Kerry Baker | March 12, 2025

How a Power Outage Impacted Chile’s Mobile Network Resiliency

Here’s what Chile’s 12-hour nationwide power outage looked like according to mobile Speedtest data

A major transmission line failure caused a massive power outage across most of Chile. The outage began in the afternoon of February 25th and lasted approximately 12 hours, into the early morning of February 26th. Critical facilities like hospitals had to rely on backup power generators and the outage was disruptive enough that a state of emergency was declared for the country.

How did mobile networks perform during the outage? This article looks at mobile networks’ performance through Speedtest^Ⓡ metrics of sample counts (i.e., the number of completed Speedtests) and download speeds.

Ookla examined the hourly Speedtest sample counts of the main four mobile carriers in Chile over a 72-hour period. Prior to noon on February 25, 2025, the networks performed in a normal state with fewer samples in the night and more in the day.

The outage reportedly started at 3:16 p.m., which matches the spikes in the counts of Speedtest users checking on the network. Comparing the 12-hour outage to the same time the day before, the rate of testing was over 2.5x. This behavior is typical of, and similar to, mobile network outages seen around the world. Staying connected in an emergency is critically important, so checking the status of the network makes good sense.

By the morning of February 26, 2025, when the outage is over and power restored, there is more testing than the prior two mornings. This is likely due to many people checking their phones upon waking up, so it isn’t unusual to see more aggressive testing than usual.

How did the mobile networks perform?

When mobile networks are “unloaded” — that is, not carrying much traffic — as they usually are at night, Speedtest users clock faster speeds. These are the peaks in the chart. The valleys are the times when most people are active and more loading occurs, resulting in slower speeds.

Selecting the 12 hours of the power outage (the labeled box) and the same 12 hours the prior day (the unlabeled box), the median download speed for the group of operators was effectively cut in half — 16.42 Mbps during the power outage compared to 33.68 Mbps before.

Taking a closer look at all the mobile service providers together, from the outage starting just after 3 p.m., median download speed initially held around 12+ Mbps, then dipped to its low point during the 6 p.m. hour at 7.49 Mbps. Thereafter and until recovery started around 11 p.m., download speeds remained in a narrow range around 9-10 Mbps through the 10 p.m hour. While these median download speeds wouldn’t be considered fast, they do suggest that the mobile networks were serviceable and customers were able to stay in touch.

However, noting that median means the middle, half of the Speedtest users were experiencing slower speeds than seen in the line chart. (And obviously, half were faster, but they wouldn’t have as poor an experience.) To get a sense of the bottom, the slowest 10th percentile for the day of the outage (February 25) compares unfavorably to the same three prior Tuesdays in February. On the day of the outage, the 10th percentile speed was below 1 Mbps – effectively unusable apart from a text message and hopefully holding a voice call. The prior three Tuesdays recorded 2.60 Mbps – still not great, but in older wireless network generations this was fast enough for watching a standard definition (SD) video.

Another observation from the closer look at All Providers Download Speed is the speed declined from early in the outage (3 p.m. to 4 p.m.) to the middle of the outage (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.). One explanation could be the network loading mentioned before, but this seems unlikely since the normal peak loading pattern would have been entirely disrupted by the power outage. A second explanation may be that backup battery power for the cell sites on mobile networks ran out. That is to say, if, for example, every site had a couple hours of battery backup, and some sites also had generators that came online after the batteries were used up, a pattern like this could be seen.

The Chilean telecoms regulator, SUBTEL, was cited in tech press to be looking into increasing the purported four-hour back up to six hours. Network hardening, whether against a power outage or other disruptions like natural disasters, is critical for network resilience.

Ookla data can offer insights into network performance, reliability, and resiliency. To find out more about Speedtest Intelligence® data and insights, please contact us here.

Cómo afectó un apagón eléctrico a la resiliencia de la red móvil de Chile

Así fue el apagón nacional de 12 horas en Chile según los datos de Speedtest móvil

Una importante avería en una línea de transmisión provocó un apagón masivo en la mayor parte de Chile. El corte comenzó en la tarde del 25 de febrero y duró aproximadamente 12 horas, hasta la madrugada del 26 de febrero. Las instalaciones críticas, como los hospitales, tuvieron que recurrir a generadores de energía de reserva y el apagón fue tan disruptivo que se declaró el estado de emergencia en el país.

¿Cómo funcionaron las redes móviles durante el apagón? Este artículo examina el rendimiento de las redes móviles a través de las métricas de recuento de muestras de Speedtest^Ⓡ (es decir, el número de Speedtests completados) y velocidades de descarga.

Ookla analizó los recuentos horarios de muestras Speedtest de los cuatro principales operadores de telefonía móvil de Chile durante un período de 72 horas. Antes del mediodía del 25 de febrero de 2025, las redes funcionaban de manera normal, con menos muestras durante la noche y más durante el día.

Al parecer, la interrupción comenzó a las 15.16 horas, lo que coincide con los picos en los recuentos de usuarios de Speedtest que comprueban la red. Si se compara la interrupción de 12 horas con la misma hora del día anterior, la tasa de comprobación se multiplicó por más de 2,5. Este comportamiento es típico y similar al de las interrupciones de la red móvil en todo el mundo. Mantenerse conectado en caso de emergencia es de vital importancia, por lo que comprobar el estado de la red tiene mucho sentido.

En la mañana del 26 de febrero de 2025, cuando terminó el apagón y se restableció el suministro eléctrico, se registraron más test que las dos mañanas anteriores. Esto se debe probablemente a que muchas personas comprueban sus teléfonos al despertarse, por lo que no es raro ver más pruebas de lo habitual.

¿Cómo funcionaron las redes móviles?

Cuando las redes móviles están “descargadas”, es decir, no tienen mucho tráfico, como suele ocurrir por la noche, los usuarios de Speedtest registran velocidades más rápidas. Esto es lo que representan son los picos en el gráfico. Los valles son los momentos en los que la mayoría de las personas están activas y se produce una mayor carga en la red, lo que da como resultado velocidades más lentas.

Seleccionando las 12 horas del apagón (el recuadro con la línea más gruesa) y las mismas 12 horas del día anterior (el recuadro con la línea más fina), la velocidad media de descarga del grupo de operadores se redujo efectivamente a la mitad: 16,42 Mbps durante el apagón frente a 33,68 Mbps antes.

Si analizamos todos los proveedores de servicios móviles en su conjunto, desde el apagón que comenzó justo después de las 15.00 horas, la velocidad mediana de descarga se mantuvo inicialmente en torno a los 12 Mbps o más, para descender a su punto más bajo a las 18.00 horas, con 7,49 Mbps. A partir de entonces, y hasta que comenzó la recuperación hacia las 23.00 horas, las velocidades de descarga se mantuvieron en un estrecho margen de entre 9 y 10 Mbps hasta las 22.00 horas. Aunque estas velocidades medianas de descarga no se pueden considerar rápidas, sugieren que las redes móviles estaban operativas y los clientes pudieron mantenerse en contacto.

Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta que la mediana significa el medio, la mitad de los usuarios de Speedtest experimentaron velocidades más lentas que las que se ven en el gráfico lineal (y obviamente, la mitad eran más rápidos, pero no tendrían una experiencia tan mala). Para hacerse una idea de la parte inferior, el percentil 10 más lento para el día de la interrupción (25 de febrero) se compara desfavorablemente con los mismos tres martes anteriores de febrero. El día del apagón, la velocidad del percentil 10 estaba por debajo de 1 Mbps, prácticamente inutilizable salvo para enviar un mensaje de texto y, con suerte, mantener una llamada de voz. Los tres martes anteriores se registraron 2,60 Mbps, lo que sigue sin ser bueno, pero en las antiguas generaciones de redes inalámbricas era lo bastante rápido para ver un vídeo de definición estándar (SD).

Otra observación que se desprende del análisis de la velocidad de descarga de todos los proveedores es que la velocidad disminuyó desde el principio del apagón (de 15.00 a 16.00 horas) hasta la mitad del mismo (de 17.00 a 22.00 horas). Una explicación podría ser la carga de la red mencionada antes, pero parece poco probable, ya que el patrón normal de picos de carga se habría visto totalmente interrumpido por el apagón. Una segunda explicación podría ser que se agotaran las baterías de reserva de los emplazamientos de las redes móviles. Es decir, si, por ejemplo, cada emplazamiento tuviera un par de horas de batería de reserva, y algunos emplazamientos también tuvieran generadores que entraran en funcionamiento una vez agotadas las baterías, podría observarse un patrón como éste.

La SUBTEL, organismo regulador de las telecomunicaciones en Chile, ha sido citada en la prensa tecnológica por estudiar la posibilidad de aumentar a seis horas la supuesta reserva de cuatro horas. El refuerzo de la red, ya sea contra cortes de electricidad u otras interrupciones como catástrofes naturales, es fundamental para la resistencia de la red.

