Tag: Cote d’Ivoire

Ookla Research™ Articles
| November 26, 2024

5G is Contributing to Improving MTN's Network Performance in West and Central Africa

This article examines the mobile performance of select MTN subsidiaries and joint-venture (hereafter referred to as “opcos”) across five of its nine markets in West and Central Africa (WCA). We look at how these opcos’ performance compares with each other and how it evolved between Q2 2022 and Q2 2024, analyze the factors that impacted their performance, and discuss their 5G plans.

Key Takeaways:

  • Nigeria leads MTN opcos in West and Central Africa (WCA) in mobile download speed for handsets with modern chipsets, according to Speedtest Intelligence®. In Q2 2024, MTN Nigeria significantly widened its lead over the other opcos in WCA in terms of download speeds, reaching 95.62 Mbps. MTN Nigeria also excelled in median upload speed at 17.01 Mbps, closely followed by MTN Ghana at 16.74 Mbps.
  • Despite challenging macroeconomic and operational conditions, MTN opcos in WCA  improved their network performance. While all reviewed MTN opcos rose in performance since Q2 2022, Nigeria and Ghana stood out by moving up the most in download and upload speed rankings over the last 2 years. The two opcos were also the front runners for median multi-server latency, with Ghana achieving this without launching 5G.
  • 5G service availability in Nigeria has significantly improved over the last 18 months. Speedtest Intelligence shows that 5G Service —a geospatial measure of the percentage of an operator’s known locations with 5G service— in Nigeria increased from 17.2% in Q1 2023 to 35.70% in Q2 2024, surpassing South Africa’s 31.6%.

MTN aims to continue investing in new network technologies and bridging the broadband coverage divide to remain competitive

MTN is the largest operator group in Africa operating in 15 markets, offering voice, data, fintech, digital, enterprise, and wholesale services to nearly 300 million fixed and mobile subscribers. MTN Group’s service revenue grew by 13.5% to ZAR210 billion ($11.1 billion), driven by data revenue of ZAR 84 billion ($4.5 billion) and voice revenue of ZAR 83 billion ($4.4 billion).

African countries in the MTN footprint face economic and political challenges, including slowing growth, high inflation, currency devaluation, and political instability in neighboring countries. These conditions dampen investment appetite and increase the cost of doing business. However, the large, fast-growing, and youthful population combined with low levels of data and digital adoption offer significant growth opportunities for telecom operators like MTN.

Map of MTN Operations' Median Download Speed and Year-on-Year Changes in Select Western and Central African Markets

In 2023, service revenue from West and Central Africa (WCA) accounted for 63.6% of the Group’s revenue. Data revenue surged by 51.3% (excluding Nigeria) and by 38.6% in Nigeria, driven by increased data users and traffic and supported by network investments.

At the beginning of 2021, MTN announced its Ambition 2025 strategy to provide ‘leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress’. This growth strategy’s objective is to double the number of consumer mobile data users to 200 million and home broadband customers to 10 million by 2025, achieve 95% broadband population coverage, and ensure data contributes to half of the Group’s total revenue. This strategy is supported by network expansion, modernization, and improved service affordability.

In the following sections, we analyze MTN opcos’ performance in WCA and review their network deployment plans, including 5G. 

Nigeria delivered the fastest median download speed in Q2 2024 across MTN opcos in WCA

In a previous article, we found that MTN performed best among other operator groups in Sub-Saharan Africa during Q2 2022. For the current analysis, we use Speedtest Intelligence data to compare mobile performance between Q2 2022 and Q2 2024 on modern chipsets across select five (out of nine) MTN opcos in WCA. 

Our results show that Nigeria led MTN’s opcos in WCA in median download speeds, achieving 95.62 Mbps in Q2 2024. Nigeria along with Ghana, more than tripled their median download speeds within two years. Benin, Cameroon, and Nigeria saw greater jumps in download speeds between 2023 and 2024 compared to the previous year.

Generally, all opcos saw more modest improvements in upload speed compared to download speeds. MTN Nigeria led the group with a median upload speed of 17.01 Mbps in Q2 2024, closely followed by MTN Ghana at 16.74 Mbps. Both countries significantly increased their upload speeds between Q2 2022 and Q2 2024. 

Cellular Network Performance, Select MTN Operators in West and Central Africa
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q2 2022 – Q2 2024
Cellular Network Performance, Select MTN Operators in West and Central Africa

MTN Nigeria outperformed the other opcos in the region with a substantial margin in median download speed. Its upload speed also saw a remarkable recovery with an impressive 17.01 Mbps in Q2 2024.

MTN Benin’s download speed significantly increased between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023, plateauing around 56 Mbps. It then slightly declined during H1 2024, maintaining its position as the second-fastest opco in WCA.

MTN Ghana made an impressive turnaround, climbing from the bottom to among the top three operators in download and upload speeds. Its download speed increased more than 3x (similar to Nigeria’s improvement rate), and its upload speed more than doubled over the two years to Q2 2024. This improvement was partly due to MTN’s investments in network infrastructure and high smartphone penetration among its subscribers (63.8%) in 2023.

MTN Côte d’Ivoire, the second-largest mobile operator in the country, saw modest performance improvements until the end of 2023. Then download speeds peaked at 39.49 Mbps in Q1 2024, around the start of the African Football Championship (CAN), but fell to 29.23 Mbps in Q2 2024. Upload speeds also improved, but not as significantly as download speeds. MTN Cameroon showed the smallest network performance improvement over the two years, ending at the bottom of the pack.

MTN Ghana and Nigeria were the front runners for median latency, maintaining a tight range of approximately 42 ms to 54 ms between Q2 2022 and Q2 2024. Opco latency in Benin and Côte d’Ivoire fluctuated between a low of around 38 ms and a high of 143 ms. MTN Cameroon consistently had higher latency, over 230 ms, throughout the period.

MTN Nigeria could further solidify its leadership in Africa by expanding 5G coverage and boosting adoption rates

Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, boasts the largest mobile market, with 217.5 million subscribers in 2023. Following regulatory impacts from the two SIM campaigns in 2017 and 2021, market growth resumed and is projected to continue into 2024. The country presents significant growth opportunities for data services, with internet penetration reaching 45.4% in 2023

However, Nigeria faces economic challenges, including currency depreciation, high inflation, and a shortage of hard currency. Operational challenges such as fuel shortages, infrastructure vandalism, and regional unrest also impede infrastructure expansion and maintenance. Despite these hurdles, MTN Group announced in 2023 its ambition to invest $3.5 billion in Nigeria over the next five years.

MTN was the first operator to launch 5G in Nigeria, followed by Airtel and ISP Mafab Communications in June and January 2023, respectively. By December 2023, MTN Nigeria’s 5G network covered 11.3% of the population. However, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria had 2.3 million 5G subscribers by the end of 2023, representing just 1.04% of the total 224.7 million active mobile subscribers.5G coverage has improved over the last 18 months. Speedtest Intelligence shows that 5G Service —a geospatial measure of the percentage of an operator’s known locations with 5G service— in Nigeria increased from 17.2% in Q1 2023 to 35.70% in Q2 2024, surpassing South Africa’s 31.6%. MTN invested $120 million to raise 5G network coverage from 3% to 11%, extending service to key cities in all six regions, but further expansion is needed.

Speedtest Intelligence’s 5G Availability data, which measures the percentage of users with 5G-capable devices who spend most of their time on a 4G or 5G network, indicates an upward trend in Nigeria to reach 13.9% in Q2 2024, reflecting increased service activation and adoption. However, the level remains low compared to South Africa, which reached 31.3% in Q2 2024. Customers may hesitate to activate 5G due to data usage and battery life concerns. MTN can address these concerns by offering affordable data plans and financing options to facilitate the acquisition of newer, more energy-efficient devices.

5G Service and 5G Availability, Nigeria
Source: Speedtest Intelligence® | Q1 2023 – Q2 2024
5G Service and 5G Availability, Nigeria

Apart from Nigeria, MTN’s 5G rollout plans in West and Central Africa are progressing slowly

Côte d’Ivoire is the only other country in the region where MTN launched 5G services. The rollout coincided with the African Football Championship (CAN) in January 2024, covering Abidjan and several major cities. Despite network rollout delays and logistics bottlenecks in 2023, MTN also upgraded its 4G networks in late 2023 in preparation for the football competition. The local telecom regulator, ARTCI (Autorite de Regulation des Telecommunications de Côte d’Ivoire), considered introducing network sharing to expedite 5G deployment, similar to the model adopted in Malaysia, but there have been no updates on this plan so far in 2024.

In the rest of the WCA region, MTN has conducted 5G pilot projects, such as in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) but remains committed to investing in 4G infrastructure to enhance accessibility. In Cameroon, MTN has been expanding its network capabilities and testing 5G since 2021. In 2023, it committed $200 million over three years towards network services. MTN has also pledged to invest $215 million over the next three years in Benin to develop its 5G infrastructure following successful trials. 

In Ghana, MTN initially announced its readiness to roll out 5G in 2022, but the National Communications Authority (NCA) did not grant it the license, considering a shared infrastructure approach. Macroeconomic challenges, including slowed-down economic growth, high inflation (averaging 40.3% in 2023), and currency devaluation (down 34.5% against the US dollar), have also delayed the 5G rollout. In May 2024, the Ghanaian government partnered with seven industry players (excluding MTN) to establish the Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to deploy the infrastructure and launch 5G services within six months. However, concerns have been raised over the lack of transparency around this partnership. NGIC eventually launched 5G on the first of November, 2024. Finally, MTN confirmed its plan to exit Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry due to high risk and limited growth.

This analysis shows that mobile network performance has improved significantly in some key West and Central African markets. The impact of 5G has so far been limited to Nigeria as it is still in its early stages in most of the region. MTN is keen to expand 5G coverage to the rest of its footprint, following the examples of Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, while continuing to invest in its 4G network infrastructure. Despite ongoing political and macroeconomic challenges, MTN and other operators in the region are well-positioned to meet the growing demand for high-speed broadband.

We will continue to monitor mobile networks’ performance across Africa, benchmark countries, and operators, and explore how various factors affect it. 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.

About the Author

Karim Yaici

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 16, 2024

52 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q4 2023

Global Speeds

Ookla® Market Reports™ identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 52 markets using Speedtest Intelligence® and summarized the top takeaways below. Click through to the market report to see more details and charts about the countries you’re interested in, including the fastest fixed broadband providers and mobile operators, who had the most consistent service, as well as 5G and device performance in select countries during Q4 2023. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

  • Côte d’Ivoire: Orange recorded the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds during Q4 2023, at 30.13 Mbps and 65.90 Mbps, respectively. Moov Africa recorded the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 83 ms, while CANALBOX recorded the lowest latency over fixed broadband at 70 ms. Of Côte d’Ivoire most populous cities, Abidjan had the fastest median fixed download speed of 58.88 Mbps.
  • Mozambique: Tmcel recorded the fastest mobile median download speed of 27.80 Mbps in Q4 2023, and also the highest mobile Consistency at 91.6%. Of Mozambique’s most populous cities, Maputo had the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds at 26.33 Mbps and 14.65 Mbps, respectively. SpaceX’s Starlink recorded the fastest fixed broadband median download speed in Q4 2023 at 36.13 Mbps, along with the highest Consistency at 49.7%. Meanwhile, TVCABO recorded the lowest latency over fixed broadband at 16 ms.
  • Senegal: There was no winner of fastest median mobile performance in Senegal during Q4 2023, with Free and Orange both tied. Orange led the market for median fixed broadband download performance, with 21.46 Mbps in Q4 2023. Orange also had the lowest latency at 90 ms and highest Consistency of 45.4%. Of Senegal’s most populous cities, Dakar had the fastest median fixed download speed of 27.11 Mbps.

