell further behind as national fixed broadband sped up

Viasat’s median download speed in Brazil dipped slightly from 66.32 Mbps during Q3 2021 to 62.80 Mbps during Q4 2021. This fell further away from the national median for fixed broadband, which sped up to 83.03 Mbps during Q4 2021 (71.50 Mbps in Q3 2021). Viasat’s median upload speed (1.07 Mbps) was much slower than that on fixed broadband (40.76 Mbps), and Viasat’s latency was much higher (610 ms vs 6 ms). With Starlink slated to enter the Brazilian market soon, we’ll be watching these numbers closely to see if additional competition spurs the market.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Brazil

Canada: Starlink performance reaches milestone during Q4 2021

In our last article, Starlink’s median download speed decreased to slower than fixed broadband in Canada during Q3 2021 (84.55 Mbps vs. 90.67 Mbps). But in Q4 2021, Starlink’s median download speed leapt ahead, achieving 106.64 Mbps while median download speed for fixed broadband increased to 96.39 Mbps. Starlink’s median upload speed was slower than fixed broadband (12.82 Mbps vs. 21.66 Mbps) and latency on Starlink was still much higher (55 ms vs. 11 ms). Starlink should be considered a viable option compared to fixed broadband in Canada, especially for rural consumers or those without access to fast fixed broadband options like fiber.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Canada

Starlink faster than overall fixed broadband in nearly every province

Median Download Speed for Starlink in Canadian Provinces

Starlink showed enough samples to analyze performance in all 10 provinces in Canada during Q4 2021 — all of which showed substantial increases in Starlink’s download speed during Q4 2021 compared to Q3 2021. Starlink’s median download speed was faster than the median download for all fixed broadband in seven provinces during Q4 2021: Manitoba (101.66 Mbps vs. 83.06 Mbps), Newfoundland and Labrador (195.30 Mbps vs. 131.58 Mbps), Nova Scotia (143.52 Mbps vs. 121.57 Mbps), Ontario (106.24 Mbps vs. 95.06 Mbps), Prince Edward Island (139.11 Mbps vs. 75.95 Mbps), Quebec (123.50 Mbps vs. 84.50 Mbps), and Saskatchewan (116.24 Mbps vs. 68.43 Mbps).

Download speeds were comparable between Starlink and overall fixed broadband in New Brunswick (130.67 Mbps vs. 132.65 Mbps), and overall fixed broadband was faster than Starlink in Alberta (107.32 Mbps vs. 96.56 Mbps) and British Columbia (130.97 Mbps vs. 94.74 Mbps) — with the latter two provinces having better access to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).

Chile: Starlink debuts fast speeds, but still much slower than scorching fast fixed broadband

Chilean fixed broadband providers have continued to achieve some of the fastest speeds in the world, recording the fastest speed on the Speedtest Global Index™ during February 2022, and we were interested to see how Starlink would compete. Starlink reached 118.95 Mbps in Chile during Q4 2021, which was faster than HughesNet (15.30 Mbps) but much slower than Chile’s median download speed for all fixed broadband providers (168.92 Mbps). 

Median upload speeds also showed a wide gap in Chile between satellite and fixed broadband during Q4 2021 (23.46 Mbps for Starlink and 3.42 Mbps for HughesNet vs. 89.76 Mbps on fixed broadband). Fixed broadband was also much faster for latency: 7 ms for fixed broadband vs. 38 ms for Starlink and 615 ms for HughesNet.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Chile

Colombia: HughesNet decreased over download and upload speeds

HughesNet’s median download speed decreased in Q4 2021 to 11.75 Mbps from 12.12 Mbps during Q3 2021, while Colombia’s fixed broadband increased to 54.60 Mbps (46.08 Mbps in Q3 2021). Median upload speed was also slower for HughesNet than fixed broadband (2.88 Mbps vs. 11.86 Mbps), and latency was much higher on HughesNet (717 ms vs. 14 ms).