Los datos de Ookla pueden ofrecer información sobre el rendimiento, la fiabilidad y la resistencia de la red. Para obtener más información sobre los datos y perspectivas de Speedtest Intelligence, póngase en contacto con nosotros ®aquí.

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

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Kerry Baker

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Josh Fomon | May 8, 2023

New Speedtest Data Shows Starlink Users Love Their Provider

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starlink in Jamaica was the fastest Caribbean satellite provider

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

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

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

New Q1 2023 Starlink countries show promising initial results

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

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

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

The 2023 space revolution is off to a huge start

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

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

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

Viasat launched its Viasat-3 arrays

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

Eutelsat, OneWeb, and Intelsat are making big moves

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

European Union greenlights multi-orbit constellation

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

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in Q2 2023

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

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

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

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

About the Author

Josh Fomon

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Isla McKetta | December 20, 2021

Starlink Expands but Q3 2021 Performance Flattens in Some Areas

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

United States: Starlink fastest, speeds decreasing

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

ookla_satellite-performance_us_1221-01-1

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

Starlink performance varies at the county level

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

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Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

Australia: Starlink outperformed Viasat and fixed broadband average

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

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Belgium: Starlink dramatically faster than fixed broadband

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

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Brazil: Viasat close to national average

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

ookla_satellite-performance_br_1221-01-1

Canada: Starlink performance relatively flat

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

ookla_satellite-performance_ca_1221-01-1

Starlink faster than overall fixed broadband in 5 provinces

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

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Chile: HughesNet slower than fixed broadband average

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

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Colombia: HughesNet slow but improving

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

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

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

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Germany: Starlink faster than country average for fixed broadband

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

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Mexico: Viasat faster than HughesNet for downloads

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Isla McKetta

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Isla McKetta | August 4, 2021

How Starlink’s Satellite Internet Stacks Up Against HughesNet and Viasat around the Globe

The satellite internet race is heating up, with more competitors serving more areas than even a quarter ago. We’re back with a broader look at internet network performance for satellite providers across the globe based on Q2 2021 data from Speedtest Intelligence^™.

Starlink speeds beat competitors in the U.S., can’t top fixed broadband

Given that satellite internet is often the only solution for folks with little to no fixed broadband access, the Speedtest® results we saw coming from HughesNet, Starlink and Viasat during Q2 2021 were encouraging. However, Starlink was the only satellite internet provider in the United States with fixed-broadband-like latency figures, and median download speeds fast enough to handle most of the needs of modern online life at 97.23 Mbps during Q2 2021 (up from 65.72 Mbps in Q1 2021). HughesNet was a distant second at 19.73 Mbps (15.07 Mbps in Q1 2021) and Viasat third at 18.13 Mbps (17.67 Mbps in Q1 2021). None of these are as fast as the 115.22 Mbps median download speed for all fixed broadband providers in the U.S. during Q2 2021, but it beats digging twenty miles (or more) of trench to hook up to local infrastructure.

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Starlink’s median upload speed of 13.89 Mbps (up from 13.77 Mbps in Q1 2021) was much closer to that on fixed broadband (17.18 Mbps in Q2 2021, 15.99 Mbps in Q1 2021). Viasat had the second fastest upload speed among satellite providers at 3.38 Mbps (3.48 in Q1 2021). HughesNet was third (2.43 Mbps in Q1 and Q2 2021).

Critically, Starlink was the only satellite internet provider with a median latency that was anywhere near that seen on fixed broadband in Q2 2021 (45 ms and 14 ms, respectively). A low latency connection is more responsive, making it essential for many common applications such as voice and video calling, gaming and live streaming of content. Starlink is able to achieve these lower latency numbers through the use of their low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. At altitudes between 550-1200 km, these satellites are physically closer to the earth’s surface than traditional satellite providers. Therefore it takes less time for the signal to relay back to a downlink station on earth, ensuring a much more responsive connectivity experience for the user. Viasat and HughesNet both utilize considerably higher “geosynchronous” orbits of around 35,000 km for their satellites. This allows them to serve much wider swaths of the Earth’s surface with fewer satellites, but with a dramatic increase in latency in our data of 630 ms and 724 ms respectively.

Satellite internet speeds in the U.S. are increasing, mostly

Consumers are used to incremental increases in fixed broadband performance as that’s a developed technology with a stable market share. Satellite internet is newer and speeds fluctuate as technologies improve and as more users are added to sometimes crowded networks. Data from Speedtest Intelligence during Q1-Q2 2021 shows some of these struggles as median download speeds for both Starlink and HughesNet dipped in February and then rose again through the period only to dip again in June. This could be related to seasonal weather patterns. Viasat’s median download speed rose slightly from January through April and then started to decline slightly in May and June. We’ll continue watching the performance of these companies over time to see if they reach the steady climb that fixed broadband enjoys.

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Starlink performance varies at the county level, but not widely

We saw sufficient samples during Q2 2021 to analyze Starlink performance in 458 counties in the U.S. While there was about a 100 Mbps range in performance between the county with the fastest median download speed (Morgan County, Alabama at 168.30 Mbps) and the county with the slowest median download speed (Madison County, Indiana at 64.51 Mbps), even the lower-end speeds are well above the FCC’s Baseline performance tier of at least a 25 Mbps download speed. We also saw many more counties qualify for analysis during Q2 2021 than we saw in Q1 2021.

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Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

The ambition and potential of satellite internet providers is of course to increase internet access across the globe. To that end, we examined satellite internet performance in countries with an established market share.

Brazil: Viasat download speed is comparable to fixed broadband, upload is not

Viasat’s 60.30 Mbps median download speed during Q2 2021 in Brazil was very close to the national average for fixed broadband of 61.38 Mbps. Viasat’s median upload speed (1.05 Mbps) was much slower, however, than that on fixed broadband (28.75 Mbps), and Viasat’s latency was much higher (613 ms vs 7 ms).

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Canada: Starlink beats fixed broadband download speeds

Our previous article showed that Starlink’s median download speed was slower than fixed broadband in three provinces and faster in two. Data from Q2 2021 shows that Starlink’s median download speed exceeded that of fixed broadband in Canada (86.92 Mbps vs. 84.24 Mbps), making Starlink a reasonable alternative to fixed broadband in Canada. Starlink’s median upload speed was slower than fixed broadband (13.63 Mbps vs. 17.76 Mbps). Latency on Starlink was much higher (55 ms vs. 12 ms), but many customers in remote areas would gladly accept a latency in that range in exchange for having access to internet service.

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Starlink performance varies at the province level, but not widely

Starlink showed enough samples to analyze performance in 8 provinces in Canada during Q2 2021. Starlink’s Q2 2021 median download speed was faster than fixed broadband in five provinces (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan), though samples in Nova Scotia were few enough and showed enough variability that there is room for interpretation. Download speeds were comparable between Starlink and overall fixed broadband in two provinces (Alberta and Ontario) and fixed broadband was faster in British Columbia.

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Chile: HughesNet shows comparable speeds here and in the U.S.

At 15.43 Mbps, the median download speed for HughesNet in Chile during Q2 2021 was not fast, especially compared with the country’s fixed broadband average of 111.94 Mbps. Median upload speeds also showed a wide gap (3.23 Mbps for HughesNet to 39.48 Mbps on fixed broadband), and HughesNet’s latency was very high (678 ms vs. 8 ms).

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Colombia: HughesNet is slowest

The slowest performance we saw for HughesNet was in Colombia, where fixed broadband speeds are also slower than in other countries surveyed. HughesNet showed a median download speed of 9.28 Mbps during Q2 2021, compared with Colombia’s 35.90 Mbps for fixed broadband overall. Median upload speed was also slower using the satellite internet provider (3.03 Mbps) than fixed broadband (8.56 Mbps), and latency was much higher on satellite (799 ms vs. 17 ms).

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France: Where the fastest Starlink download speeds are

Satellite internet users in France saw the fastest median download speeds from Starlink of all countries we surveyed during Q2 2021. At 139.39 Mbps, Starlink’s download speed easily beat the country-wide average for fixed broadband of 70.81 Mbps. Starlink’s upload speed was slower than the fixed broadband average, but still respectable (29.35 Mbps vs. 52.56 Mbps), and Starlink’s latency was higher (53 ms vs. 13 ms).

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Germany: Starlink far surpasses local fixed broadband

Consumers looking for fast internet in Germany have a great option in Starlink. Starlink’s median download and upload speeds were much faster than the country averages for fixed broadband in Q2 2021. The only drawback is Starlink’s 37 ms latency, compared to the 15 ms average for fixed broadband.