Americas

  • Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 36.59 Mbps, while also registering the lowest latency of 39 ms during Q4 2023. In the fixed broadband market, there was no statistically fastest network, with Movistar and Telecentro delivering median download speeds of 106.41 Mbps and 105.98 Mbps, respectively. Movistar recorded the lowest latency of 9 ms. Among Argentina’s most populous cities, Mendoza recorded the fastest mobile median download speed of 37.75 Mbps, while Buenos Aires recorded the fastest fixed download speed of 109.79 Mbps.
  • Belize: Digi had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds of 17.50 Mbps and 9.28 Mbps, respectively during Q4 2023. Digi also recorded the highest Consistency of 80.3%, while smart! recorded the lowest median latency of 56 ms. There was no statistically fastest fixed network in the market based on download speed, however NEXGEN recorded the fastest median upload speed at 47.47 Mbps.
  • Canada: Bell was the fastest mobile operator in Canada with a median download speed of 121.33 Mbps in Q4 2023. Bell also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 194.23 Mbps. Rogers had the fastest median mobile upload speed of 15.10 Mbps, and the highest Consistency of 88.2%. Bell pure fibre was fastest for fixed broadband, recording a median download speed of 307.77 Mbps and a median upload speed of 264.97 Mbps. Bell pure fibre also recorded the highest Video Score, of 87.90. Of Canada’s most populous cities, St. John’s recorded the fastest median mobile download speed at 171.76 Mbps, while Fredericton recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed of 247.89 Mbps.
  • Colombia: Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 210.46 Mbps in Q4 2023. ETB had the lowest latency over fixed broadband at 7 ms. Of Colombia’s most populous cities, Cartagena recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 146.74 Mbps.
  • Costa Rica: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators at 40.56 Mbps during Q4 2023. Liberty recorded the fastest median upload speed at 10.73 Mbps, the lowest mobile latency at 33 ms, and the highest Consistency at 78.6%. Metrocom was fastest for fixed broadband download and upload performance, at 225.94 Mbps and 179.66 Mbps, respectively. Metrocom also recorded the lowest latency, at 6 ms.
  • Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 34.27 Mbps and 9.84 Mbps, respectively. Claro also recorded the highest Consistency, at 77.0%. Viva had the lowest mobile latency at 43 ms. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for fixed broadband download performance at 48.08 Mbps, while Claro recorded the fastest median upload speed at 25.38 Mbps, and the lowest latency at 41 ms. Altice recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency, at 66.6%.
  • Ecuador: CNT recorded the fastest median mobile download speed during Q4 2023, at 26.22 Mbps, while Movistar recorded the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 41 ms. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 91.56 Mbps. Netlife also recorded the lowest latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms. Xtrim recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency at 84.8%. Of Ecuador’s most populous cities, Santo Domingo recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 31.58 Mbps, while Guayaquil recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 88.59 Mbps.
  • El Salvador: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators in El Salvador, at 40.97 Mbps, along with the highest Consistency of 90.4%. Movistar registered the fastest median mobile upload speed of 13.35 Mbps and lowest latency at 73 ms. Cable Color recorded the fastest median fixed download speed at 55.57 Mbps, the top median upload speed at 57.04 Mbps, and the lowest median latency of 51 ms. Of El Salvador’s most populous cities, Santa Tecla showed the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds during Q4 2023 at 39.27 Mbps and 54.98 Mbps respectively.
  • Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Guatemala during Q4 2023 with a median download speed of 41.63 Mbps and a median upload speed of 19.61 Mbps. Claro also had the highest Consistency at 87.9%, while also leading the market for 5G performance, with a median 5G download speed of 388.34 Mbps. Tigo recorded the lowest median mobile latency at 79 ms. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for median fixed download performance at 54.32 Mbps, while Cable Color was fastest for fixed upload performance at 33.45 Mbps. Cable Color also had the lowest median latency on fixed broadband at 27 ms. Claro recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency at 73.1%. Of Guatemala’s most populous cities, Escuintla showed the fastest median mobile download speed during Q4 2023 at 44.16 Mbps, while Villa Nueva recorded the fastest median fixed download speed, at 60.83 Mbps.
  • Guyana: There was no winner of fastest median mobile performance in Guyana during Q4 2023, with ENet and Digicel posting median download speeds of 24.64 Mbps and 23.53 Mbps, respectively. ENet recorded the fastest median mobile upload speed at 18.49 Mbps and offered the lowest median latency at 143 ms. In the fixed broadband market, ENet recorded the fastest median download and upload speeds, of 70.20 Mbps and 52.25 Mbps, respectively, while also recording the lowest median latency of 130 ms. GTT recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency during Q4 2023, at 69.2%.
  • Haiti: Digicel was the fastest mobile operator in Haiti with a median mobile download speed of 14.26 Mbps, a median upload speed of 10.52 Mbps, and Consistency of 67.2%. Natcom recorded the lowest mobile latency, of 62 ms. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median fixed download speed at 41.73 Mbps. Natcom had the fastest median fixed upload speed at 31.89 Mbps, the lowest median fixed latency at 47 ms, and the highest fixed broadband Consistency of 64.0%.
  • Honduras: Claro recorded the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds during Q4 2023, of 53.06 Mbps and 16.22 Mbps, respectively, while also recording the highest Consistency at 87.2%. Tigo recorded the lowest median mobile latency at 93 ms. Claro had the fastest median fixed download speed at 47.26 Mbps during Q4 2023, and the highest fixed broadband Consistency at 80.2%. TEVISAT recorded the fastest median upload speed, of 22.36 Mbps, and the lowest median fixed latency at 20 ms. Of Honduras’ most populous cities, El Progreso recorded the fastest median mobile download speed during Q4 2023, of 41.69 Mbps, while Tegucigalpa showed the fastest median fixed download speed at 41.97 Mbps.
  • Jamaica: There was no winner of fastest median mobile download performance in Jamaica during Q4 2023, with Flow and Digicel tied. Digicel recorded the fastest median upload speed of 8.37 Mbps and highest Consistency of 81.9%. Flow had the lowest mobile median latency at 38 ms. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 84.10 Mbps, and the highest fixed broadband Consistency at 77.8%. Digicel+ recorded the fastest median upload speed of 46.14 Mbps, while Flow recorded the lowest median fixed latency at 25 ms.
  • Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download and upload speeds over mobile at 52.06 Mbps and 13.50 Mbps, respectively, and the operator also delivered the fastest median 5G download speed at 233.82 Mbps. Telcel also had the lowest mobile median latency at 62 ms and highest Consistency at 87.2%. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 88.87 Mbps and a median upload speed of 30.50 Mbps. Totalplay also had the lowest median fixed broadband latency at 28 ms and the highest Consistency at 84.0%. Among Mexico’s most populous cities, Monterrey recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 38.36 Mbps, while Guadalajara recorded the fastest median fixed broadband speed of 80.32 Mbps.
  • Panama: MasMovil was the fastest mobile operator with median download and upload speeds of 27.24 Mbps and 15.18 Mbps, respectively, as well as the highest Consistency of 79.3%. Digicel recorded the lowest median mobile latency, at 34 ms. There was no winner of the fastest median fixed download performance, with both Tigo and MasMovil tied. MasMovil recorded the fastest median upload speed of 33.38 Mbps and the lowest median latency at 16ms. Among Panama’s most populous cities, David recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 21.57 Mbps, while La Chorrera recorded the fastest median fixed broadband speed of 156.71 Mbps.
  • Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Peru with a median download speed of 23.30 Mbps during Q4 2023, and also had the highest mobile Consistency in the market with 80.6%.
  • Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 33.29 Mbps and the highest Video Score in the market at 74.86. bmobile recorded the fastest median mobile upload speed of 12.17 Mbps, and the lowest median latency at 32 ms. Digicel+ had the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speeds at 118.53 Mbps and 107.24 Mbps, respectively. Digicel+ also had the lowest median latency at 7 ms.
  • United States: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with median download and upload speeds of 188.96 Mbps and 12.19 Mbps, respectively. T-Mobile also recorded the highest mobile Consistency at 87.3%, and the lowest median mobile latency of 50 ms. T-Mobile also led the market with the fastest median 5G download speed at 238.87 Mbps, as well as the lowest 5G latency of 48 ms. T-Mobile secured the highest Video Score across all technologies with 78.21, and for 5G, with a Video Score of 81.54. Cox led the market as the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 261.27 Mbps, while AT&T Internet recorded the fastest median fixed upload speed of 195.64 Mbps, and Verizon had the lowest median latency over fixed broadband at 15 ms.
  • Uruguay: Antel was the fastest mobile operator in Uruguay during Q4 2023 with a median download speed of 117.79 Mbps, and recorded the lowest median latency of 44 ms.
  • Venezuela: Digitel was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 14.37 Mbps and a median upload speed of 6.97 Mbps during Q4 2023. Digitel also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, with 68.0%, and the lowest median latency of 97 ms. Airtek Solutions had the fastest median fixed download and upload speeds of 94.76 Mbps and 94.89 Mbps, respectively. Airtek Solutions also recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency of 86.0%, and the lowest median latency at 7 ms. Among Venezuela’s most populous cities, Maracaibo recorded the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds of 17.17 Mbps and 82.35 Mbps, respectively.

Asia

  • Afghanistan: The fastest mobile operator in Afghanistan was Afghan Wireless with a median download speed of 6.68 Mbps in Q4 2023. The operator also had the lowest median latency at 77 ms and the highest Consistency of 51.0%.
  • Bangladesh: Banglalink was the fastest mobile operator in Bangladesh with a median download speed of 26.74 Mbps in Q4 2023. Banglalink also recorded the highest Consistency of 89.0% and the lowest median latency of 33 ms. DOT Internet was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 91.35 Mbps, while also recording the highest Consistency at 87.5% and the lowest median latency at 5 ms.
  • Bhutan: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q4 2023 in Bhutan, with TashiCell and BT both tied with speeds of 31.52 Mbps and 28.15 Mbps, respectively. TashiCell recorded the lowest median mobile latency of 52 ms.
  • Brunei: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q4 2023 in Brunei, with DST and Imagine both tied with speeds of 97.34 Mbps and 91.53 Mbps, respectively.
  • Cambodia: Cellcard recorded the fastest median mobile download speed at 33.74 Mbps during Q4 2023, while Metfone recorded the highest Consistency at 80.8% and the lowest median latency at 38 ms. MekongNet was the fastest fixed broadband provider, with a median fixed download speed of 48.29 Mbps. MekongNet also recorded the highest Consistency at 71.1%. OpenNet recorded the lowest median latency over fixed broadband, at 7ms.
  • China: China Broadnet was the fastest mobile operator in China during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 248.77 Mbps, and median 5G download speed of 305.61 Mbps. China Mobile recorded the lowest median mobile latency, at 42 ms. There was no statistical winner for fastest fixed download performance, with China Unicom and China Mobile both tied with speeds of 246.93 Mbps and 245.59 Mbps, respectively. China Mobile recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency, of 93.4%, while China Telecom recorded the lowest median fixed broadband latency at 22 ms. Among China’s most populous cities, Beijing recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 232.41 Mbps, while Tianjin recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 326.07 Mbps.
  • Georgia: Geocell recorded the fastest mobile download performance during Q4 2023 in Georgia, at 50.52 Mbps, and the lowest mobile latency at 37 ms. MagtiCom had the fastest median fixed download speed at 27.81 Mbps and the highest Consistency of 66.5%. Among Georgia’s most populous cities, Tbilisi recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 36.17 Mbps, while Rustavi recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 27.38 Mbps.
  • Hong Kong (SAR): China Mobile Hong Kong was the fastest mobile operator in Hong Kong (SAR) during Q4 2023, with a median download speed across all technologies of 98.94 Mbps, and a median download speed over 5G of 177.96 Mbps. csl recorded the fastest median mobile upload speed, at 16.89 Mbps.
  • Indonesia: Telkomsel was the fastest Indonesian mobile operator with a median download speed of 31.14 Mbps. Telkomsel also had the lowest median mobile latency at 45 ms.
  • Japan: Rakuten Mobile recorded the fastest mobile download and upload speeds during Q4 2023 in Japan, at 51.16 Mbps and 20.21 Mbps, respectively. Rakuten Mobile also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 90.6%, while SoftBank recorded the lowest median latency at 43 ms. So-net had the fastest fixed download and upload speeds, at 296.29 Mbps and 219.53 Mbps, respectively, as well as the lowest median latency over fixed broadband at 9 ms. SpaceX Starlink recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency in the market at 96.4%.
  • Kazakhstan: Tele2 recorded the highest mobile Consistency in Kazakhstan during Q4 2023 with 85.3% and the lowest median mobile latency at 39 ms.
  • Malaysia: TM was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Malaysia with a median download speed of 112.00 Mbps in Q4 2023. TIME recorded the lowest fixed broadband latency at 9 ms.
  • Pakistan: Jazz delivered the fastest median mobile download speed in Pakistan at 21.38 Mbps in Q4 2023. Zong recorded the highest mobile Consistency, at 83.2%, and the lowest median mobile latency of 45 ms. Transworld recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 22.08 Mbps and the highest Consistency at 46.1%, while Connect Communications recorded the lowest median fixed broadband latency at 12 ms.
  • Philippines: Smart delivered the fastest median mobile download speed in the Philippines at 37.64 Mbps in Q4 2023.
  • South Korea: SK Telecom recorded the fastest median mobile download speed at 192.67 Mbps, while also recording the highest Consistency in the market at 89.1%. LG U+ had the lowest median mobile latency in the market at 76 ms. In South Korea’s fixed broadband market, LG U+ delivered the fastest median download speed at 146.20 Mbps, and the lowest median latency of 57 ms.
  • Sri Lanka: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q4 2023 in Sri Lanka, with Dialog and SLT-Mobitel both tied with speeds of 23.98 Mbps and 23.89 Mbps, respectively. Dialog delivered the lowest median mobile latency of 36 ms. SLT-Mobitel recorded the fastest fixed download speed of 37.46 Mbps, as well as the highest fixed broadband Consistency of 57.9% and the lowest fixed broadband latency at 13 ms.
  • Vietnam: Viettel was the fastest fixed provider in Vietnam during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 107.40 Mbps. Viettel also recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency at 94.8% and the lowest median fixed broadband latency of 4 ms.

Europe

  • Albania: Vodafone recorded the fastest median mobile download speed in Albania during Q4 2023, of 53.36 Mbps. One Albania recorded the highest mobile Consistency of 86.1%. Digicom was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 94.74 Mbps. Abissnet recorded the lowest fixed broadband latency, at 7 ms. Among Albania’s most populous cities, Vlorë recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 75.34 Mbps, while Shkodër recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 69.91 Mbps.
  • Belgium: Proximus recorded the fastest median mobile download speed in Belgium during Q4 2023, at 89.67 Mbps. Proximus also recorded the highest mobile Consistency in the market at 89.8%. There was no statistical winner for fastest fixed download performance, with Telenet and VOO both tied with speeds of 158.08 Mbps and 156.00 Mbps, respectively. VOO recorded the highest Consistency at 89.8%. Among Belgium’s most populous cities, Ghent recorded the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds, of 168.89 Mbps and 90.14 Mbps, respectively.
  • Denmark: Telia was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 163.41 Mbps. Hiper was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 277.56 Mbps.
  • Estonia: The fastest mobile operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 92.39 Mbps in Q4 2023. Elisa recorded the highest mobile Consistency of 91.9%. Elisa was the fastest fixed broadband provider, with a median download speed of 100.13 Mbps. Elisa also recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency, of 86.3%. Infonet recorded the lowest median fixed broadband latency of 5 ms.
  • Finland: DNA had the fastest median mobile download speed at 113.57 Mbps in Q4 2023, and the highest Consistency of 95.4%. DNA also recorded the fastest median 5G download performance, at 247.54 Mbps. Telia recorded the lowest median mobile latency of 31 ms. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 171.31 Mbps. Lounea also recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency in the market at 91.5%, as well as the lowest median fixed broadband latency at 13 ms.
  • Germany: Telekom was the fastest mobile operator in Germany during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 90.26 Mbps, as well as the top median download speed over 5G at 179.25 Mbps. Telekom also recorded the highest mobile Consistency in the market at 92.1% and the lowest median mobile latency of 38 ms. Deutsche Glasfaser recorded the fastest fixed broadband performance, with a median download speed at 201.43 Mbps. Deutsche Glasfaser also recorded the highest fixed broadband Consistency in the market at 90.5% and the lowest latency of 14 ms.
  • Latvia: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance in Latvia during Q4 2023, with BITĖ and LMT both tied with speeds of 81.56 Mbps and 81.11 Mbps, respectively. BITĖ recorded the highest mobile Consistency in the market of 91.3%, while LMT recorded the lowest mobile latency at 27 ms. Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 275.19 Mbps, while also leading with the highest fixed broadband Consistency of 93.7%, and the lowest median latency at 4 ms. Among Latvia’s most populous cities, Olaine recorded the fastest median mobile download speed, of 170.18 Mbps, while Salaspils recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed of 94.64 Mbps.
  • Lithuania: Telia was the fastest mobile operator in Lithuania during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 116.58 Mbps in Q4 2023. Telia also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 94.7%, and the lowest median mobile latency at 32 ms. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 177.14 Mbps. Cgates also recorded the highest Consistency over fixed broadband in the market at 90.9%, while Penki recorded the lowest fixed broadband latency, at 4ms. Among Lithuania’s most populous cities, Panevėžys recorded the fastest median mobile download speed, of 106.34 Mbps, while Klaipėda recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed of 138.34 Mbps.
  • Poland: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator in Poland during Q4 2023, with a median download speed of 49.10 Mbps. T-Mobile also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 88.4%. Plus recorded the fastest 5G performance in the market, with a median 5G download speed of 133.34 Mbps. Plus also recorded the lowest median mobile latency, at 43 ms. UPC was the fastest provider for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 232.36 Mbps, while Netia recorded the lowest fixed broadband latency, at 16 ms. Among Poland’s most populous cities, Łódź recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of  46.53 Mbps, while Wrocław recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 172.86 Mbps.
  • Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 56.73 Mbps in Q4 2023, and Turkcell also recorded the highest Consistency of 91.3%. Türk Telekom had the lowest median mobile latency at 39 ms. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 66.57 Mbps. TurkNet also recorded the lowest median fixed latency at 13 ms, and the highest Consistency at 81.5%. Among Turkey’s most populous cities, Istanbul recorded the fastest median download speeds across mobile and fixed, at 38.50 Mbps and 47.81 Mbps, respectively.