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Colombia

France: Starlink download speed increased, still faster than fixed broadband

Starlink users in France saw a median download speed of 121.21 Mbps in Q4 2021 (up from 102.15 Mbps in Q3 2021). Starlink’s download speed easily beat the country-wide median for fixed broadband of 90.88 Mbps (up from 75.47 Mbps in Q3 2021). Starlink’s upload speed during Q4 2021 was slower than the fixed broadband median (17.20 Mbps vs. 69.49 Mbps), and Starlink’s latency was higher (51 ms vs. 12 ms). Satellite provider SES, on this list for the first time, trailed behind both Starlink and fixed broadband with a 14.88 Mbps download speed, 1.83 Mbps upload speed, and 649 ms latency. Starlink remains an good option for rural French consumers.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in France

Germany: Starlink blazes ahead of fixed broadband download speed

Starlink’s median download speed in Germany of 115.58 Mbps was much faster than the fixed broadband median of 65.86 Mbps during Q4 2021 (and Starlink’s Q3 2021 download speed of 95.40 Mbps). Starlink was slightly slower for upload speed than overall fixed broadband (15.17 Mbps vs. 22.40 Mbps) and Starlink showed a higher latency (47 ms) than fixed broadband (14 ms).

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Germany

Ireland: Starlink download debuts nearly double that of fixed broadband

Starlink’s debut on our list is noteworthy in Ireland, where it achieved a download speed almost double that of Ireland’s combined fixed broadband average during Q4 2021 (123.51 Mbps vs. 65.89 Mbps). Median upload speeds were almost level, with Starlink recording a median upload speed at 24.35 Mbps vs. 22.63 Mbps for fixed broadband. Starlink lagged for latency at 45 ms vs. 11 ms for fixed broadband. Starlink is a great option for those who are looking for fast speeds in Ireland and can’t get access to fixed broadband.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Ireland

Italy: Starlink dominates against fixed broadband

Starlink enters our list in Italy with a decisive statement during Q4 2021: It achieved a median download speed of 124.39 Mbps, a huge leap ahead of Italy’s fixed broadband average of 49.56 Mbps. Upload speeds were comparable between the two, with Starlink recording a median of 18.90 Mbps to 18.29 on fixed broadband. Starlink had a higher latency at 52 ms vs. 14 ms on fixed broadband. Starlink is an attractive option for fast internet in Italy.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Italy

Mexico: Starlink impresses during Q4 2021 debut

Starlink, which only became commercially available in Mexico during November 2021, made a significant splash during its brief Q4 2021 debut, achieving a median download speed of 141.94 Mbps. That was significantly faster than Viasat (16.34 Mbps), HughesNet (10.63 Mbps), and all fixed broadband providers combined (36.56 Mbps). 

Starlink also outpaced fixed broadband for fastest upload speed (22.32 Mbps vs. 9.53 Mbps). HughesNet and Viasat followed at 3.10 Mbps and 2.06 Mbps, respectively. Starlink was the only satellite provider that came close to fixed broadband median latency, 64 ms to 11 ms. Viasat and HughesNet were distantly behind at 676 ms and 763 ms, respectively. With Starlink making such an impressive entrance into Mexico, we’ll be interested to see if the performance holds up in the coming months.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Mexico

Netherlands: Starlink faster for median download, lagging on upload and latency

The Netherlands, which is new to this list, has some of the fastest median mobile and fixed broadband speeds in the world according to the Speedtest Global Index. We were eager to see how Starlink would perform against this competition. During Q4 2021, Starlink achieved a median download speed of 138.40 Mbps compared to 95.55 Mbps over fixed broadband. Starlink lagged noticeably behind for upload speed at 15.60 Mbps vs. 30.87 Mbps on fixed broadband. Starlink also had a higher latency at 45 ms vs. 11 ms on fixed broadband.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Netherlands

New Zealand: Starlink slowed slightly, still faster than fixed broadband download

Starlink’s Q4 2021 median download speed (116.44 Mbps, down slightly from 120.10 Mbps Mbps in Q3 2021, likely due to increased adoption) was faster than New Zealand’s median fixed broadband download speed (98.61 in Q4 2021, up from 84.98 Mbps in Q3 2021). Starlink was much slower than New Zealand’s median fixed broadband upload speed for Q4 2021 (13.79 Mbps vs. 59.26 Mbps, which was a huge increase from 23.62 Mbps on fixed broadband during Q3 2021). Starlink’s median latency during Q4 2021 was comparable to Q3 2021 (79 ms vs. 81 ms) which was still much slower than New Zealand’s median for all fixed broadband of 6 ms during Q4 2021.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in New Zealand