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Mexico: Viasat and HughesNet are comparable, though slower than fixed broadband

Mexico has options when it comes to satellite internet, and the faster of the two options appears to be Viasat, for now. With a median download speed of 13.95 Mbps in Mexico during Q2 2021, Viasat was faster than HughesNet (11.92 Mbps) but slower than the country’s average for fixed broadband (29.99 Mbps). Median upload speed told a similar story, though HughesNet was slightly faster than Viasat (3.25 Mbps vs. 2.01 Mbps). While Viasat’s latency was high (672 ms vs 13 ms for fixed broadband), it was lower than HughesNet’s (714 ms).

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New Zealand: Starlink is faster than fixed broadband

Data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that Starlink’s median download speed was much faster than New Zealand’s average fixed broadband download speed during Q2 2021 (127.02 Mbps vs. 78.85 Mbps), and the upload speeds were nearly identical (23.61 Mbps vs. 23.51 Mbps). Starlink did have a much higher latency (101 ms vs. 7 ms). Starlink is relatively new in the country and does not have a large market share yet; we’ll be interested to see how their speeds hold up under heavier use.

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United Kingdom: Starlink beats fixed broadband providers

Starlink showed a much faster median download speed in the U.K. during Q2 2021 (108.30 Mbps) than the country’s average for fixed broadband (50.14 Mbps). Starlink’s upload speed was also slightly faster (15.64 Mbps vs. 14.76 Mbps), and the latency was pretty good, given the distance traveled (37 ms vs. 15 ms). This brings Starlink closer to contender status for consumers across the U.K., not just those stranded in internet-free zones in Northern Scotland, once the service interruptions are under control. It also shows that because satellite internet is not constrained by the infrastructure of a given country, there is the potential to radically outperform fixed broadband.

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This data is changing rapidly as satellite internet providers launch new service locations and improve their technology. We’ll be excited to see if Starlink is still the satellite provider to beat next quarter and in what other countries satellite internet provides a viable alternative to fixed broadband.

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Isla McKetta

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Josh Fomon | November 30, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

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

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

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

New Q3 2022 Starlink countries have mixed results

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

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

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

The great space race is on

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

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

With the competition for satellite connectivity heating up and Starlink facing potentially more competition in the coming months, we’ll be keeping our eyes to the sky to see how connectivity is performing. We’ll continue our series next quarter with Q3-Q4 2022 data from Europe and Oceania and any new countries where Starlink launches, and be back with North and South America data in Q2 2023. In the meantime, be sure to download the Speedtest app for Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices and see how your satellite internet stacks up to our findings.

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | September 20, 2022

Starlink Slowed in Q2, Competitors Mounting Challenges

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starlink outperformed fixed broadband average in 16 European countries

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

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

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

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

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

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

Starlink in New Zealand was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania

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

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

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

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

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

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | June 28, 2022

Here’s How Fast Starlink Has Gotten Over the Past Year

It’s been a year since we first examined SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, which launched its public beta in November 2020. Today we’re updating our ongoing series on satellite internet performance with data from Q1 2022 in Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America, including results from 10 additional countries. We’re also examining how Starlink’s internet performance has changed over the past year in the United States and Canada.

Starlink speeds increased nearly 58% in Canada and 38% in the U.S. over the past year

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals that median download speeds for Starlink dramatically increased from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022 in the U.S. and Canada, as did speeds for all fixed broadband providers combined. In the U.S., Starlink median download speeds improved roughly 38% from 65.72 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 90.55 Mbps in Q1 2022. In Canada, Starlink’s download speed leapt ahead nearly 58% from 61.84 Mbps to 97.40 Mbps during the same time period.

However, Speedtest Intelligence also showed that upload speeds for Starlink decreased at least 33% in the U.S. (16.29 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 9.33 Mbps in Q1 2022) and at least 36% in Canada (16.69 Mbps to 10.70 Mbps) during the same time period. Median latency on Starlink marginally increased from 40 ms to 43 ms in the U.S. and from 51 ms to 55 ms in Canada during the past year. For many Starlink users, we suspect these changes are negligible.

Starlink in Mexico was the fastest satellite provider in North America

Starlink in Mexico had the fastest satellite internet in North America during Q1 2022 with a median download speed of 105.91 Mbps, followed by Starlink in Canada (97.40 Mbps) and the U.S. (90.55 Mbps). Mexico’s fixed broadband download speed (40.07 Mbps) was much slower than Starlink, while Starlink download speeds were slower than fixed broadband for all providers combined in the U.S. (144.22 Mbps) and Canada (106.86 Mbps). Puerto Rico, new to our list, showed HughesNet had the fastest satellite internet on the island territory at 20.54 Mbps, though fixed broadband was much faster at 68.88 Mbps.

Starlink in Lithuania was the fastest satellite provider in Europe

Speedtest Intelligence showed that Starlink blazed ahead in Europe during Q1 2022, with Starlink achieving a 100+ Mbps median download speed in every country where it was commercially available. In contrast, fixed broadband only achieved median download speeds over 100 Mbps in Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands during Q1 2022. Starlink was fastest for download speed in Lithuania at 160.08 Mbps, followed by Belgium (147.85 Mbps), Slovakia (146.25 Mbps), Croatia (136.00 Mbps), and Austria (132.61 Mbps). Spain was the only country to have its fixed broadband beat Starlink for fastest median download speed, achieving 131.99 Mbps to Starlink’s 108.43 Mbps within the country.

For upload, fixed broadband providers in Spain (100.65 Mbps), France (86.02 Mbps), Portugal (74.42 Mbps), and Lithuania (73.95 Mbps) all recorded median speeds greater than 70 Mbps, while the closest satellite provider, Starlink in Portugal, trailed at 32.05 Mbps.

All satellite providers fell far behind fixed broadband providers in the whole of Europe for latency during Q1 2022, with Starlink in Spain and the United Kingdom recording the highest satellite latencies at 35 ms and 36 ms, respectively — a far cry from the lowest fixed broadband latency, which was 15 ms in the U.K.

Starlink in Chile was the fastest satellite provider in South America

Our analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data found Starlink in Chile was the fastest satellite provider in South America with a median download speed of 110.49 Mbps during Q1 2022. Although Chilean fixed broadband internet was much faster for those who could get access to it. In fact, during May 2022, the Speedtest Global Index™ found Chile had the second fastest fixed broadband internet in the world with a median download speed of 206.97 Mbps, just a hair shy of Singapore’s first place speed of 209.21 Mbps.

No South American satellite provider surpassed its country’s fixed broadband download or upload speeds during Q1 2022. Viasat in Brazil had a noteworthy median download speed of 62.07 Mbps, though still fell short of the country’s fixed broadband speed of 90.20 Mbps. All satellite providers had a higher median latency than fixed broadband, though Starlink in Chile had a latency of 38 ms.

Starlink in Australia was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania

Starlink raced ahead in Oceania, recording faster median download speeds than fixed broadband in both Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, Starlink had a median download speed of 124.31 Mbps, much faster than Australian fixed broadband at 50.87 Mbps for download during Q1 2022. The comparison in New Zealand was much closer with Starlink’s median download speed at 118.70 Mbps and fixed broadband at 116.83 Mbps during Q1 2022.

New Zealand’s fixed broadband dominated for the fastest median upload speed in Oceania at 84.34 Mbps during Q1 2022, while Australia’s fixed broadband fell far behind with an upload speed at 17.85 Mbps. Both speeds were still faster than Starlink’s median upload speeds in New Zealand and Australia (13.09 Mbps and 11.71 Mbps, respectively). Fixed broadband also had a faster median latency than Starlink during Q1 2022, which clocked in at 47 ms in Australia and 78 ms in New Zealand.

Consumers are flocking to Starlink, but competitors are close behind

As we’ve continued to see over the past year, Starlink’s low-earth orbit satellites (LEOs) provide a life-changing service for consumers in rural areas that might not otherwise have access to high-speed internet. However, more companies are looking to compete with Starlink and launch their own LEO constellations, including Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which recently received FCC permission to test their own satellite service and is slated to launch later this year, and Viasat which is set to merge with Inmarsat and launch new constellations by 2023.

We’ll continue to monitor the skies in our ongoing satellite series, but if you’re using satellite internet, take a Speedtest® to help us provide an accurate and more complete picture of real-world performance.

Editor’s note: This article was amended on June 28 to clarify percentage increases in the U.S. and Canada and to update the percent change for upload for Canada.