Oceania

  • New Zealand: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q4 2023 in New Zealand, with One NZ and Spark both tied with speeds of 73.52 Mbps and 70.23 Mbps, respectively. 2degrees led the market with the highest Consistency of 91.0% and the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 40 ms.

The Speedtest Global Index is your resource to understand how internet connectivity compares around the world and how it’s changing. Check back next month for updated data on country and city rankings, and look for updated Ookla Market Reports with 1H 2024 data in July.

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
Bhutan

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 18, 2022

New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q2 2022

Network Performance

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

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

Africa and the Middle East

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

North and South America

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

Read the full market analyses and follow monthly ranking updates on the Speedtest Global IndexTM

 

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 Performance

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 17, 2022

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

Global Speeds

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

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

Chart of global cities with fastest download speeds

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

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

Slider showing transition between country and city graphs

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

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

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

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

Oceania

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

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

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

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| April 18, 2022

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

Network Performance

Speedtest Global Index™ Market Analyses from Ookla® identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 44 markets that include details on fastest mobile and fixed broadband providers, performance of most popular devices and chipsets and internet speeds in cities. Click a country on the list below to see highlights or scroll through the article to learn what Speedtest Intelligence® revealed in all 43 markets:

Africa and the Middle East

Côte d’Ivoire | Jordan | Kenya | Libya | Nigeria
South Africa | Tanzania | Turkey

Asia and Oceania

China | Hong Kong (SAR) | New Zealand | Philippines | Singapore
Taiwan | Thailand | Vietnam

Europe

Austria | Belgium | Czechia | Denmark | Estonia
Finland| France | Germany | Hungary | Latvia
Lithuania | Luxembourg | Malta | Moldova | Poland
Slovakia | Spain

North and South America

Argentina | Brazil | Canada | Chile | Colombia
Ecuador | Guatemala | Mexico | Peru | United States

Africa and the Middle East

Côte d’Ivoire

  • Speedtest Intelligence revealed mobile provider MTN had the fastest median download speed (15.71 Mbps) and Consistency Score™ (71.1%) in Côte d’Ivoire during Q1 2022.
  • There was no statistical winner for fastest fixed broadband provider in Côte d’Ivoire during Q1 2022, though Orange had a median download speed of 33.65 Mbps and CANALBOX had a median download speed of 33.35 Mbps.

Jordan

  • Speedtest Intelligence found Umniah was the fastest mobile operator in Jordan during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 30.42 Mbps.
  • Fixed broadband provider Orange held the fastest median download speed in Jordan at 78.08 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Kenya

  • Mobile operator Safaricom had the fastest median mobile download speed at 20.49 Mbps in Kenya during Q1 2022.
  • For fixed broadband, Faiba had the fastest median download speed (24.64 Mbps) and Consistency Score (49.8%) in Kenya during Q1 2022.

Libya

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals that mobile operator Libyana had the fastest median mobile download speed in Libya at 12.54 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Among top fixed broadband providers, AWAL Telecom had the fastest median download speed in Libya at 20.02 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Nigeria

  • Fixed broadband provider ipNX had the fastest median download speed (21.34 Mbps) and highest Consistency Score (45.9%) in Nigeria during Q1 2022.
  • There was no statistical winner for fastest top mobile operator in Nigeria during Q1 2022, though Airtel and MTN led the way at 22.42 Mbps and 21.71 Mbps, respectively.

South Africa

  • Speedtest Intelligence shows Cool Ideas had the fastest fixed broadband median download speed (46.05 Mbps) and highest Consistency Score (73.2%) in South Africa during Q1 2022.
  • MTN had the fastest median 5G download speed in South Africa at 213.37 Mbps during Q1 2022, much faster than Vodacom (132.11 Mbps).
  • The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra dominated for fastest popular device in South Africa during Q1 2022 and achieved a median download speed of 105.21 Mbps. The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max followed at 82.23 Mbps.

Tanzania

  • Among top mobile operators in Tanzania, Halotel had the fastest median download speed (17.84 Mbps) and highest Consistency Score (80.1%) during Q1 2022.
  • Mwanza had the fastest median mobile download speed among Tanzania’s most populous cities at 13.76 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Turkey

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals mobile provider Turkcell had the fastest median download speed and highest Consistency Score in Turkey at 53.77 Mbps and 92.7%, respectively, during Q1 2022.
  • For fixed broadband in Turkey, TurkNet had the highest median download speed (47.43 Mbps) and Consistency Score (76.8%) during Q1 2022.

Asia and Oceania

China

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, China Telecom was the fastest fixed broadband provider in China with a median download speed of 146.70 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • During Q1 2022, China Mobile achieved the fastest median 5G download speed at 300.96 Mbps, ahead of China Telecom (296.97 Mbps) and China Unicom (280.62 Mbps).
  • Among top device manufacturers, Huawei had the fastest median download speed in China at 108.94 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Hong Kong (SAR)

  • China Mobile Hong Kong was the fastest mobile operator in Hong Kong, achieving a median download speed of 66.11 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • China Mobile Hong Kong also showed the fastest 5G download speed, achieving a median speed of 172.19 Mbps during Q1 2022. Mobile provider 3 followed at 155.81 Mbps.

New Zealand

  • Vodafone was the fastest mobile operator in New Zealand during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 59.65 Mbps.
  • 2degrees blazed ahead with the fastest median 5G download speed in New Zealand at 479.71 Mbps during Q1 2022, beating out Vodafone (342.45 Mbps) and Spark (307.21 Mbps).
  • For fixed broadband, MyRepublic achieved the fastest median download speed in New Zealand at 217.66 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Philippines

  • During Q1 2022, Smart had the fastest median download speed (24.07 Mbps) among top mobile operators in the Philippines.
  • Smart also had the fastest median 5G download speed in the Philippines during Q1 2022 at 200.43 Mbps.
  • Caloocan took the top spot for fastest median mobile download speed among the Philippines’ most populous cities at 25.71 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Singapore

  • Speedtest Intelligence shows Singtel was the fastest top mobile operator in Singapore with a median download speed of 93.00 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Singtel blazed ahead of the competition for fastest median 5G download speed in Singapore at 360.31 Mbps during Q1 2022 — a strong rise over its median 5G download speed of 289.01 Mbps during Q4 2021.

Taiwan

  • During Q1 2022, Chunghwa Telecom had the fastest median 5G download speed in Taiwan at 415.45 Mbps. FarEasTone followed at 310.83 Mbps.
  • The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 had the fastest median download speed among popular chipsets in Taiwan at 162.51 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Thailand

  • Speedtest Intelligence revealed that AIS had the fastest median download speed on mobile in Thailand at 43.52 Mbps during Q1 2022, beating out TrueMove H and dtac.
  • AIS also had the fastest median 5G download speed in Thailand during Q1 2022 at 261.19 Mbps, followed by TrueMove H and dtac.

Vietnam

  • Vinaphone was Vietnam’s fastest mobile operator during Q1 2022, reaching a median mobile download speed of 42.43 Mbps, just faster than Viettel (40.61 Mbps).
  • Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro had the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Vietnam at 70.91 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Europe

Austria

  • Magenta took the top spot as Austria’s fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 154.44 Mbps during Q1 2022. LIWEST was the closest competitor (88.75 Mbps).
  • A1 was the fastest mobile provider in Austria during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 69.80 Mbps. Operator 3 followed at 53.73 Mbps.

Belgium

  • Telenet decisively claimed its spot as Belgium’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 129.18 Mbps. VOO followed at 109.76 Mbps.
  • Among mobile operators, Telenet/BASE had the fastest median download speed at 66.92 Mbps.

Czechia

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals T-Mobile was Czechia’s fastest mobile provider during Q1 2022, recording a median download speed of 55.63 Mbps.
  • Vodafone was Czechia’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 89.23 Mbps.

Denmark

  • Fastspeed was Denmark’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 284.28 Mbps. Hiper followed at 239.43 Mbps.
  • YouSee was Denmark’s fastest mobile operator, earning a median download speed of 115.87 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Estonia

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Elisa was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Estonia during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 74.48 Mbps.
  • Telia had the fastest mobile median download speed in Estonia at 73.20 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Finland

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, DNA took the top spot as Finland’s fastest mobile operator in Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 70.76 Mbps. DNA also edged out Telia for the highest Consistency Score 93.1% to 91.7%.
  • In addition, DNA had the fastest 5G download speed in Finland, achieving a median download speed of 297.70 Mbps. Telia (259.68 Mbps) and Elisa (230.35 Mbps) followed.
  • Competition was tight for Finland’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022. DNA (87.87 Mbps) raced past Elisa (86.54 Mbps) and Telia (86.13 Mbps) to take the top spot.

France

  • Orange earned the top spot as France’s fastest and most consistent mobile operator with a median mobile download speed of 81.03 Mbps and a Consistency Score of 89.8% during Q1 2022.
  • During Q1 2022, Orange dominated the competition as France’s fastest 5G provider by achieving a median 5G download speed of 366.42 Mbps. SFR followed at 247.32 Mbps.

Germany

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Vodafone was Germany’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 108.67 Mbps.
  • Telekom achieved the fastest median mobile download speed (79.34 Mbps) and Consistency Score (90.9%) among German mobile operators during Q1 2022.
  • Telekom took the top spot for the fastest median 5G download speed in Germany at 193.09 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Hungary

  • Vodafone was Hungary’s fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 159.59 Mbps during Q1 2022. Vodafone also had the highest Consistency Score at 87.9% during Q1 2022.
  • Yettel was Hungary’s fastest mobile operator during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 50.62 Mbps.

Latvia

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Balticom had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Latvia at 188.27 Mbps and highest Consistency Score (91.9%) during Q1 2022.
  • LMT had the fastest median mobile download speed in Latvia at 50.70 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Lithuania

  • Telia had the fastest median mobile download speed in Lithuania at 77.77 Mbps during Q1 2022. Tele2 followed at 41.75 Mbps, then BITE (29.81 Mbps).
  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals that Cgates had the fastest median fixed broadband speed in Lithuania at 99.50 Mbps during Q1 2022, edging out Penki (93.52 Mbps) and Telia (86.84 Mbps).

Luxembourg

  • Eltrona took the top spot as Luxembourg’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022 by achieving a median download speed of 119.65 Mbps.
  • POST was the fastest mobile operator in Luxembourg, achieving a median download speed of 122.74 Mbps in Q1 2022.

Malta

  • Melita took the top spot as Malta’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 117.68 Mbps and Consistency Score of 85.2%.

Moldova

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Orange dominated as Moldova’s fastest fixed broadband provider, achieving a median download speed of 203.54 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Tiraspol showed the fastest median mobile download speed among Moldova’s most populous cities at 35.62 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Poland

  • Speedtest Intelligence revealed that UPC was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Poland, achieving a median download speed of 195.74 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Mobile operator Plus had the fastest median 5G download speed in Poland at 167.37 Mbps during Q1 2022, a slight gain over Q4 2021.

Slovakia

  • Orange took the top spot as Slovakia’s fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 53.30 Mbps, edging out Telekom’s 45.90 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Orange also dominated as the fastest 5G operator in Slovakia with a median 5G download speed at 299.09 Mbps during Q1 2022. 4ka followed at 177.76 Mbps.
  • UPC took the top spot as Slovakia’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 146.65 Mbps and a Consistency Score of 87.5% during Q1 2022.

Spain

  • Movistar provided the fastest and most consistent mobile experience among Spanish mobile operators during Q1 2022 with a median download speed of 52.44 Mbps and Consistency Score of 89.4%.
  • Vodafone was Spain’s fastest 5G provider by a wide margin, achieving a median download speed of 192.40 Mbps during Q1 2022.

North and South America

Argentina

  • Speedtest Intelligence revealed Personal was Argentina’s fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 25.57 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • There was a tight race for the fastest median mobile download speed in Argentina’s most populous cities with no statistical winner during Q1 2022. However, Buenos Aires (25.26 Mbps) and La Plata (25.18 Mbps) led the way.

Brazil

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals Claro was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Brazil during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 33.53 Mbps and Consistency Score of 84.6%.
  • Claro achieved the fastest median 5G download speed in Brazil at 72.35 Mbps during Q1 2022. TIM (62.80 Mbps) and Vivo (62.38 Mbps) followed.

Canada

  • Shaw was Canada’s fastest fixed broadband provider, earning a median download speed of 213.47 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • TELUS took the top spot as the fastest mobile operator in Canada, achieving a median download speed of 94.48 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Competition for the fastest 5G in Canada was tight during Q1 2022 with TELUS edging out Bell 162.47 Mbps to 155.71 Mbps, respectively.

Chile

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Entel was the fastest mobile operator in Chile with a median download speed of 23.13 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Temuco had the fastest median mobile download speed in Chile at 24.86 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Colombia

  • Cali had the fastest median mobile download speed among Colombia’s most populous cities at 15.32 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Among major device manufacturers in Colombia, Apple devices had the fastest median download speed at 17.20 Mbps during Q1 2022.

Ecuador

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Netlife was Ecuador’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 45.53 Mbps and Consistency Score of 75.5%.
  • CNT was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Ecuador during Q1 2022, with a median download speed of 33.11 Mbps and Consistency Score of 87.4%.

Guatemala

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Claro was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Guatemala during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 21.40 Mbps and Consistency Score of 80.5%.
  • Tigo was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Guatemala with a median download speed of 26.56 Mbps and Consistency Score of 58.3% during Q1 2022.

Mexico

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals Telcel was Mexico’s fastest mobile operator during Q1 2022, leading the market with a median download speed of 40.25 Mbps.
  • Totalplay was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Mexico, achieving a median download speed of 49.33 Mbps and Consistency Score of 74.3% during Q1 2022.

Peru

  • According to Speedtest Intelligence, Winet Telecom was Peru’s fastest fixed broadband provider by a wide margin, achieving a median download speed of 102.83 Mbps during Q1 2022.
  • Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Peru during Q1 2022, earning a median download speed of 19.55 Mbps.

United States

  • Speedtest Intelligence reveals Verizon was the fastest fixed broadband provider in the United States during Q1 2022, edging out XFINITY with a median download speed of 184.36 Mbps to XFINITY’s 179.12 Mbps.
  • T-Mobile took the top spot as the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in the U.S. during Q1 2022, achieving a median download speed of 117.83 Mbps and a Consistency Score of 88.3% — both increases over Q4 2021.
  • Looking at tests taken only on 5G, T-Mobile achieved the fastest median 5G download speed at 191.12 Mbps during Q1 2022. Verizon also had a notable increase in 5G download speed during Q1 2022 over Q4 2021 , which was helped by turning on new C-Band spectrum in January.
  • The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was the fastest popular device in the U.S. at 116.33 Mbps during Q1 2022.