Poland: Starlink a fast option for Poles

Starlink launched in Poland during September 2021 and is already recording fast speeds. The median download speed for Starlink was much faster than fixed broadband at 129.29 Mbps to 83.88 Mbps during Q4 2021. Upload speed was roughly comparable, with Starlink recording a slightly slower median upload speed of 24.17 Mbps and fixed broadband ahead at 28.60 Mbps. Starlink’s latency was higher at 58 ms to 10 ms on fixed broadband. That’s still acceptable for online gaming, but higher than what’s considered optimal.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Poland

Portugal: Starlink far ahead on download speed in debut, fixed broadband much faster on upload

Another newcomer to this list this quarter, Portugal was a place where Starlink dominated with a much faster median download speed than fixed broadband at 140.35 Mbps to 94.62 Mbps, respectively, during Q4 2021. Upload speed was a different story, with fixed broadband notching a median upload speed of 65.52 Mbps to Starlink’s 30.16 Mbps. Starlink also had a much higher latency than fixed broadband at 44 ms to 7 ms. Starlink remains a good option if you don’t have access to good fixed broadband in Portugal. 

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Portugal

United Kingdom: Starlink still nearly twice as fast as fixed broadband median

Starlink showed a faster median download speed in the U.K. (121.94 Mbps in Q4 2021, up from 111.66 Mbps in Q3 2021) than the country’s median for fixed broadband (57.66 Mbps in Q4 2021, up from 53.16 Mbps in Q3 2021). Starlink’s median upload speed (13.96 Mbps) was comparable to the median upload for all fixed broadband in the U.K. (16.84 Mbps), and the latency was relatively fast given the distance traveled (36 ms for Starlink vs. 15 ms for all fixed broadband) — enough to be able to reliably play online multiplayer games. Satellite provider SES trailed far behind during Q4 2021 with a 3.79 Mbps median download speed, 3.74 Mbps median upload, and 636 ms median latency.

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in United Kingdom

Competition among satellite providers is rapidly increasing and we’ll continue watching closely

We look forward to updating this data again next quarter with new locations as satellite internet continues to become a more viable option for many. If you’re using satellite internet, take a Speedtest® to help us provide an accurate picture of real-world performance.

Editor’s note: The section on Australia was amended on March 24 to remove performance details for Viasat which was determined not to be a consumer offering at this time.

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.

Network Evolution
Satellite

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 22, 2024

Ringing in the New Year - How do 5G Networks Cope Under Stress?

Analyst Download

5G Networks Support NYE Festivities Across Major Cities

Major events present a unique challenge for mobile networks, particularly sporting events where users congregate in concentrated numbers, and where sharing of video to social media, and to friends and family is a key use case. Ringing in the New Year is another case in point – for many years network operators published statistics on the number of voice calls made, messages sent, and the amount of data traffic their networks handled. While the rise of over-the-top (OTT) communications platforms such as WhatsApp have put a damper on these press releases, there remains a sizeable impact on operators’ networks. For example, Belgian operator Proximus noted a 95% increase in mobile data traffic on New Year’s Eve in 2023 compared to 2022. The trend isn’t uniform across markets, with Australia’s Telstra consistently seeing lower data usage on New Year’s Eve, with its customers using 30% less data than average, according to a news source. What is clear is that the New Year presents network operators with the challenge of serving sufficient bandwidth to customers attending major New Year celebrations, allowing them to share the moment, but also to support the mass wishing of “Happy New Year” across a variety of channels.

We reviewed Speedtest Intelligence data for New Year’s Eve 2023/24, to analyse how 5G networks coped with the surge in demand and change in traffic patterns at New Year, across a selection of major cities featuring some of the largest New Year celebrations around the globe. We focused in on median performance alongside the 10th percentile, in order to evaluate the spread of performance from the median user to those experiencing more challenging network conditions which would impact their experience at New Year.

Worst 10% of Speedtest samples reveal network challenges

We zeroed in on 5G upload performance first. Network operators universally allocate more spectral capacity to the downlink, as most mobile use cases lean more heavily on downloading data to the end-user device. However, the usage profile at the New Year is different, with video sharing, video streaming and calling, as well as uploading content to social media, more prevalent. These are all activities that are supported by uplink from the device.