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | March 16, 2022

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

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

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed in USA

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

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

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

Starlink performance continues to vary widely at the county level

Median Download Speed for Starlink in Selected US Counties

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

Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

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

Australia: Starlink nearly triples fixed broadband download average

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

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Austria

Belgium: Starlink much faster than fixed broadband

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Belgium

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Brazil

Canada: Starlink performance reaches milestone during Q4 2021

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Canada

Starlink faster than overall fixed broadband in nearly every province

Median Download Speed for Starlink in Canadian Provinces

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

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

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

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Chile

Colombia: HughesNet decreased over download and upload speeds

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Colombia

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in France

Germany: Starlink blazes ahead of fixed broadband download speed

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Germany

Ireland: Starlink download debuts nearly double that of fixed broadband

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Ireland

Italy: Starlink dominates against fixed broadband

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Italy

Mexico: Starlink impresses during Q4 2021 debut

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Mexico

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Netherlands

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in New Zealand

Poland: Starlink a fast option for Poles

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Poland

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in Portugal

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

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

Satellite Internet Performance vs Fixed Broadband in United Kingdom

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

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

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

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Josh Fomon

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Maria Gómez | July 28, 2020

Exploring the Online Gaming Experience in Latin America

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Online gaming is on the rise in Latin America and all over the world. This is creating a demand for lower-latency network connections so gamers can enjoy a seamless, lag-free gameplay experience. According to data from Speedtest Intelligence® during Q2 2020, latency varied greatly across both countries and cities in the five most robust economies in Latin America, providing some gamers with an unexpected advantage. Read on for details about latency on mobile and fixed broadband in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico to see where users are likely to have the best gaming experience both nationwide and in each country’s most populous cities.

Latency, the reaction time of a connection, is a key metric in gaming. For the best gaming experience, users should look for a latency of 59 ms or less. The data below provides the mean latency for each location. Mobile latency is applicable for games played on mobile devices, while latency on fixed broadband measures latency while playing PC and console games.

Brazil had lowest latency on fixed broadband, Argentina on mobile

Ookla_Latin_America_latency_countries_0720_en

Gamers in Brazil enjoyed the lowest mean latency on fixed broadband during Q2 2020 at 19 ms. Brazil was followed by Chile, Mexico and Argentina. Colombia had the highest latency on fixed broadband during this period at 43 ms.

Recent investments in fiber all across the region resulted in improved latencies when comparing Q2 2019 and Q2 2020. Brazil showed the biggest improvement in fixed broadband latency compared to Q2 2019, decreasing from 23 ms in Q2 2019 to 19 ms in Q2 2020. Latency in Mexico also decreased, dropping from 34 ms in Q2 2019 to 31 ms in Q2 2020. The other three countries on our list experienced little to no change in latency on fixed broadband between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020.

There was less variation between countries in mobile latency during Q2 2020. Argentina had the best latency on mobile at 40 ms, followed closely by Chile at 41 ms. Colombia had the highest mobile latency during this period at 47 ms.

Mexico experienced the largest improvement in their mobile latency when comparing Q2 2019 to Q2 2020. Mobile latency improved from 57 ms in Q2 2019 to 44 ms in Q2 2020. The other countries on our list saw smaller improvements in their mobile latency during this period. In Chile, mobile latency actually increased year over year, from 38 ms in Q2 2019 to 41 ms in Q2 2020.

Deployments of 5G in the region have recently begun, including the launch of 5G DSS technology in Brazil. Though the technology is still fairly new to Latin America, it has the potential to radically improve latency over what 4G-capable devices currently offer.

Internet speeds increased during the pandemic

Having a fast internet connection is also important to gamers. We’ve been using data from Speedtest Intelligence to track internet performance at a global level during the pandemic. While some countries experienced a dip in speeds in March, on the whole, internet speeds on fixed broadband have increased in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico since the baseline week of March 2, 2020. Except for Chile, these countries have also experienced an increase in mobile speeds, ranging from a 2% increase in Colombia to a 19% increase in Mexico.

São Paulo had lowest fixed broadband latency, tied with Buenos Aires on mobile

Ookla_Latin_America_latency_cities_0720_en2
Fixed broadband latency in some of Latin America’s largest cities ranged from Guadalajara’s 17 ms to 45 ms in Cali. Guadalajara, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro had the lowest fixed broadband latencies on our list during Q2 2020 at 17 ms, 18 ms and 20 ms, respectively. The Colombian cities of Bogotá, Medellín and Cali showed the highest latencies over fixed broadband on our list at 38 ms, 40 ms and 45 ms, respectively. All cities on this list still showed fixed broadband latencies below 59 ms, the recommended measurement for a smooth gaming experience.

When comparing year-over-year results from Q2 2019, we saw increases in fixed broadband latency in almost all cities in Q2 2020. Cali was the only city on the list where latency improved, down from 49 in Q2 2019 to 45 ms in Q2 2020.

São Paulo and Buenos Aires tied for the lowest mobile latency on our list during Q2 2020 at 31 ms. Rio de Janeiro followed at 35 ms, respectively. Brasília, Cali and Medellín took the last three places on the list with mobile latencies of 43 ms, 48 ms and 51 ms, respectively.

Mexico City’s and São Paolo’s mobile latencies improved significantly in Q2 2020 compared to Q2 2019. Mexico City’s mobile latency decreased from 53 ms to 37 ms during the same period. In São Paolo, mobile latency decreased from 40 ms in Q2 2019 to 31 ms in Q2 2020. Only one city on our list did not show an improvement in mobile latency when comparing Q2 2019 to Q2 2020 — Santiago, where mobile latency increased from 36 ms to 40 ms during this period.

Devoted gamers in Latin America will be glad to hear that Internet speeds and mobile latency are improving in many parts of Latin America. We look forward to seeing if fixed broadband latency makes it to the next level in the near future. If you’re interested in learning more about internet performance in other parts of the world, visit Ookla Research^TM.

Exploramos la experiencia de juegos en línea en América Latina

Los juegos en línea están en aumento en América Latina y en todo el mundo. Esto crea una demanda de conexiones de red con latencia más baja para que los jugadores puedan disfrutar una experiencia de juego sin demoras ni problemas. Según los datos de Speedtest Intelligence® durante el segundo trimestre de 2020, la latencia varió mucho entre ambos países y ciudades en las cinco economías más sólidas de América Latina, lo que les da a algunos jugadores una ventaja inesperada. Lea los detalles sobre la latencia en banda ancha móvil y fija en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia y México para ver qué usuarios es probable que tengan la mejor experiencia de juego en toda la nación y en las ciudades más pobladas del país.

La latencia, el tiempo de reacción de una conexión, es una métrica clave en el juego en línea. Para lograr la mejor experiencia de juego en línea, los usuarios deben buscar una latencia de 59 ms o menos. Los datos siguientes indican la latencia media para cada ubicación. La latencia móvil se aplica a los juegos que se juegan en dispositivos móviles, mientras que la latencia de banda ancha fija se mide cuando se juega en consolas y computadoras.

Brasil tiene la latencia más baja en banda ancha fija y Argentina, en móvil

Ookla_Latin_America_latency_countries_0720_es
Los jugadores en Brasil disfrutaron la latencia media más baja en banda ancha fija durante el segundo trimestre de 2020 con 19 ms. A Brasil, lo siguieron Chile, México y Argentina. Colombia tuvo la latencia más alta en banda ancha fija durante este período con 43 ms.

Las inversiones recientes en cable de fibra óptica en toda la región dieron como resultado mejores latencias cuando comparamos el segundo trimestre de 2019 y el segundo trimestre de 2020. Brasil mostró una gran mejora en la latencia de banda ancha fija en comparación con el segundo trimestre de 2019, que disminuyó de 23 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2019 a 19 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020. La latencia en México también cayó de 34 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2019 a 31 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020. Los otros tres países de nuestra lista no experimentaron prácticamente ningún cambio en la latencia de banda ancha fija entre el segundo trimestre de 2019 y el segundo trimestre de 2020.

Hubo una variación entre los países en la latencia móvil durante el segundo trimestre de 2020. Argentina tuvo la mejor latencia móvil en 40 ms, seguido por Chile con 41 ms. Colombia tuvo la latencia móvil más alta durante este período con 47 ms.

México experimentó la mejora más amplia en su latencia móvil cuando se compara el segundo trimestre de 2019 y el segundo trimestre de 2020. La latencia móvil mejoró de 57 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2019 a 44 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020. Los demás países de nuestra lista tuvieron pequeñas mejoras en su latencia móvil durante este período. En Chile, la latencia móvil aumentó año tras año, de 38 ms en el segundo trimestre 2019 a 41 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020.

Las implementaciones de 5G en la región han comenzado recientemente, incluyendo el lanzamiento de la tecnología 5G DSS en Brasil. Aunque la tecnología todavía es bastante nueva en América Latina, tiene el potencial de mejorar radicalmente la latencia sobre lo que ofrecen actualmente los dispositivos con capacidad 4G.