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

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 11, 2022.

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 Performance

About the Author

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 17, 2023

51 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q3 2023

Global Speeds

Ookla® Market Reports™ identify key data about internet performance in countries across the world. This quarter we’ve provided updated analyses for 51 markets using Speedtest Intelligence® and summarized a few top takeaways below. Click through to the market report to see more details and charts about the countries you’re interested in, including the fastest fixed broadband providers and mobile operators, who had the most consistent service, and 5G and device performance in select countries during Q3 2023. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

  • Côte d’Ivoire: Orange recorded the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds during Q3 2023, at 24.33 Mbps and 66.84 Mbps, respectively. Moov Africa recorded the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 122 ms. Of Côte d’Ivoire most populous cities, Bouake had the fastest median fixed download speed of 59.22 Mbps, just ahead of Abidjan with 58.44 Mbps.
  • Mozambique: There were no statistical winners for fastest median mobile download speed during Q3 2023, with Vodacom and Tmcel delivering median download speeds of 31.16 Mbps and 27.89 Mbps, respectively. Tmcel recorded the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 52 ms and the highest Consistency at 91.8%. Of Mozambique’s most populous cities, Maputo had the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds at 28.71 Mbps and 12.57 Mbps, respectively. SpaceX’s Starlink recorded the fastest fixed broadband median download speed in Q3 2023 at 53.98 Mbps, along with the highest Consistency at 60.3%. Meanwhile, TVCABO recorded the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 14 ms.
  • Senegal: There was no winner of fastest median mobile performance in Senegal during Q3 2023, with Orange and Free both tied. Orange led the market for median fixed broadband download performance, with 21.68 Mbps in Q3 2023. It also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 85 ms and highest Consistency of 45.3%. Of Senegal’s most populous cities, Dakar had the fastest median fixed download speed of 26.08 Mbps.

Americas

  • Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 36.63 Mbps, while also registering lowest mobile multi-server latency at 39 ms during Q3 2023. In the fixed broadband market, there was no statistically fastest network, with Movistar and Telecentro delivering median download speeds of 102.55 Mbps and 101.96 Mbps, respectively. Movistar recorded the lowest multi-server latency of 10 ms. Among Argentina’s most populous cities, La Plata recorded the fastest mobile download speed of 35.48 Mbps, while Buenos Aires recorded the fastest fixed download speed of 105.50 Mbps.
  • Belize: Digi had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds of 17.23 Mbps and 10.38 Mbps, respectively during Q3 2023. Digi also recorded the highest Consistency of 81.5%, while smart! recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency of 55 ms. NEXGEN had the fastest median download and upload speeds over fixed broadband in Belize at 48.27 Mbps and 47.29 Mbps, respectively.
  • Canada: Bell was the fastest mobile operator in Canada with a median download speed of 100.77 Mbps in Q3 2023. Bell also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 183.06 Mbps. Rogers had the fastest median mobile upload speed of 11.44 Mbps, and the highest Consistency of 82.9%. Bell pure fibre was fastest for fixed broadband, recording a median download speed of 286.08 Mbps and a median upload speed of 244.64 Mbps. Of Canada’s most populous cities, St. John’s recorded the fastest median mobile download speed at 158.19 Mbps, while Fredericton recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed of 238.49 Mbps.
  • Colombia: Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 181.42 Mbps in Q3 2023. ETB had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 9 ms. Of Colombia’s most populous cities, Cartagena recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 125.15 Mbps.
  • Costa Rica: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 52.38 Mbps and 12.56 Mbps, respectively. Liberty had the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 33 ms and the highest Consistency at 80.1%. Metrocom was fastest for fixed broadband download and upload performance, at 213.77 Mbps and 157.89 Mbps, respectively.
  • Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 32.22 Mbps and 9.27 Mbps, respectively. Viva had the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 44 ms. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for fixed broadband download performance at 49.21 Mbps, while Claro recorded the fastest median upload speed at 14.81 Mbps, as well as the lowest multi-server latency at 40 ms. Of the Dominican Republic’s most populous cities, Santo Domingo recorded the fastest median mobile and fixed download speeds of 37.43 Mbps and 44.92 Mbps, respectively.
  • Ecuador: There was no winner of fastest median mobile performance in Ecuador during Q3 2023, with CNT and Claro posting median download speeds of 28.00 Mbps and 26.65 Mbps, respectively. Movistar recorded the lowest mobile multi-server latency, of 40 ms. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 90.31 Mbps. Netlife also recorded the lowest multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8ms.
  • El Salvador: Claro had the fastest median download speed among mobile operators at 41.26 Mbps, along with the highest Consistency of 88.5%. Movistar registered the lowest median multi-server latency in El Salvador at 59 ms. Cable Color recorded the fastest median fixed download speed at 54.91 Mbps, the top median upload speed at 49.87 Mbps, and the lowest median multi-server latency of 42 ms.
  • Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Guatemala with a median download speed of 37.39 Mbps and a median upload speed of 20.43 Mbps. Claro also had the highest Consistency at 86.1%, while also leading the market for 5G performance, with a median 5G download speed of 370.97 Mbps. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for median fixed download performance at 56.91 Mbps, while Cable Color was fastest for fixed upload performance at 28.96 Mbps. Cable Color also had the lowest median multi-server latency on fixed broadband at 34 ms.
  • Guyana: There was no winner of fastest median mobile performance in Guyana during Q3 2023, with ENet and Digicel posting median download speeds of 32.48 Mbps and 28.01 Mbps, respectively. ENet recorded the fastest median mobile upload speed at 18.03 Mbps and offered the lowest median multi-server latency at 137 ms. In the fixed broadband market, ENet recorded the fastest median download and upload speeds, of 61.46 Mbps and 39.75 Mbps, respectively.
  • Haiti: Digicel was the fastest mobile operator in Haiti with a median mobile download speed of 13.77 Mbps, a median upload speed of 9.92 Mbps, and Consistency of 67.4%. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median fixed download speed at 50.18 Mbps. Natcom had the fastest median fixed upload speed at 32.10 Mbps and the lowest median fixed multi-server latency at 41 ms.
  • Honduras: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds over mobile at 54.06 Mbps and 15.75 Mbps, respectively. Claro also had the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 89 ms and highest Consistency at 88.4%. Claro recorded the fastest median fixed broadband download speed of 46.11 Mbps, while TEVISAT had the fastest median upload speed of 21.30 Mbps and lowest median multi-server latency of 32 ms.
  • Jamaica: There was no winner of fastest median mobile download performance in Jamaica during Q3 2023, with Digicel and Flow tied. Digicel recorded the fastest median upload speed of 9.55 Mbps and highest Consistency of 85.8%. Flow had the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 36 ms. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband at 79.85 Mbps.
  • Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 50.81 Mbps, and the operator also delivered the fastest median 5G download speed at 223.06 Mbps. Telcel also had the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 63 ms and highest Consistency at 87.1%. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 88.28 Mbps and upload speed of 30.60 Mbps. Totalplay also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 27 ms. Among Mexico’s most populous cities, Monterrey recorded the fastest median download speeds on both mobile and fixed, at 39.47 Mbps and 77.94 Mbps, respectively.
  • Panama: MasMovil was the fastest mobile operator with median download and upload speeds of 23.66 Mbps and 15.49 Mbps, respectively, as well as the highest Consistency of 80.6%. MasMovil was also the fastest fixed network provider, with a median download speed of 147.50 Mbps and a median upload speed of 30.12 Mbps.
  • Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 22.27 Mbps,and Claro also had the highest mobile Consistency in the market with 80.3%.
  • Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 34.92 Mbps and highest Consistency of 89.4%. Digicel+ had the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speeds at 114.20 Mbps and 105.21 Mbps, respectively. Digicel+ also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 7 ms, as well as the highest Video Score at 82.35.
  • United States: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 163.59 Mbps. T-Mobile also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 221.57 Mbps, as well as the lowest 5G multi-server latency of 50 ms. Cox led the market as the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 260.09 Mbps, while AT&T Internet recorded the fastest median fixed upload speed of 188.60 Mbps, and Verizon had the lowest median multi-server latency on fixed broadband at 16 ms.
  • Uruguay: Antel was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 182.79 Mbps, and Antel also had the lowest median multi-server latency of 42 ms.
  • Venezuela: Digitel was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 13.53 Mbps and a median upload speed of 6.54 Mbps. Digitel also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, with 66.2%, and the lowest median multi-server latency of 95 ms. Airtek Solutions had the fastest fixed median download speed of 82.79 Mbps, upload speed of 88.09 Mbps, and the lowest median multi-server latency at 7 ms.

Asia

  • Afghanistan: The fastest mobile operator in Afghanistan was Afghan Wireless with a median download speed of 6.38 Mbps. The operator also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 74 ms and the highest Consistency of 52.3% in Q3 2023.
  • Bangladesh: Banglalink was the fastest mobile operator in Bangladesh with a median download speed of 25.03 Mbps in Q3 2023. Banglalink also recorded the highest Consistency of 85.3% and the lowest median multi-server latency of 35ms. DOT Internet was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 90.20 Mbps, while also recording the highest Consistency at 85.6% and the lowest median multi-server latency at 5 ms.
  • Bhutan: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q3 2023 in Bhutan, with BT and TashiCell both tied.
  • Brunei: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q3 2023 in Brunei, with DST and Imagine both tied.
  • Cambodia: Cellcard recorded the fastest median mobile download speed at 31.76 Mbps during Q3 2023, while Metfone recorded the highest Consistency at 81.0% and the lowest median multi-server latency at 38 ms. There was no statistical winner among top providers in Cambodia for median fixed download speed, with SINET and MekongNet both tied.
  • China: China Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 179.81 Mbps, and highest Consistency of 95.6%. China Broadnet recorded the fastest median 5G download speed at 297.59 Mbps. China Unicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 208.59 Mbps. Among China’s most populous cities, Beijing recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 220.21 Mbps, while Tianjin recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 284.90 Mbps.
  • Georgia: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q3 2023 in Georgia, with Geocell and Magti both tied. Geocell recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 41 ms, while Magti recorded the highest mobile Consistency with 88.0%. MagtiCom had the fastest median fixed download speed at 27.80 Mbps during Q3 2023. It also recorded the highest Consistency, of 66.3%, and the lowest median multi-server latency at 12 ms. Among Georgia’s most populous cities, Gori recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 39.01 Mbps, while Tbilisi recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 26.98 Mbps.
  • Indonesia: Telkomsel was the fastest Indonesian mobile operator with a median download speed of 31.04 Mbps. Telkomsel also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 45 ms.
  • Japan: Rakuten Mobile recorded the fastest mobile download and upload speeds during Q3 2023 in Japan, at 46.98 Mbps and 19.34 Mbps, respectively. The operator also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 90.4%, while SoftBank recorded the lowest median multi-server latency at 44 ms. So-net had the fastest fixed download and upload speeds, at 270.59 Mbps and 213.43 Mbps, respectively, as well as the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 9 ms.
  • Malaysia: TIME was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Malaysia with a median download speed of 110.23 Mbps. TIME also recorded the highest Consistency in the market with 88.5% and the lowest multi-server latency at 9 ms.
  • Pakistan: Jazz delivered the fastest median mobile download speed in Pakistan at 20.63 Mbps in Q3 2023 and the highest Consistency of 80.5%. Zong recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency of 52 ms. Transworld had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Pakistan at 18.91 Mbps and the highest Consistency at 40.1%.
  • Philippines: Smart delivered the fastest median mobile download speed in the Philippines at 35.56 Mbps in Q3 2023.
  • South Korea: SK Telecom recorded the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds at 174.80 Mbps and 17.94 Mbps, respectively, while also recording the highest Consistency in the market at 86.3%. LG U+ had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency in the market at 66 ms. In South Korea’s fixed broadband market, LG U+ delivered the fastest median download and upload speeds at 148.56 Mbps and 96.53 Mbps, respectively. LG U+ also recorded the lowest median multi-server latency of 38 ms.
  • Sri Lanka: SLT-Mobitel delivered the fastest mobile and fixed download speed in Sri Lanka at 21.78 Mbps and 35.70 Mbps respectively in Q3 2023. Dialog had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 35 ms, while SLT-Mobitel recorded the lowest fixed broadband multi-server latency at 13 ms and the highest Consistency at 56.4%.
  • Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 57.60 Mbps, and the operator also recorded the highest Consistency of 90.8%. Türk Telekom had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 41 ms. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 64.31 Mbps. TurkNet also recorded the lowest median fixed multi-server latency at 13 ms, and highest Consistency at 80.6%. Among Turkey’s most populous cities, Istanbul recorded the fastest median download speeds across mobile and fixed, of 41.22 Mbps, and 44.38 Mbps, respectively.
  • Vietnam: Vinaphone had the fastest median mobile download speed in Q3 2023, at 54.74 Mbps. Vinaphone also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 34 ms and the highest Consistency at 94.7%. Viettel was the fastest fixed provider with a median download speed of 109.77 Mbps. Viettel also recorded the lowest median fixed broadband multi-server latency of 7 ms and the highest Consistency at 91.4%.

Europe

  • Albania: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q3 2023 in Albania, with One Albania and Vodafone tied. One Albania recorded the highest Consistency of 84.5%, while Vodafone recorded the lowest median multi-server latency at 35 ms. Digicom was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 93.98 Mbps, while also recording the highest Consistency at 87.9%. Among Albania’s most populous cities, Elbasan recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 65.31 Mbps, while Vlorë recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 56.98 Mbps.
  • Belgium: Proximus recorded the fastest median mobile download speed during Q3 2023, at 88.76 Mbps. Proximus also recorded the highest mobile Consistency in the market at 89.4%. Telenet had the fastest median fixed download speed at 149.77 Mbps, while VOO recorded the highest Consistency at 89.2%. Among Belgium’s most populous cities, Ghent recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 213.88 Mbps, while Antwerp offered the fastest median fixed download speed of 88.93 Mbps.
  • Denmark: YouSee was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark with a median download speed of 131.88 Mbps in Q3 2023. Hiper was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 274.54 Mbps.
  • Estonia: The fastest mobile operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 89.65 Mbps in Q3 2023. Elisa was the fastest fixed broadband provider, with a median download speed of 97.27 Mbps, while Infonet recorded the lowest median fixed broadband multi-server latency of 5 ms.
  • Finland: DNA had the fastest median mobile download speed at 100.55 Mbps in Q3 2023 and the highest Consistency of 91.9%. Telia recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency of 32 ms. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 122.03 Mbps. Lounea also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 92.3%, as well as the lowest median fixed broadband multi-server latency at 11 ms.
  • Germany: Telekom was the fastest mobile operator in Germany during Q3 2023, with a median download speed of 91.53 Mbps, as well as the top median download speed over 5G at 182.50 Mbps. Telekom also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 90.7% and the lowest median mobile multi-server latency of 39 ms. Deutsche Glasfaser recorded the fastest fixed broadband performance, with a median download speed at 191.89 Mbps. It also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 89.8% and the lowest fixed broadband multi-server latency of 14 ms.
  • Latvia: BITĖ was the fastest mobile operator in Latvia during Q3 2023, with a median download speed of 81.00 Mbps and the highest Consistency in the market of 89.3%. LMT recorded the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 27 ms. Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 256.37 Mbps. Balticom also had the highest fixed broadband Consistency of 92.5% and the lowest median fixed broadband multi-server latency at 4 ms.
  • Lithuania: Telia was the fastest mobile operator in Lithuania during Q3 2023, with a median download speed of 117.76 Mbps in Q3 2023. Telia also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 92.8%. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed at 167.30 Mbps. Cgates also recorded the highest Consistency over fixed broadband in the market at 90.1%.
  • Poland: T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator in Poland during Q3 2023, with a median download speed of 50.31 Mbps. T-Mobile also recorded the highest Consistency in the market at 86.8%. Plus recorded the fastest 5G performance in the market, with a median 5G download speed of 146.01 Mbps. UPC was the fastest provider for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 228.57 Mbps in Q3 2023. Among Poland’s most populous cities, Łódź recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 52.92 Mbps, while Wrocław recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 163.04 Mbps.
  • Switzerland: Salt was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Switzerland, with a median download speed of 384.65 Mbps. Salt also had the highest Consistency in the market at 94.8% and the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms.