Our data shows a significant gap between upload performance for the median user, and those in the lower 10th percentile – those experiencing the worst 10% of performance samples. Half the cities in our analysis recorded 10th percentile upload performance of less than 1 Mbps, with speeds ranging from 0.30 Mbps in Berlin, to 6.09 Mbps in Dubai. These sub-par speeds make it nearly impossible to upload photos or videos.

User Experience – Assessing the Worst 10% of Performance Samples on New Year's Eve
Speedtest data, New Year's Eve 23/24, 8pm – 1am

It was a similar picture for New Year revellers based on download speeds and latency. Despite more capacity being allocated to the downlink, performance for the lowest 10% of samples tumbled significantly compared to the median experience, with cities in APAC (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Sydney and Tokyo) in particular suffering, recording 10th percentile 5G download speeds of less than 10 Mbps. Latency was more of a mixed story across cities. At one end of the scale, Tokyo recorded a variance in latency between the median and 90th percentile (the worst 10% of latency samples) of just 19 ms, while Sydney saw a much wider gap of almost 200 ms. At 200 ms of latency users are likely to experience frustratingly slow loading times, unresponsive applications, and poor video quality.

Our data also showed the degree to which New Year usage pulled down 5G performance for the worst 10% of samples. New York, and cities in Europe saw less of an impact at New Year’s Eve compared to their global counterparts. Berlin, London, New York and Paris saw 5G download speeds for 10th percentile drop by between 1.13 Mbps and 6.88 Mbps. In contrast, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Sydney saw performance drop by between 15.13 Mbps and 21.44 Mbps. Dubai and Rio de Janeiro recorded the largest variance, however with faster 5G speeds they still outpaced the remaining markets by a significant margin. Upload performance for the worst 10% of samples followed a similar trend to download, however latency performance was more varied. Berlin, Dubai, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo saw very little difference between New Year Eve latency performance and the Q4 2023 average. However, Paris, Hong Kong and London saw an increase in latency for the worst 10% off samples of between 22 ms and 36 ms, while Bangkok and Sydney fared worst, with an increase of 61 ms and 171 ms respectively.

Impact of New Year's Eve Traffic on Users With the Worst 10% of Samples
Speedtest data, Q4 2023 vs New Year's Eve 23/24, 8pm – 1am

Addressing network pain points

Addressing network pain points for users affected by poor performance in dense urban areas is a challenging task. For major events like the recent Paris Olympics, which we reported on earlier this year, network operators will typically deploy temporary network assets such as cells on wheels (CoWs) to add extra network capacity, which can then be removed once the event concludes. Network operators can also look to build private networks, to provide dedicated capacity to support the operations of the event, including routing traffic for broadcasting purposes. However, city authorities also have an important role to play here, as highlighted in our recent whitepaper with Dublin City Council and the City Telecoms Association. Having a holistic view of network performance and its evolution across a city, as well as international benchmarks, provides city authorities with the data and insights to engage more constructively with network operators and regulators, and help introduce more effective policies to deliver meaningful change for end-users. We’ll continue to benchmark and report on city and state performance, based on Speedtest Intelligence data. For more information, please contact us.

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.

Analyst Download

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 29, 2024

Faster Speeds and the Promise of New Use Cases is Driving 5G SA Adoption

Hong Kong

The deployment of 5G networks is progressing as demand for faster and more reliable connectivity continues to grow. The standalone (SA) deployment model marks a significant milestone in the evolution of 5G, aiming to offer lower latency, increased bandwidth, and improved reliability compared to earlier network configurations. In this article, we use Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data to track 5G SA deployments since Q2 2023, 5G SA service adoption, and examine its impact on network performance. We also highlight key regions and countries that made notable advancements in 5G SA infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