Las velocidades de Internet aumentaron durante la pandemia

Tener una conexión a Internet rápida también es importante. Hemos usado datos de Speedtest Intelligence para rastrear el rendimiento de Internet a nivel global durante la pandemia. Si bien algunos países sufrieron una caída en las velocidades en Marzo, en líneas generales, las velocidades de banda ancha fija aumentaron en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia y México desde la semana de referencia del 2 de marzo de 2020. Salvo por Chile, estos países también experimentaron un aumento en las velocidades móviles, que varió de un aumento de 2 % en Colombia a un aumento de 19 % en México.

São Paulo tuvo la latencia de banda ancha fija más baja junto con Buenos Aires en móvil

Ookla_Latin_America_latency_cities_0720es-01
Latencia de banda ancha fija en algunas de las ciudades más grandes de América Latina, desde 17 ms en Guadalajara a 45 ms en Cali. Guadalajara, São Paulo y Río de Janeiro tuvieron la latencia de banda ancha fija más baja de nuestra lista durante el segundo trimestre de 2020 con 17 ms, 18 ms y 20 ms, respectivamente. Las ciudades colombianas de Bogotá, Medellín y Cali tuvieron las latencias más altas de banda ancha fija de nuestra lista con 38 ms, 40 ms y 45 ms, respectivamente. Todas las ciudades de esta lista tuvieron latencias de banda ancha fija por debajo de 59 ms, la medición recomendada para una experiencia de juego en línea sin problemas.

Al comparar los resultados año tras año del segundo trimestre de 2019, notamos aumentos en la latencia de banda ancha fija en casi todas las ciudades en el segundo trimestre de 2020. Cali fue la única ciudad de la lista en la que la latencia mejoró, desde 49 en el segundo trimestre de 2019 a 45 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020.

São Paulo y Buenos Aires empataron con la latencia móvil más baja de la lista durante el segundo trimestre de 2020 con 31 ms. Río de Janeiro siguido con 34 ms. Brasilia, Cali y Medellín ocuparon los últimos tres puestos de la lista con latencias móviles de 43 ms, 48 ms y 51 ms, respectivamente.

La latencia móvil de Ciudad de México y São Paulo mejoró notablemente en el segundo trimestre de 2020 en comparación con el segundo trimestre de 2019. La latencia móvil de Ciudad de México cayó de 53 ms a 37 ms durante el mismo período. La latencia móvil en São Paulo cayó de 40 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2019 a 31 ms en el segundo trimestre de 2020. Solo una ciudad de nuestra lista no demostró mejoras en la latencia móvil al comparar el segundo trimestre de 2019 con el segundo trimestre de 2020, Santiago, donde la latencia móvil aumentó de 36 ms a 40 ms durante este período.

Los jugadores experimentados les gustará saber que las velocidades de internet y la latencia móvil están mejorando en muchas partes de América Latina. Deseamos ver cómo la latencia de banda ancha fija pasa al próximo nivel en un futuro cercano. Si desea obtener más información sobre el rendimiento de Internet en otras partes del mundo, visite Ookla Research^TM.

Explorando a experiência de jogos online na América Latina

Os jogos online estão em alta na América Latina e no mundo inteiro. Isso está criando uma demanda por conexões de rede de baixa latência para que os jogadores possam desfrutar de uma experiência de jogo sem problemas nem atrasos. De acordo com dados da Speedtest Intelligence®, durante o segundo trimestre de 2020, a latência variou bastante entre países e cidades nas cinco economias mais fortes da América Latina, dando a alguns jogadores uma vantagem inesperada. Continue lendo para saber mais sobre a latência de banda larga móvel e fixa na Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colômbia e México e ver em que país e em quais das cidades mais populosas os usuários provavelmente terão a melhor experiência de jogo.

A latência, ou o tempo de reação de uma conexão, é uma métrica fundamental nos jogos. Para ter a melhor experiência de jogo, os usuários devem ver a latência de 59 ms ou menos. Os dados abaixo mostram a latência média de cada local. A latência móvel é aplicável a jogos em dispositivos móveis, enquanto a latência de banda larga fixa mede a latência ao jogar no PC e em consoles.

O Brasil teve a menor latência de banda larga fixa e a Argentina teve a menor latência móvel

Ookla_Latin_America_latency_countries_0720_pt
Os jogadores no Brasil tiveram a menor latência média de banda larga fixa durante o segundo trimestre de 2020, com 19 ms. O Brasil foi seguido por Chile, México e Argentina. A Colômbia teve a maior latência de banda larga fixa durante esse período, com 43 ms.

Investimentos recentes em fibra em toda a região resultaram em latências aprimoradas ao comparar o segundo trimestre de 2019 e o segundo trimestre de 2020. O Brasil mostrou a maior melhoria na latência de banda larga fixa em comparação com o segundo trimestre de 2019, diminuindo de 23 ms para 19 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020. A latência no México também diminuiu, passando de 34 ms no segundo trimestre de 2019 para 31 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020. Os outros três países da nossa lista tiveram pouca ou nenhuma alteração na latência de banda larga fixa entre o segundo trimestre de 2019 e o segundo trimestre de 2020.

Os países tiveram menos variação na latência móvel durante o segundo trimestre de 2020. A Argentina teve a melhor latência em dispositivos móveis, com 40 ms, seguida de perto pelo Chile, com 41 ms. A Colômbia teve a maior latência móvel durante esse período, com 47 ms.

No segundo trimestre de 2020, o México conseguiu a maior melhoria na latência móvel em comparação com o segundo trimestre de 2019. A latência móvel melhorou de 57 ms no segundo trimestre de 2019 para 44 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020. A latência móvel dos outros países da lista melhorou um pouco menos durante esse período. No Chile, a latência móvel inclusive aumentou de um ano para outro, de 38 ms no segundo trimestre de 2019 para 41 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020.

As implementações de 5G na região começaram recentemente, incluindo o lançamento da tecnologia 5G DSS no Brasil. Embora a tecnologia ainda seja relativamente nova na América Latina, ela tem o potencial de melhorar radicalmente a latência sobre o que os dispositivos com capacidade 4G oferecem atualmente.

A velocidade da Internet aumentou durante a pandemia

Ter uma conexão rápida com a Internet também é importante para os jogadores. Usamos dados da Speedtest Intelligence para acompanhar o desempenho da Internet em nível global durante a pandemia. Embora alguns países tenham tido uma queda nas velocidades em março, no geral, as velocidades de Internet de banda larga fixa aumentaram na Argentina, no Brasil, no Chile, na Colômbia e no México desde a semana base de 2 de março de 2020. Exceto no Chile, esses países também tiveram um aumento nas velocidades em dispositivos móveis, variando de um aumento de 2% na Colômbia até um aumento de 19% no México.

São Paulo teve a menor latência de banda larga fixa, enquanto Buenos Aires em dispositivos móveis

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A latência de banda larga fixa em algumas das maiores cidades da América Latina variou de 17 ms em Guadalajara a 45 ms em Cali. Guadalajara, São Paulo e Rio de Janeiro tiveram as menores latências de banda larga fixa da nossa lista durante o segundo trimestre de 2020, com 17 ms, 18 ms e 20 ms, respectivamente. As cidades colombianas de Bogotá, Medellín e Cali apresentaram as maiores latências em banda larga fixa em nossa lista, com 38 ms, 40 ms e 45 ms, respectivamente. Todas as cidades desta lista ainda apresentaram latências em banda larga fixa abaixo de 59 ms, a medida recomendada para uma experiência de jogo sem problemas.

Ao comparar os resultados ano a ano para o segundo trimestre de 2019, vimos aumentos na latência de banda larga fixa em quase todas as cidades no segundo trimestre de 2020. Cali foi a única cidade da lista em que a latência melhorou, passando de 49 ms no segundo trimestre de 2019 para 45 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020.

São Paulo e Buenos Aires empataram na menor latência móvel da nossa lista durante o segundo trimestre de 2020, com 31 ms. Rio de Janeiro em seguida, com 35 ms. Brasília, Cali e Medellín ocuparam os três últimos lugares da lista, com latências móveis de 43 ms, 48 ms e 51 ms, respectivamente.

As latências móveis da Cidade do México e de Guadalajara melhoraram significativamente no segundo trimestre de 2020, em comparação com o segundo trimestre de 2019. A latência móvel na Cidade do México diminuiu de 53 ms para 37 ms no mesmo período. A latência móvel em São Paulo caiu de 40 ms no segundo trimestre de 2019 para 31 ms no segundo trimestre de 2020. Apenas uma cidade da nossa lista não mostrou melhoria na latência móvel na comparação entre o segundo trimestre de 2019 e o segundo trimestre de 2020: Santiago. Lá, a latência móvel aumentou de 36 ms para 40 ms durante esse período.