Oceania

  • New Zealand: One NZ was the fastest mobile operator in New Zealand during Q3 2023, with a median download speed of 74.20 Mbps. 2degrees led the market with the highest Consistency of 91.0% and the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 41 ms.

The Speedtest Global Index is your resource to understand how internet connectivity compares around the world and how it’s changing. Check back next month for updated data on country and city rankings, and look for updated Ookla Market Reports with Q4 2023 data in January.

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
Bhutan

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 24, 2023

Government and Regulatory Support is Key to Improving 4G Performance in Africa

Africa

In this article, we analyze select African countries that have consistently improved their ranking in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™ between June 2020 and June 2023 and discuss the drivers that contributed to this rise. These countries can provide lessons and best practices that other operators and regulators can apply to bridge the 4G performance gap.

Key takeaways

  • Government and policy intervention is critical in supporting the rollout of 4G networks in Africa. Operators need more than ever support amid the challenging macroeconomic, operating conditions, and shrinking consumer disposable income. For example, the government intervened in Nigeria to cancel excise tax to reduce operators’ financial burden, promoted infrastructure sharing in Cote d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe to speed up network deployment, and led the expansion of 4G infrastructure in Libya.
  • Spectrum availability is crucial to improving network performance and coverage to meet growing data demand. For example, public authorities encouraged the efficient spectrum usage by freeing up legacy bands and refarming existing ones in Mauritius, Namibia, and Tanzania, and by adopting technology-neutral spectrum licensing in Zimbabwe.
  • Non-punitive network QoS compliance policies can help drive investments and promote fair competition. Policymakers and regulators in Africa are increasingly adopting alternatives to financial sanctions to encourage operators to meet coverage and QoS obligations. For example, the regulator in Tanzania mandated network investments instead of issuing non-compliance penalties.

Some African countries show a marked improvement in 4G download and upload speeds as well as coverage

Cellular networks are critical to connect individuals and businesses as internet access in Africa is predominantly mobile. In addition, the adoption of digital services, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has rapidly increased the demand for data services. As a result, consumer needs and economic growth will increasingly depend on a fast, reliable mobile network.

We used Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™ to identify African countries that have consistently improved their mobile speed ranking between June 2020 and June 2023. We then used Speedtest Intelligence® data to compare 4G mobile performance on modern chipsets between Q2 2020 and Q2 2023.

We focused on markets that offer strong growth potential for 4G, so we selected countries whose 4G share of connections was lower than 50% at the end of 2022 (based on data from GSMA Intelligence). The shortlisted countries represent different sub-regions and have different demographical and geographical characteristics, as shown on the map below. 

Map of Demographic and 4G Data in Select African Countries

According to Speedtest Intelligence data, Cote d’Ivoire showed impressive improvement in 4G network performance since Q2 2020, reaching a median download speed of 23.8 Mbps in Q2 2023, the third highest speed behind only Mauritius with 27.33 Mbps and Namibia with 26.92 Mbps. Tanzania doubled its 4G download speeds to 20.83 Mbps while Libya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe had download speeds between 15 Mbps and 20 Mbps in Q2 2023.

Chart of 4G Median Mobile Downloads Speeds Comparison in Select African Countries | Q2 2020 - Q2 2023

Improvements in upload speeds over the same period and the differences between the countries were less pronounced than download speed results. With a jump of 1.6 times in 4G upload speed between Q2 2020 and Q2 2023, Tanzania moved from fourth to second place, ahead of Cote d’Ivoire and Mauritius and just behind Namibia. Notably, Libya lagged behind other countries in download and upload speeds but improved markedly over three years, despite being the last one to launch 4G in 2018, and arguably, where operators had the most challenging environment. 

Chart of 4G Median Mobile Uploads Speeds Comparison in Select African Countries | Q2 2020 - Q2 2023

In the following sections, we analyze market dynamics in each country, review operators’ 4G investments, and discuss the factors that drove (or inhibited, at times) 4G market development.

Cote d’Ivoire has plenty of room to increase 4G adoption

Mobile penetration of the population in Cote d’Ivoire increased rapidly since 2020 to reach 142.4% in Q1 2023 (according to Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications (ARTCI)). 

Orange is the largest mobile operator in Côte d’Ivoire in terms of subscribers (45.6% in Q1 2023) and 4G network population coverage (90.6% in December 2022). It launched 4G services in March 2016 over 1800 MHz. It expanded its subscriber base rapidly thanks, in part, to a $312 million investment in network deployment and upgrades in 2019 and 2020. It also set a plan to invest a further USD120 million between 2020 and 2025 to upgrade the fiber-optic backbone of its 4G network. 

MTN captured just over a third of mobile subscribers in March 2023. It launched 4G shortly after Orange, followed by LTE-A in Abidjan in December 2020, the only operator to offer this service to date in the country. In October 2022, it signed a $75 million five-year contract with Canadian infrastructure supplier NuRAN Wireless to expand its network coverage in rural areas. However, we understood that this only concerns 2G and 3G services. MTN’s 4G coverage reached 57.4% of the population at the end of 2022, way behind Orange. 

Moov had been capturing an increasing share of mobile connections until 2018. Since then, its market share has remained mostly stable at around 20%. It launched 4G services in Q3 2016 over 900 MHz. Moov has extensive network coverage in remote areas, which has helped it to grow its subscriber base. Coverage reached just over half of the population at the end of 2022, lagging behind Orange and MTN.

The three operators managed to rapidly expand 4G coverage after launch. According to Speedtest Intelligence®, 4G service availability, which represents the proportion of an operator’s known locations where a device has access to 4G LTE service, already reached 83.5% in 2018 and increased to 94.3% during Q1-Q3 2023. Despite this, 4G share of mobile connections remains low at 18.8% in 2022 (according to GSMA Intelligence). The unaffordability of smartphones, combined with the limited coverage in rural areas and poor network QoS remain obstacles to mobile data adoption.

To address these challenges, Orange and MTN launched financing schemes and introduced affordable handset models. Further, ARTCI initiated discussions with the operators in 2022 on how to implement improvements in their network and was given additional powers to improve service quality levels. ARTCI also awarded the three operators 2×20 MHz in the 2600 MHz band for LTE to improve network data capacity and is looking for infrastructure sharing as an option to speed up 5G deployment, in time for the African Cup, which will take place at the beginning of 2024.

Government support was pivotal in Libya to accelerate 4G rollout amidst challenging conditions

Libya experienced prolonged political unrest and violence since 2011, leading to the destruction of communication networks, equipment theft, and power shortage. The progressive return to stability since 2021 has somewhat enabled the restoration and extension of existing network infrastructure.

Despite these challenges, Libya has one of the highest mobile penetration in Africa (178.5% in June 2023, according to GSMA Intelligence), and it is one of the few North African countries with an MVNO (albeit capturing less than 1% of the market). The market is a duopoly with two subsidies of Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Company (LPTIC): Al Madar Aljaded and Libyana. Both operators introduced 4G over 1800 MHz in 2018, initially covering only a few cities.

Libyana took the lead by launching LTE in January 2018 and covering 30 major towns and cities by the end of that year. It subsequently expanded coverage to more than 49 towns and cities by April 2022. 

Almadar Aljaded launched LTE and LTE-A in October 2018 in Greater Tripoli Benghazi and Misrata before expanding nationwide, claiming coverage for more than 80% of the population in 2022. 

4G deployment gained momentum and the restoration of the telecoms infrastructure resumed thanks to LPTIC’s program launched in 2021 to extend LTE coverage to underserved areas thanks to cooperation agreements with foreign governments and telecoms groups. According to Speedtest Intelligence®, access to 4G service increased from 11.8% in 2019 to 76.8% during Q1-Q3 2023. Northern regions had particularly benefited from network coverage enhancements as shown in the map below where green squares show locations where 4G service is available and red squares where 4G service is unavailable.

This coverage expansion was accompanied by a boost to median download and upload speeds reaching 15.08 Mbps and 6.43 Mbps in Q2 2023, respectively. However, 4G network throughput is low compared to the performance of other countries featured in this article, suggesting that there is room to improve capacity.

Unfortunately, the deadly floods that struck the eastern part of the country in September 2023 are a significant setback. We expect network expansion and upgrade efforts will be delayed as funding will be directed toward relief efforts and the restoration of basic mobile services.

Maps of 4G Service Availability in Northern Regions, Libya | 2019 and 2023

The allocation of additional spectrum in Mauritius helped to improve 4G coverage and speed

Mauritius is an early adopter of 4G with a saturated mobile market (population penetration reached 160.0% in Q3 2023). The market has three active mobile network operators: incumbent operator Cellplus Mobile Communications (under my.t mobile), Emtel, and Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML) (operating under the CHiLi brand).

Cellplus Mobile launched 4G in 2012 over the 1800 MHz band. It initiated a major network modernization project in 2017, which resulted in a 50% increase in data traffic in 2018 enabling 4G traffic to overtake 3G traffic for the first time. It achieved quasi-nationwide 4G coverage by mid-2019.

The second operator Emtel also launched 4G in 2012 and claimed its 4G network covered the whole island by end-2022. Lastly, MTML (CHiLi), introduced LTE services in 2015 and progressively expanded coverage until it reached 90% of the population by end-2022. This led to a 7% increase in monthly data traffic year-on-year in FY2022/2021.

Operators continued to improve 4G coverage and speed as they prepared to launch 5G. According to Speedtest Intelligence®, access to 4G service increased from 64.40% in 2019 to 96.3% during Q1-Q3 2023. During that period, Mauritius pulled further ahead than the other countries with 27.33 Mbps median 4G download speed in Q2 2023, overtaking Namibia which, until then, had the fastest download speed among the countries analyzed.

These achievements were partly driven by initiatives led by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) which continually encouraged the refarm and release of additional spectrum. For example, the 2100 MHz spectrum (1920‐1980 MHz paired with 2110‐2170 MHz) was reused for LTE and LTE-A services since 2018, after being used exclusively for 3G. ICTA also assigned 2×10 MHz of spectrum in the range 832MHz-862MHz and 791MHz-821MHz for LTE services in 2021, which helped to increase 4G coverage.

Access to additional spectrum and operators’ investment in Namibia helped to boost 4G coverage and performance

Mobile population penetration reached 110.7% in Q3 2023, behind other African markets with similar GDP. Similar to Libya, the market is a duopoly with two mobile operators controlled by a state company, Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings (NPTH): MTC, with an 86% market share, and Telecom Namibia (TN Mobile).

Market leader MTC launched a 4G LTE network over 1800 MHz in May 2012, initially for mobile broadband only. MTC then activated LTE-A in April 2016 contributing to boosting download speed, despite limited service availability in selected urban areas. MTC refarmed 2100 MHz for LTE in 2018 and was awarded 2x5MHz lots in the 900 MHz spectrum band in August 2021, but that was deemed insufficient to serve its large subscriber base. It initiated the ‘081EVERY1’ project to build additional base stations and upgrade 4G infrastructure in towns to provide 100% population coverage by the end of 2023. However, we understand that this objective has not been attained as of October 2023 (LTE coverage expanded to more than 68% of the population in 2022).

TN Mobile launched 4G in November 2013 and LTE-A in late 2019, using only 1800 MHz. In July 2022, the operator outlined a plan to invest more than $124 million over five years to modernize its network, starting with its national backbone, core network, and access technologies to boost population coverage and network QoS. Before that, TN Mobile had been deploying or upgrading mobile sites in selected rural and urban areas since 2019 to achieve 100% population 4G coverage by end-2023. However, the cost of competing with the dominating incumbent operator will likely make it difficult to achieve it.

According to Speedtest Intelligence, 4G service availability in Nambia increased from 24.7% in 2019 to 76.6% over January-October 2023, with the Otjozondjupa region showing substantial improvement (see map below). However, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), only seven out of fourteen regions were covered by 4G, calling for more private-sector investment to increase 4G footprint. To support these efforts, the CRNA kicked off the auction process for 700 MHz (703-788 MHz) and 800 MHz (790-862 MHz) frequency bands in February 2023. The spectrum was awarded in October 2023 to the two mobile operators and local ISP Loc8 Mobile for 4G and 5G services.

The three licensees should provide 4G and 5G services with at least 20 Mbps download speed and have to extend 4G coverage to at least 80% of the population in six out of the 14 regions. This suggests that operators will need substantial investments in network infrastructure to satisfy these coverage and speed requirements.

Maps of 4G Service Availability in Otjozondjupa Region, Northern Namibia | 2019 and 2023

Access to multiple spectrum bands helped operators in Nigeria to rapidly expand 4G network coverage

Nigeria is the largest market in Africa in terms of mobile connections with over 220 million mobile subscribers. The market peaked in 2020 and then contracted due to the implementation of the SIM registration policy. The market started recovering more in the second half of 2021 as previously-restricted subscribers obtained a new SIM through ID verification. Mobile penetration reached 90.3% in Q3 2023.

The market is highly competitive with three main players: MTN (38.7% share of subscribers in July 2023), Glo (Globacom) (27.82%), and Airtel (27.24%). 4G coverage increased rapidly to reach 80.9% at the end of 2022 though adoption peaked at around 25% before starting to fall as some customers migrate to 5G. 

Glo was the first main operator to introduce 4G services in 2016 over 700 MHz, which it then combined with 1800 MHz spectrum in 2019. It launched LTE-A in 2023 by combining  700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2600 MHz (which it acquired recently), and plans to deploy 4,000 LTE-A mobile sites in major towns and cities.