  • India, the U.S., and Southeast Asia are at the forefront of 5G SA adoption. T-Mobile and SK Telekom were among the first to launch 5G SA in 2020, while Chinese operators and Jio in India lead in terms of active 5G SA users. Europe somewhat lags, with operators still hesitant due to the relatively low ROI on existing 5G investments and unclear business cases for 5G SA. However, Europe has the highest number of operators planning to launch it.
  • The U.A.E. and South Korea lead the world in 5G SA performance. 5G SA download speeds reached 879.89 Mbps and 729.89 Mbps, respectively. Their 5G SA upload speeds were also impressive, at 70.93 Mbps and 77.65 Mbps, respectively. This performance is a result of significant advancements made by local operators in deploying 5G SA and testing advanced features such as network slicing and mobile edge computing (MEC).
  • The change in speed of 5G SA varied widely between countries over a year. Speedtest Intelligence data shows that 5G SA performance declined in many countries between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, primarily driven by increased user base and network traffic. Conversely, markets such as Canada and the U.S. improved their performance thanks to access to additional spectrum.

5G SA deployments are expected to increase this year as adoption gains momentum and ecosystem matures

Most existing 5G deployments use the non-standalone (NSA) model which uses the 4G core network. This model is faster to roll out, requires less investment, and maximizes existing network assets. Unlike 5G NSA, 5G SA uses a dedicated 5G core network, unlocking the full capabilities of 5G with better speed, latency, support for large numbers of devices, and more agile service creation. It also enables new features such as network slicing where an operator can dedicate a network segment to specific customers or use cases. Furthermore, the core network functions provided by a cloud-native architecture enable more scalability and automation than physical or virtualized architectures. However, this comes with higher infrastructure complexity, investment as well as staff training costs.  Many operators use NSA as a stepping stone towards SA, with a few exceptions, such as DISH in the U.S. and Jio in India, which adopted SA from the outset. Other scenarios for deploying 5G SA include an overlay for a public 5G NSA network or as a private network for enterprise use cases. 

The Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) identified 130 operators that had invested in public 5G SA networks as of the end of June 2024. 5G SA represented more than 37% of the 614 operators known to have invested in 5G either through trials or deployments. The GSA reported 1,535 commercially available devices, including handsets and fixed wireless access (FWA) customer premises equipment (CPEs), that support 5G SA, demonstrating the growing maturity of the device ecosystem. 

However, only 11 new 5G SA deployments in nine countries were recorded (out of 46 new 5G networks launched in 32 countries) in 2023, according to Analysys Mason, showing a slowdown in deployments. We expect the pace of 5G SA launches to accelerate in 2024 and beyond supported by the growing device ecosystem and commercial appetite for new 5G use cases. 

To identify where 5G SA access has been activated and the network expanded between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, we used Speedtest Intelligence® data to identify devices that connect to 5G SA. The maps below confirm that the number of 5G SA samples increased year-on-year and that coverage has expanded beyond urban centers. However, mobile subscribers in most of Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America have yet to experience 5G SA.

Speedtest Samples That Use 5G Standalone

In the following sections, we examine the year-on-year changes in 5G SA performance across different regions and identify which countries are leading in the Developed Asia Pacific, the Americas, Emerging Asia Pacific, and Europe.

The developed Asia-Pacific (DVAP) region is at the forefront of 5G SA launches

Operators in this region boast 5G SA networks, with launches happening as early as 2020. Strong government support, operators’ technology leadership, and a high consumer appetite for high-speed internet services drove this rapid adoption.

South Korea is considered a pioneer in the adoption and deployment of 5G technology, with SK Telecom deploying one of the first 5G SA services in H1 2020, and supporting advanced features such as network slicing and mobile edge computing (MEC). Speedtest Intelligence data shows that the country led the region in download and upload speeds in Q2 2024. South Korea has one of the highest median speeds among the countries analyzed at 729.89 Mbps (download) and 77.65 Mbps (upload). The other top-performing country is the U.A.E with a median download speed of 879.89 Mbps and a median upload speed of 70.93 Mbps. 

All three service providers in Singapore commercialized 5G SA services, covering more than 95% of the country. Users experienced excellent download speed with a median value of 481.96 Mbps. However, Singapore lagged in upload speed with a median value of 32.09 Mbps.

Macau and Japan are second and third in the region with median download speeds of 404.22 Mbps and 272.73 Mbps, respectively. Mainland China followed with a median speed of 236.95 Mbps. Policies and initiatives such as network-sharing agreements and government subsidies supported 5G growth.