Quem gosta de jogos eletrônicos na América Latina ficará muito feliz em saber que as velocidades da Internet e a latência móvel estão melhorando em muitas partes da região. Estamos ansiosos para ver se a latência de banda larga fixa alcançará outro nível em um futuro próximo. Se você estiver interessado em aprender mais sobre o desempenho da Internet em outras partes do mundo, visite Ookla Research^TM.

About the Author

Maria Gómez

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Josh Fomon | June 9, 2021

Brazil’s Internet Is Getting Faster and Accessible 5G Is on the Horizon

Leia em português

Brazil has become increasingly reliant on the internet for banking, business, telecommunication and leisure during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country ranked 49th in the world for fixed broadband speed and 74th for mobile speed according to April 2021 data from the Speedtest Global Index^™. In fact, Brazil’s fixed broadband speed has improved 69.2% year-over-year thanks to FTTH investments, moving the country up seven places from 56th in April 2020 to 49th in the Speedtest Global Index in April 2021. Brazil is on the brink of an internet revolution, with an upcoming 5G spectrum auction and future broadband investments becoming a priority. In this article, we examine fixed and mobile internet performance speeds, state-level performance, provider ratings and fastest providers, as well as city-level data on Brazil’s most populous cities to see which parts of the country are already enjoying faster speeds.

Brazil ranked third for mobile speeds among Latin America’s largest markets

ookla_speedtest_latin-america_mobile_speeds_map_0521_en

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals Brazil ranked third for median mobile internet performance among major regional markets at 19.14 Mbps (download) and 7.17 Mbps (upload), Mexico was first on the list (23.08 Mbps download / 9.98 Mbps upload), Argentina second (20.76 Mbps download / 6.94 Mbps upload), Colombia fourth (11.04 Mbps download / 6.99 Mbps upload) and Chile fifth (10.60 Mbps download / 8.44 Mbps upload).

Brazil has the second fastest fixed broadband

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Brazil was second only to Chile for median fixed broadband speeds among major Latin American markets during Q1 2021 according to Speedtest Intelligence. Chile showed speeds of 93.92 Mbps (download) and 30.72 Mbps (upload), and Brazil came in at 50.64 Mbps (download) and 26.37 Mbps (upload). Colombia was third (31.02 Mbps download / 6.67 Mbps upload), Mexico fourth (28.48 Mbps download / 7.57 Mbps upload) and Argentina fifth (28.10 Mbps download / 6.29 Mbps upload).

Brazil’s fastest mobile operator is far ahead of the competition

Claro had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds

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During Q1 2021, Claro had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds in Brazil among top providers — an operator or ISP accounting for 3% or more of total test samples in the market for the entire period — at 27.54 Mbps (download) and 8.77 Mbps (upload). Vivo was second (19.53 Mbps download / 6.80 upload), TIM third (14.88 Mbps download / 6.55 Mbps upload) and Oi fourth (10.93 Mbps download / 4.90 Mbps upload).

We expect that Brazil’s mobile speeds will continue to accelerate as 5G technology becomes more accessible and network providers invest in more 5G deployments. An upcoming spectrum auction could improve 5G offerings for consumers and dramatically accelerate Brazilians’ mobile experience.

Network performance is often an important factor to a customer’s experience, but it’s not the only thing people take into consideration when evaluating their internet providers. We used Speedtest Consumer Sentiment^™ data on five-star ratings and Net Promoter Score (NPS) to better understand how network performance impacts customer satisfaction in Brazil during Q1 2021.

According to Consumer Sentiment data, Brazil’s mobile network operators scored among consumers during Q1 2021: Claro had the best NPS score in Brazil at -6.17. Vivo was second (-13.32), TIM third (-17.82), and Oi fourth (-30.51). These scores happen to directly correspond to mobile performance among Brazil’s top providers, though there could be a host of other factors to account for in these scores.

Vivo had the fastest fixed broadband performance

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Brazil’s top fixed broadband providers had a competitive race for fastest provider in Brazil during Q1 2021. Vivo achieved the fastest median download and upload speeds in Brazil at 68.25 Mbps (download) and 52.72 Mbps (upload). Claro was second (60.54 Mbps download / 10.72 Mbps upload) and Oi was third (55.13 Mbps download / 43.43 Mbps upload).

Speedtest Consumer Sentiment data and NPS revealed that Vivo had the best score for fixed broadband among top providers during Q1 2021 at -12.12. Oi was second at -19.80 and Claro third (-41.18).

The Federal District had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed, Rio Grande do Sul the fastest mobile download speed

Most Brazilian states achieved median download speeds between 42.00 Mbps and 52.00 Mbps over fixed broadband

ookla_speedtest_fixed_speeds_brazil_map_0521_en

Brazil’s Federal District achieved the fastest median fixed broadband speed among Brazilian states at 75.71 Mbps during Q1 2021. Roraima was second (60.72 Mbps) and São Paulo third (57.48 Mbps). While there was no statistically slowest state in Brazil, Sergipe and Bahia recorded the slowest median speeds at 30.44 Mbps and 30.92 Mbps, respectively. Alagoas and Pernambuco ranked slightly faster at 32.90 Mbps and 36.50 Mbps, respectively.

During the same period, there was no clear statistical winner for fastest median upload speed over fixed broadband but Roraima achieved 43.43 Mbps, Amapá 42.34 Mbps, and Piauí 39.24 Mbps. The slowest median upload speeds among Brazilian states were in Sergipe (15.92 Mbps), Alagoas (19.87 Mbps) and Amazonas (20.26 Mbps).

Rio Grande do Sul has the fastest median mobile download speeds

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Rio Grande do Sul had the fastest median mobile download speed among Brazilian states during Q1 2021 at 23.31 Mbps. While there was no statistical runner-up, Rio de Janeiro recorded 21.10 Mbps, followed by Federal District (21.08 Mbps), São Paulo (21.00 Mbps), Paraná (20.64 Mbps), Roraima (20.51 Mbps) and Santa Catarina (20.42 Mbps). The state with the slowest median upload speed over mobile in Brazil was Paraiba at 13.74 Mbps.

There was no statistically significant winner for upload speed among Brazil’s states, though Roraima had a median upload of 9.38 Mbps, Federal District 8.90 Mbps and Rondonia 8.47 Mbps.

São Paulo had the fastest mobile speeds

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São Paulo had the fastest median mobile download speeds of Brazil’s top five most populous cities at 22.81 Mbps during Q1 2021. Rio de Janeiro was second with 21.91 Mbps, Brasília third (21.08 Mbps), Fortaleza fourth (18.77 Mbps) and Salvador fifth (17.59 Mbps).

Competition for the fastest mobile provider was intense during Q1 2021. Oi had the fastest median download speed in Rio de Janeiro at 56.24 Mbps. Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds during Q1 2021 in Salvador (48.19 Mbps download/18.99 Mbps upload) and in São Paulo (39.82 Mbps download/10.96 Mbps upload). In Brasília and Fortaleza there was no statistically significant winner for fastest mobile download speed among Brazil’s top providers. In Brasília, Claro achieved 32.57 Mbps to Vivo’s 31.16 Mbps and Oi’s 30.24 Mbps. Oi had the fastest median upload speed in Brasília with 14.23 Mbps. In Fortaleza, Vivo achieved a median download speed of 37.64 Mbps to Claro’s 34.77 Mbps.

Consumer sentiment varies across the country mobile consumers

Speedtest Consumer Sentiment data and NPS revealed a lot about consumer sentiment in Brazil’s major cities during Q1 2021. Claro was the top-rated provider in Rio de Janeiro (-2.87) and Salvador (-1.15). Vivo was the top-rated provider in Fortaleza (10.35). Claro-nxt (owned by Claro after the Nextel merger in Q2 2021) was top rated in São Paulo (-14.12). Oi was the top-rated provider in Brasília (3.85).

Brasília had the fastest median fixed broadband download speeds

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Speedtest intelligence reveals Brasília had the fastest median fixed broadband download speeds among the five most populous cities in Brazil at 75.72 Mbps (21.06 Mbps upload) during Q1 2021. São Paulo was second at 60.41 Mbps, Fortaleza third (56.83 Mbps), Rio de Janeiro fourth (51.09 Mbps) and Salvador fifth (45.85 Mbps). Fortaleza had the fastest median upload speed at 34.03 Mbps.

Vivo was the fastest fixed broadband provider among top providers during Q1 2021 in Rio de Janeiro (79.22 Mbps) and São Paulo (90.08 Mbps). TIM Live was fastest in Salvador (91.41 Mbps). Oi provided the fastest fixed broadband speeds in Brasília at 89.36 Mbps. There was no statistically significant winner in Fortaleza, though Oi had a median download speed at 94.43 Mbps and Brisanet had a median download speed of 93.45 Mbps.