MTN launched 4G the same year using 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands. It then launched LTE-A by combining 2600 MHz and 1800 MHz in 2019. MTN then acquired 800 MHz spectrum to improve coverage 4G coverage which reached 83% in 2023. Its CAPEX (excluding right-of-use assets) increased by 18.1% in 2022 to around $470 million to accelerate 4G and 5G network expansion. In September 2023, it acquired an additional 10 MHz of spectrum in the 2600 MHz band to improve the capacity of its LTE network. 

Airtel was the last to launch LTE over 1800 MHz, before incorporating 2600 MHz in 2019 and 900 MHz in 2022, which helped to expand coverage to more than 463 locations in the country.

Maps of 4G Service Availability in Nigeria | 2019 and 2023

Operators faced several technical and operational challenges that impacted the quality of 4G connectivity in Nigeria. This was the result of the network infrastructure not being able to keep up with pent-up demand for mobile device services. Other factors also contributed to the deterioration of network quality including the limited access to continuous power supply, vandalism, and multiple taxes and levies. 

Furthermore, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the government took a tough stand against operators for failing to meet QoS obligations or delaying tax payments, resulting in significant fines between 2012 and 2016. 

The NCC started adopting less punitive measures against operators recently and being more actively engaged with them on QoS issues, following the South African model. The government also reversed its decision to impose a 5% excise duty on telecom services in 2023. These measures should help somewhat operators weather the current challenging macroeconomic climate.

The regulator’s efforts helped improve 4G coverage in Tanzania but data services remain unaffordable to most of the population

Tanzania has a crowded mobile market with seven operators and fierce price competition. The introduction of biometric SIM identification slowed market growth in 2020 (the market contracted by 9.5 million) before recovering in 2021. Mobile penetration reached 93.9% in June 2023.

Three operators dominate the market: Vodacom (30% of subscribers in June 2023), Airtel (27%), and third-placed Tigo (27%), which was acquired by a consortium led by Axian Telecom in April 2022.

Vodacom launched 4G commercially in 2016. It uses 700 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum bands. It reported having deployed 2315 4G sites by the end of 2022 (up from 1814 in September 2021) and that broadband coverage reached 93% of the population.

Airtel launched LTE services over 1800 MHz in the capital Dodoma in November 2019 then expanded to other cities in 2020. It announced the deployment of its ‘Supa 4G’ LTE-A network in 2021 which uses 700 MHz and 2100 MHz in 500 cities and villages. It claims to have rolled out LTE-A in 80% of its mobile sites by April 2022. Airtel was also allocated an additional spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in 2019. 

Tigo launched LTE services in Dar es  Salaam in April 2015 over 800 MHz. It progressively expanded its network to reach 26 regions by February 2022. It launched LTE-A in September 2018 over 800/1800 MHz in a limited number of cities. In May 2022, Axian Telecom announced plans to invest $500 million in infrastructure over the next five years to improve 4G coverage and QoS, especially in rural areas, and to support the country’s digital transformation and bridge the digital divide. 

Maps of 4G Service Availability in Tanzania | 2019 and 2023

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has been less punitive than before. For example, in 2019, it fined the six operators $2.6 million for failing to meet QoS standards. However, in 2021, the TCRA ordered the operators to invest $16.4 million to address network issues rather than issue a new fine

The government also freed up the 700 MHz band and auctioned it off in 2018 to enable operators to provide 4G data services to more communities. Four years later, another auction was completed for 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands to be used for 4G and 5G. More recently, the government launched the ‘Digital Tanzania’ project in May 2023 in partnership with mobile operators and with support from the World Bank to reach 80% broadband population penetration by 2025. Operators will use the universal access fund to deploy 758 mobile towers to provide data services to 1407 villages and over 8.5 million potential users. 

While 4G coverage reached 65%, Tanzania has the lowest 4G share of connections among the countries reviewed in this article, at 17.8% in Q2 2023. Furthermore, according to TCRA, only 27% of Tanzanians owned smartphones and mobile internet-enabled devices in 2022. 

This suggests that many consumers still can not afford data-enabled handsets and that data tariffs remain out of reach for most Tanzanians, given low income levels, since most of them live in rural areas and work in the agriculture sector.

The government plays a crucial role in progressing the national broadband connectivity agenda in Zimbabwe

According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ), mobile penetration reached 91.9% at the end of Q2 2023. Mobile data connectivity is the most common way to access internet services. 3G and 4G services represented more than 98% of data connections in the country, and the main driver for internet penetration.

The market is dominated by Econet which controls 72.3% of subscriptions as of June 2023. It launched 4G over 1800 MHz in August 2013, but adoption was muted because of limited coverage, and expensive tariffs. Fast forward to October 2022, and 4G network reached 39% of the population. Econet has the highest number of LTE base stations in the country, 54.3% of the 1962 stations in June 2023. In September 2023, it announced the deployment of 30 new 4G sites by March 2024 and an upgrade of all existing 2G sites to 4G in the eastern provinces. 

NetOne is a state-owned operator and the second-largest player with a 25.5% market share in June 2023. It launched 4G in November 2014, using 1800 MHz before adding 700 MHz in 2016. It resumed deployment of LTE base stations in rural areas in 2021, which helped it to control more than 44.5% of total 4G towers in the country (867 base stations) and grow its data subscribers.

Telecel has been struggling to maintain its market share over the past few years. It initially opted not to launch LTE along with competitors because it believed that the market was not ready. It eventually introduced LTE in late 2017 but had just 17 LTE base stations according to the regulator by mid-2022.

The government announced its plan to raise internet penetration to above 75.0% by 2025, up from 65.2% in Q2 2023. It announced the national broadband program covering 2023–2030 to reduce the cost of broadband access to 2% of the average monthly income from 10.1%. The government is committed to raising the funds for this plan which includes the deployment of fibre infrastructure for broadband access and backhaul. It also plans to deploy 300 base stations across the country to be shared by the operators to support mobile services in rural areas using the universal services fund.

This is a vital initiative as operators are struggling to finance their network deployment and upgrade their networks due to currency depreciation, and limited access to foreign currency to pay for equipment. Their revenues are also down due to the reduction in consumer spending as a result of inflation and reduced disposable income, which is impacting their ability to finance their infrastructure development plan.

It is clear, from the examples discussed above, that the role of governments and regulatory authorities is crucial to making mobile data services accessible in Africa. Operators need sufficient spectrum, favorable policies and regulations, and the support they need to expand 4G infrastructure. In light of the current macroeconomic and operational challenges hindering the adoption of 4G, such as spectrum availability, coverage requirements, and handset affordability, overcoming these challenges will help with the next phase of 5G development.

Connectivity is crucial to economic development, competitiveness, and innovation in the Middle East and Africa region. Ookla’s crowdsourced insights and data help policymakers make informed decisions on how to use spectrum efficiently and improve network performance and user experience. Ookla also regularly hosts events in the region to help regulators share knowledge and experiences on how to close the digital divide. Regulatory officials from Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, and Libya attended the last regulatory summit in June 2023 in Jordan.

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.

Africa
sub-saharan-africa
4G
LTE

About the Author

Karim Yaici

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 4, 2019

In-Depth Analysis of Changes in World Internet Performance Using the Speedtest Global Index

Global Speeds

A lot has changed in the two years since 2017 when we first began ranking mobile and fixed broadband speeds of countries around the world with the Speedtest Global IndexTM. 5G is being deployed around the world and fiber continues to make gigabit speeds a reality in more and more countries. We’ve been tracking it all and are here to report on how much speeds have increased, which countries are leading internet performance and which are falling behind, and what trends we see across continents.

World mobile speed increased 21.4% with fixed broadband up 37.4%

World-Download-Speeds-2019-OG2

Looking just at the last year, the world’s mean download speed over mobile increased 21.4% from 22.81 Mbps in July 2018 to 27.69 Mbps in July 2019. Mean upload speed over mobile increased 18.1% from 9.13 Mbps to 10.78 Mbps. The world average for download speed over fixed broadband increased 37.4% from 46.48 Mbps in July 2018 to 63.85 Mbps in July 2019. Mean upload speed over fixed broadband increased 48.9% from 22.52 Mbps to 33.53 Mbps.

Shake-ups in the country rankings for internet performance

Fastest-Countries-Mobile-2018-2019

Mobile speeds in the fastest countries have skyrocketed in the past year which has dramatically shifted the rankings. South Korea, which was not even in the top ten a year ago, saw a 165.9% increase in mean download speed over mobile during the past 12 months, in large part due to 5G. Switzerland’s mean download speed increased 23.5%. Canada’s was up 22.2%, Australia 21.2%, the Netherlands 17.3%, UAE 11.1%, Malta 10.3% and Norway 5.8%. Qatar remained in the top ten, although the country’s mean download speed over mobile actually dropped 1.4% from July 2018 to July 2019.

Individual mobile operators can make a huge difference in a country’s speeds. In 2017 we were excited to see Telenor uncap their mobile speeds, which drove Norway to the top of the Speedtest Global Index. A big part of South Korea’s mobile success in the past year is the way KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom banded together to release 5G at the same time. Switzerland has also benefited from 5G and Sunrise leads the country with 262 5G deployments across the country while Swisscomm has 52.

Fastest-Countries-Fixed-2018-2019

Fixed broadband rankings on the Speedtest Global Index have not changed as dramatically during the past 12 months as those on mobile. Singapore remains the fastest country with an increase in mean download speed over fixed broadband of 5.6%. Taiwan had the largest jump in speeds among the top 10 with a 166.5% improvement in fixed download speed between July 2018 and July 2019. Mean download speed over fixed broadband increased 52.4% in South Korea, 26.4% in Macau, 21.7% in Romania, 21.0% in Switzerland, 19.3% in the United States and 3.5% in Hong Kong.

Monaco and Andorra did not have enough tests to qualify for the Speedtest Global Index one year ago, but massive fixed broadband improvements in both countries inspired us to lower our test count threshold for inclusion and also share these smaller countries’ success stories.

Technologies paving the way: 5G and gigabit

The presence of 5G is not enough to change a market

As discussed above, 5G has the potential to rocket a country to the top of the mobile rankings on the Speedtest Global Index. In practice, we’ve seen 5G speeds that were over 1000% faster than those on LTE.

Mobile-Download-Speeds-by-Country

In reality, though, unless 5G is commercially available widely across a country and from all mobile operators (as was the case in South Korea), the change in speeds at the country level is not that significant. Though commercial 5G was launched widely across Switzerland by Sunrise and Swisscom in April 2019, the country’s mean download speed only increased 2.8% in the three months since. The average mobile download speed in the U.S. has actually declined slightly since 5G was initially deployed. This is because 5G is still only available in a very limited number of markets to consumers with 5G-capable devices.

Visit the Ookla 5G Map for the latest on 5G deployments across the globe.

Gigabit is a game-changer, if you can get it

Unlike 5G, fiber connections have been rolling out since 2007, opening up the possibility of gigabit-speed fixed broadband. That said, it’s costly and time-intensive to lay miles and miles of fiber so progress has varied widely across the globe.

Gigabit-Test---Performance_Singapore-1

Geographically small countries like Singapore have the advantage when it comes to fiber, because It’s easier and cheaper to lay fiber optic cable across the country’s small footprint. Singaporean internet service providers (ISPs) have used this advantage to go beyond mere gigabit and offer connections as fast as 10 Gbps. This is reflected both in Singapore’s dominance of the fixed rankings on the Speedtest Global Index and in the fact that 2.87% of their total Speedtest results over fixed broadband are gigabit-speed (800 Mbps or higher).

Gigabit-Test---Performance_Brazil-1

Brazil offers a good contrast for how difficult it can be for gigabit to reach the masses. While the first Brazilian ISP to offer fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) initially did so in 2007, easy access to gigabit speeds was slow to follow. However, that may be starting to change. Between June and July 2019 we saw a large uptick in gigabit-speed results in Brazil, where the proportion of gigabit speed tests increased from 0.02% of total fixed broadband tests to 0.17%. This corresponded with a large increase in mean download speed at the country level.

Comparing world mobile and fixed broadband at a glance

We were curious to see just how different internet performance experiences were around the world, so we plotted average mobile download speed against average download speed on fixed broadband. All of the graphs below use a percentage difference from the global average, a number that changed between 2018 and 2019.

fade-Performance-vs-Global---Quadrant-All

Speed Leaders

There was not much change in the list of countries that showed above-average download speeds on both mobile and fixed broadband between July 2018 and July 2019, the “Speed Leaders.” What did change was that fixed broadband speeds increased significantly enough among the group to bring the whole pack closer to Singapore and Hong Kong. On the mobile axis, South Korea’s major increase in download speed made that country more of an outlier, pushing the boundaries of what great performance can look like.

Fixed-Focused countries

Between July 2018 and July 2019 we saw the number of countries considered to be “Fixed-Focused” (having faster download speeds over fixed broadband than the world average while their average mobile download speeds were slower than average) increase. Ireland was the only country that solidly fit this category in 2018. Thailand and Chile started near the midline for fixed speeds and below-average for mobile speeds in 2018. 2019 found both countries squarely in the Fixed-Focused category. Israel also edged into this category as their mobile download speed fell between July 2018 and 2019.

Mobile-Focused countries

The “Mobile-Focused” category saw the most movement between July 2018 and July 2019 as some countries (the UAE and Qatar) increased their fixed speeds sufficiently to join the Speed Leaders. Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mobile download speed increased year-over-year to move them into the Mobile-Focused quadrant. Georgia’s mobile download speed decreased enough to move them from Mobile-Focused to Speed Laggers.

It will be interesting to see how many of these Mobile-Focused countries double down on their mobile investments and explore 5G alternatives to fixed broadband.

Speed Laggers

No country wants to be in the position of having slower than average mobile and fixed broadband speeds. We saw 57 countries in this “Speed Laggers” quadrant in July 2018 and 78 in July 2019. This increase is mostly due to our expansion of the number of countries we consider for the Speedtest Global Index based on test count. There were enough countries in this category that we’ve considered them separately by continent below.

Regional views of mobile and fixed broadband performance

Mobile-and-Fixed-Broadband-Improvement-by-Continent-02

We aggregated Speedtest results by continent to analyze mobile and fixed broadband performance by continent.

Mobile-and-Fixed-Performance-by-Continent-01

Asia had the highest percentage increase in mobile download speed followed by North America, Oceania, South America, Africa and Europe. Oceania had the fastest mean download speed in July 2019. North America placed second, Europe third, Asia fourth, South America fifth and Africa sixth.

On the fixed broadband side, South America saw the highest percentage increase in download speed. Asia came in second, Europe third, Africa fourth, North America fifth and Oceania sixth. North America had the fastest mean download speed in July 2019. Europe was second, Asia third, and Oceania fourth. As we saw with mobile, South America and Africa again ranked fifth and sixth, respectively.

A zoomed-in view of the speed quadrants separated by continent offers a more detailed view of each country’s role in these rankings.

Africa mostly lags in internet speeds

2019-Performance-vs-Global---Africa

In July 2019, all but two African countries in the Speedtest Global Index fell into the Speed Laggers category, having mobile and fixed broadband speeds that were below global averages. The exceptions were South Africa and Guinea, which both had fast enough mobile speeds to place them in the mobile-focused quadrant.