In Australia, TPG Telecom launched its 5G SA network in November 2021, following Telstra’s announcement in May 2020. However, the country lagged behind its regional peers with median download speeds and upload speeds of 146.68 Mbps and 17.69 Mbps, respectively.

The performance of most reviewed DVAP countries remained largely stable or slightly declined between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024. The only two exceptions are South Korea and Australia where performance improved by 12% and 18%, respectively. The most substantial declines were observed in upload speeds, while South Korea stood out with a 17% boost in performance.

5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Developed Asia Pacific
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q2 2023 – Q2 2024
5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Developed Asia Pacific

T-Mobile and DISH Push 5G SA Coverage in the U.S.

In the U.S., T-Mobile launched its 5G Standalone (SA) network over 600 MHz spectrum in August 2020, becoming one of the first operators in the world to do so. This was followed by a faster service over 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum in November 2022 which helped the operator to maintain its national lead in 5G performance. On the other hand, Verizon extensively tested 5G SA in 2023 but so far has been slow to deploy a nationwide SA network. DISH, another notable 5G SA operator, pioneered a cloud-native Open RAN-based 5G SA network in June 2023 and expanded coverage to 73% of the population by the end of that year. In Canada, Rogers Wireless launched the first 5G SA at the beginning of 2021, a year after introducing 5G NSA. 

In Brazil, the median download and upload speeds reached 474.65 Mbps and 32.36 Mbps in Q2 2024, respectively, exceeding those in Canada and the U.S. The main operators in Brazil, Claro, Telefonica (Vivo), and TIM have launched 5G SA over the 3.5 GHz band, making the service available to a large proportion of the population.

While download and upload speed improved in Canada and the U.S. between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, according to Speedtest Intelligence, it declined in Brazil. The deployment of C-band has likely helped to increase download speed in both Canada and the U.S.

5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in the Americas
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q2 2023 – Q2 2024
5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in the Americas

India leads in the Emerging Asian Pacific (EMAP) region with fast expansion to 5G SA network

India is at the forefront of the Emerging Asian Pacific region’s rapid 5G Standalone (SA) network expansion. However, according to Ookla’s Speedtest data for Q2 2024, the Philippines surpasses both India and Thailand with a median 5G SA download speed of 375.40 Mbps. Globe, the first mobile operator to introduce 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) in the Philippines, expanded its 5G outdoor coverage to 97.44% of the capital by the end of H1 2023. The company also launched 5G SA private networks in 2023, along with network slicing.

India follows closely behind the Philippines, with a median download speed of just under 300 Mbps. Jio has been a leader in enhancing 5G SA coverage since its launch in October 2022, while Bharti Airtel initially opted for NSA, with plans to transition to full 5G SA. 

Jio’s rapid coverage expansion and high throughput are supported by its access to mid-band (3.5 GHz) and low-band (700 MHz) frequencies. Additionally, all new 5G handsets released in India are SA-compatible, boosting the adoption of 5G SA services, and more than 90% of them support carrier aggregation and Voice over New Radio (VoNR). 

Thailand lags behind in median download speed for Q2 2024 but outperforms India and the Philippines in upload speed. It was among the first countries in the region to introduce 5G services, with operators quickly expanding coverage to reach over 80% of the population. AIS, the leading operator in Thailand, launched 5G NSA services in February 2020 using 700 MHz, 2.6 GHz, and 26 GHz bandwidths, followed by 5G SA in July 2020. The operator enabled VoNR in 2021. 

Unlike the DVAP region, countries in EMAP have experienced a more substantial decline in 5G SA network performance compared to Q2 2023. The rapid coverage expansion and adoption have likely increased the load on 5G SA infrastructure, putting pressure on the operators to scale up network capacity in the future to at least maintain a similar performance level.

5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Emerging Asia Pacific
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q2 2023 – Q2 2024
5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Emerging Asia Pacific

Europe is home to the highest number of operators looking to deploy 5G SA

A growing number of European operators are offering or planning to offer 5G SA, driven by a maturing device ecosystem. However, many remain hesitant due to cost and the need to demonstrate clear business cases for 5G SA. GSMA Intelligence reports that Europe has the highest number of planned 5G SA launches, with 45 operators planning to deploy it as of Q1 2024.