According to Speedtest Consumer Sentiment, these median download speeds almost mirrored consumer ratings. Vivo was the top-rated NPS provider in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo at 3.63 and 2.25, respectively. Oi was top-rated in Brasília at -14.03. TIM Live edged out Oi in Salvador -23.93 to -24.65. And in Fortaleza, Brisanet was first at 4.72, followed by Oi at 2.28.

Faster mobile speeds are just around the corner for Brazil

Despite numerous political challenges, the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency (Agency Nacional de Telecomunicacoes or Anatel) is inching closer to holding a massive 5G spectrum auction that is expected to take place around the end September or October. This auction aims to enable Brazilian operators to significantly boost their coverage footprint and capacity, and improve overall end user experience. Anatel will auction several ranges of spectrum:

700 MHz: multiple 10 MHz FDD blocks nationwide
3.5 GHz: two 100 MHz blocks and one 80 MHz nationwide
2.3 GHz: one 50 MHz block and one 40 MHz regional block
26 GHz (mmWave): five 400 MHz nationwide blocks and three regional blocks

Additionally, Anatel mandates that participating mobile operators deploy Standalone (SA) 5G networks by 2022 instead of relying on the Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology, which allows operators to use the existing 4G spectrum for both 4G and 5G operation. DSS technology is already in use by Brazilian operators, but the overall network capacity tends to be reduced due to the overhead associated with running both technologies on the same slice of spectrum. The injection of hundreds of megahertz of greenfield spectrum assets to the Brazilian mobile market promises an enhanced 5G coverage across wider geographies using the 700 MHz licenses, multi-gigabit speeds that come with 3.5 GHz and the millimeter wave, and endless opportunities for the enterprise segment of the industry.

Brazil remains an exciting market to watch and we’ll continue to monitor their internet performance for newsworthy events. If you want to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence and Speedtest Consumer Sentiment, please contact us.

Português

A internet no Brasil está ficando mais rápida e acessível, e o 5G está no horizonte

O Brasil tornou-se cada vez mais dependente da internet para serviços bancários, negócios, telecomunicações e lazer durante a pandemia da COVID-19. No entanto, o país ficou em 49º lugar no mundo em velocidade de banda larga fixa e em 74º em velocidade móvel, de acordo com dados de abril de 2021 do Speedtest Global Index^™. Na verdade, a velocidade da banda larga fixa no Brasil melhorou 69,2% em relação ao ano anterior graças aos investimentos em FTTH, elevando o país em sete posições, de 56º em abril de 2020 para 49º no Índice Global Speedtest em abril de 2021. O Brasil está à beira de uma revolução na internet, com um leilão de espectro 5G e futuros investimentos em banda larga se tornando uma prioridade. Neste artigo, analisamos o desempenho de velocidades da internet fixa e móvel, desempenho em nível estadual, avaliações de provedores, os provedores mais rápidos, bem como dados a nível municipal nas cidades mais populosas do Brasil, para saber quais partes do país já estão desfrutando de velocidades mais rápidas.

O Brasil ficou em terceiro lugar em velocidades móveis entre os maiores mercados da América Latina

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Speedtest Intelligence® revela que o Brasil ficou em terceiro lugar em desempenho médio de internet móvel entre os principais mercados regionais, com 19,14 Mbps (download) e 7,17 Mbps (upload). O México ficou em primeiro lugar na lista (23,08 Mbps de download/9,98 Mbps de upload), a Argentina em segundo (20,76 Mbps de download/6,94 Mbps de upload), a Colômbia em quarto (11,04 Mbps de download/6,99 Mbps de upload) e o Chile em quinto (10,60 Mbps de download/8,44 Mbps de upload).

O Brasil tem a segunda banda larga fixa mais rápida

ookla_speedtest_latin-america_fixed_speeds_map_0521_pt-2

Em velocidades médias de banda larga fixa entre os principais mercados latino-americanos durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021, o Brasil ficou atrás apenas do Chile, de acordo com a Speedtest Intelligence. O Chile apresentou velocidades de 93,92 Mbps (download) e 30,72 Mbps (upload), e o Brasil chegou a 50,64 Mbps (download) e 26,37 Mbps (upload). A Colômbia ficou em terceiro (31,02 Mbps de download/6,67 Mbps de upload), o México em quarto (28,48 Mbps de download/7,57 de upload Mbps) e a Argentina em quinto (28,10 Mbps de download/6,29 Mbps de upload).

As operadoras móveis mais rápidas do Brasil estão muito à frente da concorrência

A Claro teve a velocidade média de download e upload móvel mais rápida

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Durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021, a Claro teve a velocidade média de download e upload móvel mais rápida do Brasil entre [os principais provedores — uma operadora ou ISP responsável por 3% ou mais do total de amostras de teste no mercado para todo o período] (/insights/blog/how-ookla-ensures-accurate-reliable-data-2021/#top-providers) — a 27,54 Mbps (download) e 8,77 Mbps (upload). A Vivo ficou em segundo (19,53 Mbps de download/6,80 de upload), a TIM em terceiro (14,88 Mbps de download/6,55 Mbps de upload) e a Oi em quarto (10,93 Mbps de download/4,90 Mbps de upload).

Esperamos que as velocidades móveis do Brasil continuem a acelerar à medida que a tecnologia 5G se torna mais acessível e os provedores de rede invistam em mais implantações 5G. O leilão de espectro que acontecerá em breve deve melhorar as ofertas 5G para os consumidores e acelerar drasticamente a experiência móvel dos brasileiros.

O desempenho da rede é muitas vezes um fator importante para a experiência do cliente, mas não é o único que as pessoas levam em consideração ao avaliar seus provedores de internet. Usamos os dados de Speedtest Consumer Sentiment^™ com os rankings de cinco estrelas e Net Promoter Score (NPS) para entender melhor como o desempenho de rede afetou a satisfação de clientes no Brasil durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021.

De acordo com dados de opinião do consumidor, as operadoras de rede móvel do Brasil obtiveram a seguinte pontuação entre os consumidores durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021: A Claro teve a melhor pontuação de NPS no Brasil com -6,17. A Vivo foi a segunda (-13,32), a TIM a terceira (-17,82) e a Oi a quarta (-30,51). Essas pontuações se correlacionam diretamente ao desempenho móvel entre os principais provedores do Brasil, embora possa haver uma série de outros fatores a serem considerados nessas pontuações.

A Vivo teve o desempenho de banda larga fixa mais rápido

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Os principais provedores de banda larga fixa do Brasil competiram em uma verdadeira corrida para ver quem era o provedor mais rápido no Brasil durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. A Vivo atingiu a velocidade média de download e upload mais rápida do Brasil com 68,25 Mbps (download) e 52,72 Mbps (upload). A Claro foi a segunda (60,54 Mbps de download/10,72 Mbps de upload) e a Oi a terceira (55,13 Mbps de download/43,43 Mbps de upload).

Os dados do Speedtest Consumer Sentiment e NPS revelaram que a Vivo teve a melhor pontuação para banda larga fixa entre os principais provedores durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021 em -12,12. A Oi foi a segunda, com -19,80, e a Claro a terceira (-41,18).

O Distrito Federal teve a velocidade média de download de banda larga fixa mais rápida, enquanto o Rio Grande do Sul a velocidade de download móvel mais rápida

A maioria dos estados brasileiros atingiu velocidades médias de download entre 42,00 Mbps e 52,00 Mbps em banda larga fixa

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O Distrito Federal alcançou a velocidade média de banda larga fixa mais rápida entre os estados brasileiros com 75,71 Mbps durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. Roraima ficou em segundo (60,72 Mbps) e São Paulo em terceiro (57,48 Mbps). Embora não houvesse nenhum estado estatisticamente mais lento no Brasil, Sergipe e Bahia registraram as velocidades medianas mais lentas em 30,44 Mbps e 30,92 Mbps, respectivamente. Alagoas e Pernambuco estiveram um pouco mais rápidos, com 32,90 Mbps e 36,50 Mbps, respectivamente.

Durante o mesmo período, não houve um vencedor único estatisticamente para a velocidade média de upload mais rápida em banda larga fixa, mas Roraima alcançou 43,43 Mbps, Amapá 42,34 Mbps e Piauí 39,24 Mbps. As velocidades médias de upload mais lentas entre os estados brasileiros foram em Sergipe (15,92 Mbps), Alagoas (19,87 Mbps) e Amazonas (20,26 Mbps).