Asian markets show a wide breadth of internet performance

2019-Performance-vs-Global---Asia

Asia was the most diverse continent we examined in terms of internet performance. We saw a plurality of countries in each of the four quadrants in July 2019. Most of the Speed Leaders were in East Asia: China, Hong Kong (SAR), Japan, Macau (SAR), South Korea, and Taiwan. If we include Singapore, another Speed Leader, these are among the wealthiest nations in Asia (using GDP per capita). Two of Asia’s Fixed-Focused countries are in Southeast Asia (Malaysia and Thailand) and one is in the Middle East (Israel).

The Speed Laggers category contained countries from South Asia (including Afghanistan, India and Pakistan), Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam) and the Middle East (Jordan). Mobile-Focused countries in Asia were mostly Middle Eastern, including Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

European mobile performance is mostly strong, fixed varies

2019-Performance-vs-Global---Europe

With the exception of Ireland, the European countries on the Speedtest Global Index fell into the Speed Leaders, Mobile-Focused, and Speed Laggers categories. All of the Speed Laggers (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and the Ukraine) were from Eastern Europe. Countries from Southeast Europe (including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Moldova, Serbia and Slovenia) and Central Europe (Austria and the Czech Republic) made up the bulk of the Mobile-Focused category.

Speed Leaders included countries from the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), the Nordics (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), Central Europe (Poland and Romania), and Western Europe (including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain).

North American internet performance is sharply divided

2019-Performance-vs-Global---North-America

Canada and the U.S. are the only two North American countries in the Speed Leaders category. Panama is the only North American country under Fixed-Focused. Mexico and all of the Central American countries fall into the Speed Laggers category. There are no North American countries that are Mobile-Focused.

Each country in Oceania has a very different internet story

2019-Performance-vs-Global---Ocean

Oceania is represented in three of the four quadrants: Speed Leaders (New Zealand), Mobile-Focused (Australia) and Speed Laggers (Papua New Guinea) with Fiji straddling the divide between Speed Laggers and Mobile-Focused.

South America mostly lags in mobile and fixed internet speeds

2019-Performance-vs-Global---South-America

Most of the South American countries represented on the Speedtest Global Index are in the Speed Laggers quadrant (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela). Chile is an exception, being part of the Fixed-Focused group, as is Uruguay which sits in Mobile-Focused.

Global internet speeds are improving on average and 5G and gigabit are compounding those advances where available. However, not all countries are benefitting equally. We’ll be interested to see how 5G continues to push mobile speeds in the next year and also whether 5G Wi-Fi becomes a game changer for fixed broadband. Remember to check the Speedtest Global Index on a monthly basis for updated country rankings. And take a Speedtest to make sure your experience is represented in your country’s averages.

Editor’s Note: This article was edited on September 10, 2019 to correct an error in the labeling on the first image. The colors in a later image were updated for consistency.

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

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 19, 2022

MTN Performed Best Among Operator Groups in Sub-Saharan Africa

Global Speeds

This article explores mobile performance in select countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We examine how four operator groups – Airtel, Orange, MTN, and Vodacom – mobile performance compared against each other during Q2 2022 across ten countries. In our previous analysis of the state of the 5G networks South Africa Spearheads 5G in Africa, but the Road is Long and Windy for Others we analyzed mobile performance on modern chipsets during 2021 (full year) across the African continent. We concluded that these are still early days for 5G across the region as challenges remain around affordability and infrastructure. In this article we focus our analysis on these four operator groups which command the majority (62%) of the SSA subscriptions. We also compare mobile performance on modern chipsets across ten countries. Those ten countries account for 59% of the region’s connections, including:

  • East Africa: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda; 
  • Southern Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Botswana; 
  • West Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria.

Key messages:

  • Speedtest Intelligence® data shows that MTN South Africa delivered the fastest median download speeds across analyzed operators, at 65.95 Mbps in Q2 2022. However, Vodacom in Johannesburg was the fastest operator considering speeds across top cities, reaching 81.36 Mbps median download speed in Q2 2022. In South Africa, MTN outperformed Vodacom in terms of median mobile speeds during Q2 2022. 
  • Comparing Airtel and MTN performance across the three countries they operate in, Airtel took the top spot in Nigeria, both in terms of median download and upload speed in Q2 2022, while in Uganda and Rwanda there were no winners. Such was the case in Botswana too, where there was no winner between Mascom and Orange.
  • In Côte d’Ivoire, MTN took the market lead versus Orange in Q2 2022, whereas in Guinea, the situation was reversed and Orange took the top spot. 
  • Vodacom subsidiary Safaricom won the accolade in Kenya vis a vis Airtel, in Tanzania there was no clear winner as Vodacom won the download speed and Airtel the upload. 
  • In the DRC, which is host to three of the operator groups, there was no winner overall, although Orange was the top player in terms of download speeds.
  • During Q2 2022, South African network performance has been affected by load shedding, which resulted in consumer reporting not having signal and access to mobile internet according to Downdetector®. 

MTN South Africa delivered the fastest median download speed in Q2 2022

Chart of mobile performance among operators across African markets

Using Speedtest Intelligence® data we compared mobile performance in Q2 2022 on modern chipsets across 21 operators. Our results show that median download speeds ranged between 2.89 Mbps (MTN Guinea) and 65.95 Mbps (MTN South Africa). Median upload speeds varied between 1.55 Mbps (MTN Guinea) and 14.84 Mbps (Airtel Uganda).

We can clearly see the impact that 5G has on overall performance as South African operators came first thanks to having 5G networks in place. MTN South Africa was well ahead of the rest of operators, despite facing challenges with load shedding, with median download speed of 65.95 Mbps, followed by Vodacom South Africa with a median download speed of 48.70 Mbps. If we take 5G out of the equation, Safaricom Kenya was the fastest operator among the analyzed operators. 

Vodafone in Johannesburg stole the show

When it comes to mobile speeds in capital cities, it is not surprising that cities that have 5G networks came top of the list. As such, Johannesburg led the pack, with a median download speed of 66.54 Mbps, ahead of Cape Town at 49.22 Mbps. Vodacom got ahead of MTN in Johannesburg and was the fastest operator across 12 cities we analyzed, with a median download speed of 81.36 Mbps in Q2 2022 compared to 73.83 Mbps in Q1 2022. MTN was faster in Cape Town. Taking 5G out of the equation, Orange in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, achieved median download speeds of 39.46 Mbps.

Chart of median download speeds of African cities by operator

MTN got ahead of Orange, Airtel, and Vodacom 

Using Speedtest Intelligence data for Q2 2022, we compared mobile performance on modern chipsets and 4G Availability in the countries where Airtel, Orange, Vodacom, and MTN operate.

MTN outperformed Orange in Côte d’Ivoire and Vodacom in South Africa, both in terms of median download and upload speeds. While MTN had better download speed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Rwanda MTN performed better than Airtel with regards to median download speed. Orange took the top spot in Guinea, Airtel in Nigeria, and Safaricom in Kenya. In the rest of the countries, the difference in mobile performance was either not statistically significant or there was not a single operator that delivered better performance across both upstream and downstream.

Map of mobile performance among Airtel, MTN, Orange, and Vodacom across Africa

We have included a more detailed analysis below.

Airtel versus MTN

Chart of Airtel and MTN mobile performance and 4G availability in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda

Nigeria: Airtel took the top spot in terms of speed, MTN had better 4G Availability.

  • As of Q2 2022, MTN Nigeria commanded 38.9% of Nigeria’s mobile users, with its 74.1 million subscribers almost double that of Airtel’s 46.0 million. 
  • Yet when it comes to mobile performance, Airtel Nigeria was ahead of MTN; in Q2 2022, Airtel Nigeria recorded a median download speed of 30.35 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.28 Mbps, both of which topped those of MTN (26.30 Mbps download and 9.13 Mbps upload). 
  • Those speeds are set to increase as both companies have invested heavily into network infrastructure, with a combined investment of N208.5 billion ($502 million). The investment translates into an increase in 4G Availability as well. In Q2 2022, MTN had 83.8% 4G Availability compared to Airtel’s 77.9%. 

Uganda: MTN ahead in download speed, Airtel had better upload.

  • MTN’s 53.9% market share in Uganda translates to 16.3 million subscribers as of Q2 2022. Meanwhile, Airtel Uganda had a 45.1% market share (13.6 million). 
  • In Q2 2022, MTN Uganda was ahead of Airtel in terms of median download speeds, while Airtel had at least a 33% better median upload speed. 
  • In its recent annual report, Airtel announced that its 4G network was available to 90% of the population of Uganda, effectively providing coverage to the entire country. To aid its capacity, Airtel Uganda is also rolling out fiber, which helps to boost data throughput. For example, in the capital – Kampala – 79% of sites are connected through fiber. In terms of 4G Availability, MTN and Airtel came closely together at  83.1% and 80.7%, respectively.

Rwanda: MTN took the top spot for median download and 4G Availability 

  • MTN Rwanda increased its customer base by 1.7% year-on-year (YoY) to 6.6 million as of Q2 2022, expanding its lead in customer market share by 2.7 pp to 65.6%, Airtel controlled the remainder of the market. 
  • MTN Rwanda performed better than Airtel when it comes to median download speed: MTN had a 33% better median download speed.
  • MTN Rwanda also had the best 4G Availability order to further increase smartphone penetration in the market and stimulate demand for data services, in June 2022, MTN Rwanda and Bank of Kigali (BK Group) signed an agreement to introduce device financing. This program will enable customers to spread over the cost of smartphones over an extended period of time.

MTN versus Orange

Chart comparing 4G availability in Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea

Botswana: Mascom and Orange performed similarly. 

  • Mascom (MTN) is the largest operator in Botswana, with 1.8 million subscribers in Q2 2022 and a 42.2% market share. Orange is the second largest operator, ending Q2 2022 with 1.7 million subscribers and 41.2% market share.
  • Comparing the operators’ performance, the difference in terms of both median download and upload speeds as well as 4G Availability was not statistically significant and there is no winner.  

Côte d’Ivoire: MTN stole the show in terms of performance. 

  • MTN had 38.9% subscriber market share in Côte d’Ivoire as of Q2 2022, which equates to 15.8 million subscribers, Orange ended Q2 2022 with 14.6 million subscribers (36.0% market share). 
  • MTN had faster median download and upload speeds compared to that of Orange, and the gap might widen even more going forward. In December 2021, MTN Côte d’Ivoire started 5G trials at nine locations in Abidjan. This was followed by the Ivoirian government adopting a roadmap for the launch of 5G technology in February this year, with 5G networks expected to go live by 2023. 

Guinea: Orange commands the Guinean market. 

  • Market leader, Orange, which switched on its 4G network in 2019, accounted for 60% of mobile connections in Q2 2022 in Guinea, ahead of MTN (30.8%). According to telecom regulator ARPT, in Q4 2021, Orange held a 69.9% market share of mobile Internet traffic, while MTN held 26.9%. 
  • Orange was far ahead in terms of performance during Q2 2022. Part of the reason being that Orange is currently the sole provider of 4G services in the country, with MTN awarded a 4G operating license in February 2022 but it has not launched the services yet.

Vodacom versus Airtel

Chart of Vodacom and Airtel mobile performance and 4G availability in Kenya and Tanzania

Kenya: Safaricom won across all metrics. 

  • Safaricom is the largest operator in Kenya by a mile, with 67.1% market share (equivalent to 42.7 million connections) ahead of Airtel 25.9% (16.4 million).
  • Safaricom also exhibited better network performance during Q2 2022, with a median download speed of 36.25 Mbps and upload of 13.83 Mbps, compared to Airtel (28.58 Mbps download speed and 8.44 Mbps upload). 
  • Safaricom has signed a multi-year contract with satellite provider Intelsat to modernize its network and expand LTE coverage. Safricom is focusing more on 4G rather than pursuing 5G as the cost of 5G handsets is prohibitive and slowing down its 5G expansion. In a bid to increase smartphone usage on its network, Safaricom partnered with Google to allow its customers to pay for 4G-enabled phones in installments. Customers pay as little as KES 20 ($0.34) per day over a nine-month period. The operator’s ultimate target is to upgrade about four million 2G and 3G phones to 4G. Safaricom had also partnered with Vivo to sell 4G phones. 
  • Meanwhile, Safaricom’s top competitor in Kenya, Airtel Kenya, paid $5 million as part of an agreement with the regulator to acquire and operate spectrum from 2015 through 2025. The operator has a remaining balance of $10 million to settle over the next three years, with a cumulative payout of $20 million. 

Tanzania: Vodacom did better on download speeds. 

  • Tanzania’s mobile market is served by seven mobile operators, making it one of the most competitive markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. Vodacom ended June 2022 with 15.6 million subscribers, which translated into a 28.8% market share, GSMA Intelligence estimates that Airtel held a 27.4% market share in Q2 2022, equivalent to 14.8 million subscriptions.  
  • Vodacom’s median download speeds were ahead of Airtel’s  – 17.08 Mbps versus 12.89 Mbps. Vodacom’s 4G Availability also topped Airtel’s at 87.1%, compared to 77.7%. To further increase its network reach, in May 2022, Vodacom Tanzania signed a deal with the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB), a national fiber optic cable network. This will allow Vodacom to increase rural connectivity after an initial investment of €5.82 million ($6.22 million) in October 2021. Furthermore, in September 2022, Vodacom launched 5G mobile service in Dar es Salaam with a target to expand to approximately 230 locations in other cities. In time, as more users migrate to 5G smartphones and tariffs this will lead to Vodacom improving its speeds further. 

Orange versus Vodacom versus Airtel

Chart of Vodacom, Orange, and Airtel mobile performance and 4G availability in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Orange was the top player in terms of download speeds. 

  • The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third largest country by population across the SSA and largest by area. It hosts seven mobile operators, including three of the four groups we analyze — Vodacom, MTN, Orange, and Airtel. 
  • In Q2 2022, Vodacom was the largest operator by number of connections with market share of 35.3% and 16.0 million connections, followed by Airtel (12.8 million) and Orange (12.2 million). 
  • Comparing operators’ mobile performance, Orange led in terms of median download speed (29.18  Mbps), ahead of Airtel (11.15 Mbps) and Vodacom (8.00 Mbps). Operators came head to head with regards to 4G Availability. 

MTN versus Vodacom

Chart of MTN and Vodacom performance and 4G availability in South Africa

South Africa: MTN outperformed Vodacom in terms of mobile speeds. 

  • Vodacom ended June 2022 with 45.1 million subscriptions equivalent to a 41% market share. MTN is the second largest player with 35.3 million connections, and had a net addition of almost 837,000 in the quarter. MTN noted in their results that: “The overall growth in the base was particularly encouraging given the significant ramp-up in load shedding, which impacts systems and typically constrains new customer acquisitions.” 
  • The South African market might see a consolidation if the proposed acquisition of Telkom by MTN gets the green light. This will change the market dynamics as MTN will become the number one player by number of connections.
  • In terms of mobile performance, MTN had better median download and upload speeds, while Vodacom led on 4G Availability. We have commented on the state of the 5G market in South Africa in our recent article. 