Elisa in Finland was one of the first operators in the region to launch 5G SA in November 2021. Other notable examples of SA implementations include Vodafone in Germany (April 2021) and the UK (June 2023), Bouygues Telecom (2022) in France, Three in Austria, Wind Tre in Italy (both in 2022), Orange and Telefónica in Spain, and TDC Denmark in 2023. 

The recent 5G SA launch in Spain may explain why that country saw such high speeds, with Speedtest Intelligence reporting download and upload speeds of 614.91 Mbps and 56.93 Mbps, respectively, in Q2 2023. However, Spain experienced a significant drop in performance in 2024, with speeds falling to 427.64 Mbps (download) and 30.55 Mbps (upload). Despite this decline, Spain continued to outperform the UK and Germany.

5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Europe
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q2 2023 – Q2 2024
5G Standalone Network Performance, Select Countries in Europe

While 5G SA deployments appear to have slowed in 2023 compared to previous years, we expect momentum to increase from 2024 due to rising enterprise demand for private networks and interest in network slicing, as well as consumer demand for immersive gaming and VR applications.  The ecosystem’s maturity and the availability of more network equipment and devices supporting 5G SA will also stimulate the market. According to the GSA, 21% of operators worldwide investing in 5G have included 5G SA in their plans.

Interestingly, the growing popularity and adoption of 5G SA have impacted its performance, with many markets seeing some degradation compared to 2023, according to Speedtest Intelligence.  Nonetheless, 5G SA still offers a markedly faster download speed than 5G NSA. Beyond speed, 5G SA promises new capabilities, such as network slicing, that have started to emerge in the most advanced markets but will take time to become a reality for most consumers and enterprises worldwide.

We will continue to track the deployments of 5G SA and monitor their impact on network global performance. For more information about Speedtest Intelligence data and insights, please contact us.

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.

Hong Kong
macau

About the Author

Karim Yaici

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 14, 2020

The Most Significant Online Service Outages in Q2 2020

Downdetector

“Try again later” was a phrase that frustrated users all over the world during the multiple online service outages in Q2 2020. This article is the third installment in our quarterly series tracking the most significant web and online service outages. Analyzing Downdetector® data from Q2 2020, we focused on user-reported service disruptions in five categories: social media, communications service providers, collaboration platforms, gaming and financial institutions.

Social media

Downdetector_Snapchat_Outage_0720-1

Snapchat (April 8, 2020): 93,671 reports at peak

Snapchat users began to report problems with the mobile app early on April 8. At the peak of outage reports, there were 93,671 reported issues in the U.S in one 15-minute period. User reports rolled in over a total period of approximately two hours. Users in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands also reported problems with Snapchat during the same time period.

TikTok (May 6, 2020): 49,701 reports at peak

Many U.S. and U.K. users of the popular video-based social media platform struggled to log into their accounts on May 6. Over 49,000 users in the U.S. reported problems logging in, viewing and uploading videos to TikTok that evening.

Tinder (June 12, 2020): 6,967 reports at peak

Users of the mobile dating app Tinder rushed to Downdetector when they encountered problems logging in, sending and receiving messages on the morning of June 12. Almost 7,000 users from the U.S. reported problems with the app, and issues were also reported in the U.K. and Germany.

Communications service providers

Downdetector_T-Mobile_Outage_0720-1

T-Mobile (June 15, 2020): 113,980 reports at peak

U.S. mobile operator T-Mobile suffered a major outage on June 15. Customers reported problems with their mobile phone service, mobile internet connection and their ability to text friends and family. Reports came in over a period of almost ten hours that evening, peaking with 113,980 reports in one 15-minute period. Other mobile network operators also received a significant volume of problem reports that day as their own customers were unable to reach T-Mobile customers, leading to perceived service issues.

U.K. Mobile Operators: Virgin Media (April 27), TalkTalk (May 29) and Vodafone (June 9)

U.K. telecom providers Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Vodafone each struggled with outages in Q2 2020. Virgin Media UK customers rushed to Downdetector on April 27 when they started having problems with their service. Users reported problems throughout the day over a period of about six hours. About 77% of Downdetector reports cited a problem with their cable internet service. The outage had multiple peaks during the day, with 40,397 reports during the highest peak.