O Rio Grande do Sul tem a velocidade média de download móvel mais rápida

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O Rio Grande do Sul teve a velocidade média de download móvel mais rápida entre os estados brasileiros durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021 alcançando 23,31 Mbps. Embora não houvesse um segundo colocado estatístico, o Rio de Janeiro registrou 21,10 Mbps, seguido por: Distrito Federal (21,08 Mbps), São Paulo (21,00 Mbps), Paraná (20,64 Mbps), Roraima (20,51 Mbps) e Santa Catarina (20,42 Mbps) . O estado com a velocidade média de upload mais lenta no Brasil foi a Paraíba, com 13,74 Mbps.

Não houve vencedor estatisticamente significativo para velocidade de upload entre os estados do Brasil, embora Roraima tivesse um upload médio de 9,38 Mbps, Distrito Federal 8,90 Mbps e Rondônia 8,47 Mbps.

São Paulo teve as velocidades móveis mais rápidas

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São Paulo teve a velocidade média de download de celular mais rápida das cinco cidades mais populosas do Brasil, com 22,81 Mbps durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. O Rio de Janeiro ficou em segundo lugar com 21,91 Mbps, Brasília em terceiro (21,08 Mbps), Fortaleza em quarto (18,77 Mbps) e Salvador em quinto (17,59 Mbps).

A competição pelo operador móvel mais rápido por cidade foi intensa durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. A Oi teve a velocidade média de download mais rápida do Rio de Janeiro, 56,24 Mbps. A Claro teve as velocidades médias de download e upload mais rápidas durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021 em Salvador (48,19 Mbps de download/18,99 Mbps de upload) e em São Paulo (39,82 Mbps de download/10,96 Mbps de upload). Em Brasília e Fortaleza, não houve vencedor estatisticamente significativo para a velocidade de download móvel mais rápida entre os principais provedores do Brasil. Em Brasília, a Claro atingiu 32,57 Mbps, a Vivo atingiu 31,16 Mbps e a Oi, 30,24 Mbps. A Oi teve a velocidade média de upload mais rápida de Brasília, com 14,23 Mbps. Em Fortaleza, a Vivo atingiu uma velocidade média de download de 37,64 Mbps enquanto a Claro alcançou 34,77 Mbps.

O sentimento do consumidor varia entre os consumidores de celulares do país

Os dados do Speedtest Consumer Sentiment e de NPS revelaram muito sobre o sentimento do consumidor nas principais cidades do Brasil durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. A Claro foi a provedora com melhor classificação no Rio de Janeiro (-2,87) e em Salvador (-1,15). A Vivo foi a operadora mais bem avaliada em Fortaleza (10,35). A Claro-nxt (de propriedade da Claro, após a fusão com a Nextel no segundo trimestre de 2021) foi a mais bem avaliada em São Paulo (-14,12). A Oi foi a provedora mais bem avaliada em Brasília (3,85).

Brasília teve a velocidade média de download de banda larga fixa mais rápida

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O Speedtest Intelligence revela que Brasília teve a velocidade média de download de banda larga fixa mais rápida entre as cinco cidades mais populosas do Brasil, alcançando 75,72 Mbps (upload de 21,06 Mbps) durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021. São Paulo ficou em segundo lugar com 60,41 Mbps, Fortaleza em terceiro (56,83 Mbps), Rio de Janeiro em quarto (51,09 Mbps) e Salvador em quinto (45,85 Mbps). Fortaleza teve a velocidade média de upload mais rápida, com 34,03 Mbps.

A Vivo foi o provedor de banda larga fixa mais rápido entre os principais provedores durante o primeiro trimestre de 2021 no Rio de Janeiro (79,22 Mbps) e São Paulo (90,08 Mbps). A TIM Live foi o serviço mais rápido em Salvador (91,41 Mbps). A Oi forneceu as velocidades de banda larga fixa mais rápidas de Brasília, 89,36 Mbps. Não houve primeiro colocado estatisticamente significativo em Fortaleza, embora a Oi tenha apresentado uma velocidade média de download de 94,43 Mbps e a Brisanet uma velocidade média de download de 93,45 Mbps.

De acordo com o Speedtest Consumer Sentiment, essas velocidades médias de download em sua maioria refletiram as avaliações dos consumidores. A Vivo foi o provedor com NPS de melhor classificação no Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo com 3,63 e 2,25, respectivamente. A Oi foi a melhor colocada em Brasília, com -14,03. A TIM Live venceu a Oi em Salvador -23,93 para -24,65. E em Fortaleza, a Brisanet ficou em primeiro com 4,72, seguida da Oi com 2,28.

Velocidades móveis mais rápidas estão chegando no Brasil

Apesar de vários desafios políticos, a Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações do Brasil (ou Anatel) está prestes a realizar um leilão de espectro 5G massivo que deve ocorrer no final de setembro ou outubro. Esse leilão visa permitir que as operadoras brasileiras aumentem significativamente presença e capacidade de cobertura e melhorem a experiência geral do usuário final. A Anatel vai leiloar várias faixas de espectro:

700 MHz: vários blocos FDD de 10 MHz em todo o país
3,5 GHz: dois blocos de 100 MHz e um de 80 MHz em todo o país
2,3 GHz: um bloco de 50 MHz e um bloco regional de 40 MHz
26 GHz (mmWave): cinco blocos de 400 MHz em todo o país e três blocos regionais

Além disso, a Anatel exige que as operadoras móveis participantes implantem redes 5G autônomas (SA) até 2022, em vez de depender da tecnologia de compartilhamento dinâmico de espectro (DSS), que permite às operadoras usar o espectro 4G existente para operação 4G e 5G. A tecnologia DSS já está em uso pelas operadoras brasileiras, mas a capacidade geral da rede tende a ser reduzida diante da sobrecarga associada à execução de ambas as tecnologias na mesma fatia do espectro. A entrada de centenas de megahertz de ativos de espectro Greenfield para o mercado móvel brasileiro promete uma cobertura 5G aprimorada em áreas geográficas mais amplas usando as licenças de 700 MHz, velocidades multigigabit que vêm com 3,5 GHz, bem como a onda milimétrica e oportunidades infinitas para o segmento empresarial da indústria.

O Brasil continua sendo um mercado animador de se observar e continuaremos monitorando o desempenho dele na internet em relação aos eventos de interesse jornalístico. Se você quiser saber mais sobre Speedtest Intelligence e Speedtest Consumer Sentiment, entre em contato conosco.

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Josh Fomon

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How a Power Outage Impacted Chile’s Mobile Network Resiliency

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Here’s what Chile’s 12-hour nationwide power outage looked like according to mobile Speedtest data

Cómo afectó un apagón eléctrico a la resiliencia de la red móvil de Chile

Así fue el apagón nacional de 12 horas en Chile según los datos de Speedtest móvil

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Kerry Baker

New Speedtest Data Shows Starlink Users Love Their Provider

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

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

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

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

Starlink in Jamaica was the fastest Caribbean satellite provider

New Q1 2023 Starlink countries show promising initial results

The 2023 space revolution is off to a huge start

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

Viasat launched its Viasat-3 arrays

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European Union greenlights multi-orbit constellation

HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in Q2 2023

Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments

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Josh Fomon

Starlink Expands but Q3 2021 Performance Flattens in Some Areas

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United States: Starlink fastest, speeds decreasing

Starlink performance varies at the county level

Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

Australia: Starlink outperformed Viasat and fixed broadband average

Belgium: Starlink dramatically faster than fixed broadband

Brazil: Viasat close to national average

Canada: Starlink performance relatively flat

Starlink faster than overall fixed broadband in 5 provinces

Chile: HughesNet slower than fixed broadband average

Colombia: HughesNet slow but improving

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

Germany: Starlink faster than country average for fixed broadband

Mexico: Viasat faster than HughesNet for downloads

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

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

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Isla McKetta

How Starlink’s Satellite Internet Stacks Up Against HughesNet and Viasat around the Globe

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Starlink speeds beat competitors in the U.S., can’t top fixed broadband

Satellite internet speeds in the U.S. are increasing, mostly

Starlink performance varies at the county level, but not widely

Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world

Brazil: Viasat download speed is comparable to fixed broadband, upload is not

Canada: Starlink beats fixed broadband download speeds

Starlink performance varies at the province level, but not widely

Chile: HughesNet shows comparable speeds here and in the U.S.

Colombia: HughesNet is slowest

France: Where the fastest Starlink download speeds are

Germany: Starlink far surpasses local fixed broadband

Mexico: Viasat and HughesNet are comparable, though slower than fixed broadband

New Zealand: Starlink is faster than fixed broadband

United Kingdom: Starlink beats fixed broadband providers

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Isla McKetta

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

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

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

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

Starlink in Brazil was the fastest satellite provider in South America

New Q3 2022 Starlink countries have mixed results

The great space race is on

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Josh Fomon

Starlink Slowed in Q2, Competitors Mounting Challenges

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