Mobile networks don’t exist in a vacuum 

It is important to note that mobile performance is impacted by a number of factors, including underlying infrastructure such as access to fiber backhaul and reliable power supply, spectrum availability as well as end-user devices to name a few. Case in point is the fact that, despite being the regional leaders when it comes to mobile performance, South African operators faced issues related to infrastructure reliability and availability over the past three months. Operating conditions in South Africa were affected by increased incidents of rolling power outages (load shedding) and there are no signs of respite. 

We have seen these outages reflected in Downdetector® data, which is the world’s most popular platform for user-reported service status information. During Q2 2022 users reported 46,810 incidents for Vodacom and 34,882 problems for MTN. There were two top issues reported: no signal and no mobile internet: lack of signal accounted for the majority (46%) of Vodacom’s reported outages, followed by inability to access mobile internet (36%). This has been reversed for MTN — majority of issues were related to mobile internet (43%), followed by no signal (40%). Noteworthy is the fact that there were reports of total blackouts: 7% for Vodacom and 5% for MTN.  

Chart of top indicators percent distribution for Vodacom and MTN in South Africa

Vodacom commented in its results call for the quarter ended on June 30, 2022 that they already spent ZAR 1.7 billion ($99.9 million) on batteries and generators to offset the impact of load shedding with further ZAR 500 million ($29.4 million) allocated to battery purchases. Vodacom also continues to optimize site utilization by using IoT.nxt technology to reduce the amount of energy consumption per site but also piloting wind power and solar projects. While its competitor, MTN, stated in its interim results report that it “rolled out a  comprehensive network resilience plan including additional batteries, generators and enhanced security features.” 

We will continue to monitor mobile networks performance across Africa, looking at how various factors affect it. If you are interested in benchmarking your performance or if you’d like to learn more about internet speeds and performance in other markets around the world visit the Speedtest Global Index™.

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
Network Performance

About the Author

Sylwia Kechiche

Ookla Research™ Articles
| June 21, 2022

South Africa Spearheads 5G in Africa, but the Road is Long and Windy for Others

Network Performance

Key Messages 

  • 4G continues to expand in Africa, and 5G is on the operators’ radar. South Africa was the first country in the region to launch 5G, and has since been joined by a handful of countries: Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Togo.
  • We examine 5G performance in South Africa in Q1 2022 vs. Q1 2021. In Q1 2022, MTN had the fastest median 5G download speed in South Africa at 213.37 Mbps, ahead of Vodacom (132.11 Mbps). MTN showed a strong improvement to its 5G Availability from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, growing from 1.0% to 9.7%. 
  • Using Speedtest Intelligence® data, we analyzed mobile performance on modern chipsets during 2021. Southern Africa is the fastest region in Africa in terms of median download speed of 37.89 Mbps, followed by Northern Africa at 25.63 Mbps, Central Africa at 18.73 Mbps, Eastern Africa at 18.31 Mbps, and Western Africa at 17.00 Mbps.
  • Johannesburg is the fastest city in sub-Saharan Africa.

Narrowing the digital divide for wider societal benefits 

According to GSMA Intelligence, there were almost one billion mobile connections across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in Q1 2022. Unfortunately for those users, it’s no secret that mobile performance and coverage in Africa have been subpar. We examined the state of the North African market in June of 2021, but the time is long overdue to examine the state of networks specific to SSA. 

Affordable 4G smartphones and targeted financing for under-served demographics are key for bridging the digital divide, but that’s not the only benefit: A World Bank study found that 4G coverage can help cut poverty by up to 4.3%. Additionally, the International Finance Corporation estimates a 10% boost to mobile broadband penetration in Africa could lift GDP per capita by 2.5%. 

Southern Africa had the fastest median download speed across African regions

Using Speedtest Intelligence® data, we analyzed mobile performance on modern chipsets during 2021 (full year) across the African continent. Modern chipsets include all mobile tests, regardless of connection technology used, as long as they are taken on devices that are identified as being capable of achieving the fastest speeds available in a market. Ookla closely monitors the launch and widespread release of new device models built on chipsets capable of utilizing the latest mobile network technologies. We aggregated speeds across countries that fall within the five African regions as defined by the United Nations. When looking at median download speeds in 2021, Southern Africa ranked first, with a median download speed of 37.89 Mbps, followed by Northern Africa at 25.63 Mbps, Central Africa at 18.73 Mbps, Eastern Africa at 18.31 Mbps, and Western Africa at 17.00 Mbps. 

Eastern Africa had the fastest median upload speed at 9.23 Mbps, followed by Northern Africa at 8.99 Mbps, Central Africa at 8.62 Mbps, Southern Africa (8.20 Mbps), and Western Africa (7.91 Mbps). 

To support the growing demand for faster speeds there is a growing investment in both surface and undersea cables. For example, Google’s new subsea cable, the Equiano, landed in Togo in March 2022 and Nigeria in April 2022. The cable is set to become operational by the end of the year and is also expected to bring connectivity to areas such as Namibia, South Africa, and neighboring regions.

We have chosen nine countries for our analysis as they were home to over half (56%) of the region’s connections, including:

  • Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda; 
  • Southern Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Botswana; 
  • Western Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria.

South Africa ahead of the pack for median download speed

Analysis based on data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that mobile speeds varied widely across African countries during Q1 2022. When looking at mobile performance on modern chipsets across the nine countries of the SSA region, our results showed that median download speeds ranged between 11.11 Mbps (Tanzania) and 48.76 Mbps (South Africa). Median upload speeds were between 6.45 Mbps (Tanzania) and 12.58 Mbps (Botswana). 

4G Availability was in excess of 50%

4G Availability describes the percentage of users on all devices who spend the majority of their time connected to 4G technology both roaming and on-network. Across the nine countries we looked at, 4G Availability exceeded 50% across the board. South Africa had the highest 4G Availability at 86.2%, followed by Côte d’Ivoire (82.1%), Kenya (81.5%), Democratic Republic of Congo (78.9%), Nigeria (77.9%), Uganda (75.9%), Tanzania (72.1%), and Botswana (69.4%). Guinea ranked last at 52.7%, largely because only Orange Guinea offers 4G services, utilizing 1800 MHz spectrum for which it was granted a license in March 2019. According to Ookla Map Elements®, Orange’s LTE network covers 14% of the Guinean population. However, that should change soon with MTN being awarded a 4G operating license in February 2022.

Johannesburg has the fastest median download speed among select African cities

Map showing Mobile Performance in Capital Cities in Africa

When it comes to speeds in select African capital cities, Johannesburg was fastest with a median download speed of 65.54 Mbps — nearly 35% faster than that of the next-fastest city, Cape Town at 48.27 Mbps.

Gaborone stood out for posting the third-fastest median download speed on the list at 42.29 Mbps. Meanwhile, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, and Abuja ranked closely together in terms of median download and upload speeds, with median download speeds ranging between 27.77 Mbps and 33.38 Mbps, with upload speeds ranging between 8.48 Mbps and 11.92 Mbps. 

The early days of 5G in Africa show green fields for operators

As 4G continues to expand in Africa, 5G is on operators’ radar. In sub-Saharan Africa, the 5G journey has already begun, but it is still early days for 5G deployment and commercialization. 

South Africa was the first country in the region to launch 5G, and has since been joined by a handful of countries: Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Togo. According to GSA, there were nine commercial 5G networks in seven markets across the region by the end of May 2022. In these markets, 5G coverage remains limited to major cities. Furthermore, just over two dozen operators are either planning, or testing 5G technology or are already in the deployment stage. Regulators across the regions have also started to make spectrum available for 5G. 

BOTSWANA: In February 2022, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) offered existing and new operators an opportunity to apply for spectrum in 5G frequency bands, covering low and mid band spectrum. This will allow operators to expand their existing 4G networks and roll out 5G. Operators are allowed to re-farm their existing spectrum to augment new spectrum to enable them to roll out 5G. Shortly after, during the same month, Mascom launched four 5G sites in the capital Gaborone as part of plans to roll out 111 sites across Botswana by the end of 2022.

KENYA: The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) developed a roadmap to facilitate 5G deployment. CA is preparing to reallocate spectrum in the 3500 MHz band, which was previously assigned for FWA networks in Kenya but will be refarmed for 5G by June 30, 2022. In May 2022, Safaricom was allocated 60 MHz of spectrum in the 2600 MHz band, which was previously used by the security agencies but has been released following a change in the technology that they use.

NIGERIA: In December 2021, MTN and Mafab Communication won 100 MHz TDD each in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band. In line with the terms and conditions of the concessions, the telcos are expected to commence the rollout of their 5G networks from August 24, 2022. While Airtel Africa pulled out of Nigeria’s 5G auction, its CEO Segun Ogunsanya stated they have sufficient spectrum in other bands to launch 5G.

SOUTH AFRICA: In March 2022, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) completed a delayed 5G auction, selling spectrum across 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 2.6 GHz, and 3.5 GHz bands. Rain and Vodacom got new low-band frequency assets in the 700 MHz band while Telkom and MTN gained spectrum in 800 MHz. All bidders received spectrum in mid-bands, which is considered the sweet spot for 5G in terms of speed and availability.

MTN leads on 5G in South Africa

Despite the fact that the 5G spectrum auction was completed in March 2022, Vodacom and MTN launched 5G services beforehand using emergency, temporary spectrum allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The regulator released spectrum in April 2020 to help operators alleviate some of the challenges they faced in responding to the high demand for data during COVID-19. 

In May 2020, Vodacom launched the first 5G network across Africa, in partnership with Nokia in the 3.5 GHz band. At the time of launch, the network was available in three cities — Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town — with a total of 190 5G sites. MTN followed in June 2020, using spectrum across 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands. In its latest report, MTN reported that in 2021, it had over 1,000 5G sites across several spectrum bands with plans to significantly scale up with 3.5GHz spectrum. 

Using Speedtest intelligence data, we compared operators’ 5G performance in Q1 2022 against data from Q1 2021. In Q1 2022, MTN’s median 5G download speed reached 213.37 Mbps — decreasing by a third when compared to Q1 2021 (320.10 Mbps).  Median upload speed suffered a nearly 40% decrease, going from 46.05 Mbps to 27.32 Mbps. When we examined the State of 5G Worldwide in 2021, we concluded that it’s common to see new mobile access technologies slow down as adoption scales, particularly early on in the tech cycle and as more users are logging on to existing 5G networks. As such, the downward tendency in MTN’s performance is not surprising at all. Vodacom, on the contrary, almost doubled its median 5G download speed from 69.93 Mbps to 132.11Mbps.

5G Availability, which describes the percent of users on 5G-capable devices that spend the majority of their time on 5G, continues its upward trajectory across South Africa, from just 0.9% in Q1 2021 to 5.6% in Q1 2022. MTN had shown a stronger improvement to its 5G Availability in the Q1 2021 to Q1 2022 period than its rival, growing from 1.0% to 9.7%.

Since the award of temporary spectrum in 2020, MTN has intensified its investment to increase network coverage, improve speeds, and enhance the overall customer experience. The operator has also invested in an expansion drive into rural and peri-urban areas and a major 5G rollout, reaching 15% of South Africa’s population at the end of 2021. MTN is also planning to extend its 5G coverage to 25% of the population by the end of 2022, and 60% by 2025. As part of MTN’s “Modernization of Network South Africa” (MONZA) project, MTN has been allocating a budget to extend network reach into rural communities, support 5G expansion, and restore vandalized infrastructure: ZAR 624 million ($38.7m) for Eastern Cape, ZAR 749 million ($46.5m) for Western Cape, ZAR 820 million ($50.9m) in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Vodacom’s 5G Availability had grown from 1.4% in Q1 2021 to 6.4% in Q1 2022. Vodacom reported in its FY 2022 results (for year ended March 2022) that in South Africa, capital expenditure was directed at improving capacity and resilience of the network and increasing 5G roll-out. As of March 2022, the operator’s 4G network covered 97.9% of the population, and it had also extended 5G sites to 624.

This investment drive is paying off. According to ICASA’s report, 5G population coverage reached 7.5% in 2021, an increase from a mere 0.7% in 2020. However, there is a disparity between urban and rural population coverage. 5G was present across all of the urban provinces, with Kwazulu-Natal in the lead with 20% 5G population penetration, while only three regions (Free State, Gauteng, and Western Cape) reported 1-2% population coverage in rural areas.

Having invested into spectrum and network roll-out, the operators look for ways to monetize 5G. For example, MTN has partnered with Australia’s Emerge Gaming to allow people to play cloud games on their Huawei P40 Pro phone using MTN’s 5G network. This is all in order to attract more consumers, especially video games’ enthusiasts. MTN also partnered with Huawei South Africa, Miniandante Mining, and Minetec Smart Mining to transform old mining processes using 5G. 

African nations still face many hurdles to modernizing networks

It is still early days for 5G across most of Africa. South Africa is leading the region having launched commercial networks in 2020. One of the key challenges across Africa in terms of network rollouts regardless of technology relate to the cost of mobile base stations, the backhaul technology that connects mobile sites to the core network, and energy supply. 

Recent World Bank report points to the three main areas where infrastructure costs can be prohibitive in rural settings, such as the mobile base station, the backhaul technology that connects mobile sites to the core network, and energy supply. To alleviate the challenges operators are taking steps and looking to innovative approaches to improve the situation. For example, Orange DRC partnered with NuRAN to construct and operate 2,000 solar-powered mobile towers, with a particular focus on rural communities, which will cover at least 10 million people in rural areas. These lower-cost “light towers,” are better suited to covering remote locations with small populations and come with significant cost savings. One of the reasons for lower costs is being powered by renewable energy solutions, particularly solar, rather than more expensive diesel generators. 

Device affordability is another issue. There are currently a few initiatives across the continent aimed at expanding connectivity to areas where it’s lacking. For instance, Google partnered with Safaricom in Kenya for a program that allows customers to pay for 4G-enabled phones in installments, while MTN Uganda reinforced a partnership with M-Kopa in March 2022 to introduce 4G smartphones on installment payment terms. MTN also inked a partnership with M-Kopa in 2021 that facilitated the sale of more than 70,000 smartphones, financing over 2 million customers across Africa. Orange in Cote d’Ivoire launched a similar initiative in partnership with Yabx and Cofina. Yabx, a Dutch firm that offers credit across multiple countries in Africa, will provide the technology and manage the complete customer journey that will enable Cofina, an Ivorian financial institution that provides SME financing, to launch plans for Orange subscribers. Bringing 5G devices into the African markets will be even more challenging.

Operators continue to innovate and we are keeping a close eye on how the network deployments are progressing and the network performance end users experience. If you are interested in benchmarking your performance or if you’d like to learn more about internet speeds and performance in other markets around the world visit the Speedtest Global Index™.

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 Performance

About the Author

Sylwia Kechiche