TalkTalk users reported problems with their internet connection on May 29, with a peak of 31,942 user reports. According to Downdetector data, the majority of reports came from Manchester, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.

On June 9, Vodafone UK experienced a smaller, but not insignificant outage. During the outage, 94% of Downdetector problem reports cited issues with the mobile network service. At the peak of reported issues, 9,686 Downdetector users reported problems with the network.

Telcel (May 27, 2020): 5,091 reports at peak

Customers of Mexican operator Telcel reported problems with their network on May 27. Over 5,000 reports were recorded during the peak of problem reporting, 95% of which were about Telcel’s mobile network. Most reports came from Mexico City.

Collaboration platforms

Downdetector_Zoom_Outage_0720-1

Zoom (May 17, 2020): 7,523 reports at peak

Video conferences and virtual dates were interrupted on May 17 when Zoom experienced problems in multiple countries. Downdetector measured a peak of 7,523 user-reported issues in one 15-minute period in the U.S., but the outage was also felt in Europe. Most users reported problems with the video conferencing feature of the online service.

Slack (May 12, 2020): 4,163 reports at peak

The popular business communication provider Slack experienced a disruption in their service on May 12, with a peak of 4,163 user-reported issues in 15 minutes. Most users who reported problems on Downdetector were located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle. Most reports pointed to problems connecting to the online service.

Office 365 (June 14, 2020): 2,056 reports at peak

On June 14, Australian users of Microsoft’s subscription service Office 365 reported issues, with a peak of 2,056 over 15 minutes. Users were unable to log into any of the Office 365 apps and experienced problems connecting to the server. Users in New Zealand also reported issues that day.

Gaming

Downdetector_CallofDuty_Outage_0720-2

Call of Duty (April 12, 2020): 46,278 reports at peak

U.S. players of Call of Duty were unable to connect to the game’s servers on April 12. Users from Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and New York City flooded Downdetector with reports when they encountered problems with the game. At the peak of Downdetector reports, more than 46,000 users reported issues.

Financial institutions

Downdetector_BBVA_Outage_0720-1

BBVA Bancomer (June 10, 2020): 1,198 reports at peak

On June 10, customers of BBVA Bancomer in Mexico reported issues with their online banking service. More than 1,000 reports were recorded at the peak of reporting, with many users unable to log in or use the app over a period of approximately four hours The majority of reported issues came from Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Want to know when an online service is down? Keep up with outages by visiting Downdetector.

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.

Downdetector

About the Author

Maria Gómez

Ookla Research™ Articles
| November 18, 2020

ICYMI: Ookla Data and Research from October 2020

Global Speeds

Highlights from the Speedtest Global IndexTM

Global-Index-Tweet-Image-Oct-2020
These are the top stories from October 2020:

  • Australia is back in the top 5 for mobile for the first time since November 2019.
  • Luxembourg had a substantial rank change on mobile, moving up 11 places. This is likely due to two thirds of Luxembourg’s top providers now providing 5G.
  • The U.S. has finally broken the top thirty on mobile for the first time, coming in at 27th. Again, this is likely due to new 5G developments.
  • With Andorra’s largest fixed broadband provider offering 300 Mbps and 700 Mbps service plans, the country has seen a steady increase in monthly performance since February of this year.
  • Cyprus has seen steady increases in fixed broadband speed over the last few months, with one of the country’s top providers now offering fixed broadband plans up to 300 Mbps. The country now ranks 68th.

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Upgrades in Mobile Speeds in India Come with Expanded 4G Availability


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Make Better Funding Decisions with Accurate Broadband Network Data: A Guide for Federal, State and Local Governments (White Paper)


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How to Improve In-Building Network Performance and Coverage with Crowdsourced Data (White Paper)


Use this white paper to learn how to discover heavily populated buildings with poor network coverage or quality — then how to make low-cost improvements to indoor network performance and coverage.

“Unable to Connect” — The Most Significant Online Service Outages in Q3 2020


Discover which online services around the world suffered the most widely reported incidents in Q3 2020 based on data from Downdetector®.

How Downdetector Works


Learn how Downdetector spots outages, assesses the geography of issues and determines how many problem reports it takes to indicate an incident with a site or online service.

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.

Global Speeds

About the Author

Maria Gómez