Tag: China

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 4, 2023

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

Network Performance

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

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

Chart of increase in world download speeds from November 2021 through 2022

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

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

Chile raced ahead on fixed broadband

List of fastest countries for fixed braodband internet from November 2021 through 2022

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

Qatar soars to first for fastest mobile country

List of fastest countries for mobile internet from November 2021 through 2022

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

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

Chart of 2022 perfromance against global median for leading countries

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

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

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

Network Performance

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 17, 2023

44 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q4 2022

Global Speeds

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

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

Oceania

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

The Speedtest Global Index is your resource to understand how internet connectivity compares around the world and how it’s changing. Check back next month for updated data on country and city rankings, and look for updated Ookla Market Reports with Q1 2023 data in April.

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

Global Speeds
Bhutan

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 27, 2023

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

Consumer

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

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

Key takeaways:

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

Key improvements to the new Galaxy S23 models

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

All Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 models

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

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 base models

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

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs. S22+ models

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

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. S22 Ultra models

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Brazil

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in China

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in France

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Germany

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Italy

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

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

Samsung Galaxy S23 showed 5G potential in the Philippines

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Philippines

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

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

Polish Samsung S23 models had a promising debut over 5G

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Poland

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in South Africa

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in South Korea

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in Thailand

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in United Kingdom

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

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

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

Chart of Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 5G Performance in United States

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

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

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

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

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.

Consumer
Devices

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| April 17, 2023

47 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q1 2023

Global Speeds

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

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

Oceania

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

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

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

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

Global Speeds
Bhutan

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 12, 2023

Transforming Connectivity with 5G in The Greater Bay Area

5G

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China refers to the integrated city cluster in the Pearl River Delta of South China. Sometimes considered China’s Silicon Valley, it has emerged as one of the most economically developed regions in China, and as such has been at the forefront of its 5G rollout plans.

In this report, we will examine the 5G performance across the Greater Bay Area. We benchmark the results among the eleven cities in the area, focusing in particular on the four major cities of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen. 

Key takeaways

  • The Greater Bay Area’s 5G growth is supported by policies and initiatives promoting 5G technology. The Greater Bay Area 5G Industry Alliance and network-sharing agreements are initiatives that foster collaboration among industry stakeholders, while also boosting deployment efficiency. Additionally, subsidy programs further encourage 5G expansion in the GBA. 
  • It is still early days for Macau, but the city’s 5G network has the fastest median download speed in the Greater Bay Area at 383.59 Mbps, while early adopter Hong Kong lags behind with a median download speed of 136.65 Mbps.
  • Improved integration between cities in the Greater Bay Area. Efforts to improve 5G infrastructure and connectivity between cities in the Greater Bay Area result in better coverage in highly populated areas and increased coverage along major connecting roads. Coverage plots show significantly more SS-RSRP samples of better than -92 dBm in Q2 2023 as compared to the previous year.
  • Operators have made strides in expanding 5G coverage within indoor settings. In under a year, over half (51.8%) of Macau’s buildings have reported indoor 5G coverage. Shenzhen (81.5%), Guangzhou (68.2%), and Hong Kong (63.2%) have also seen an increase in the number of buildings with 5G coverage in Q2 2023 compared to the previous year.

Coordinated initiatives and policies driving 5G deployment

The Greater Bay Area encompasses nine cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing, as well as two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong, and Macau. With a population of 87 million, the region’s combined gross domestic product (GDP) was nearly US$2 trillion in 2022, accounting for almost 11% of China’s GDP.

5G technology is integral to China’s government vision and technology policies. The technology is a big part of the country’s development policy and goals for 2021 – 2025, as detailed in its 14th Five-Year Plan for National Plan. Benefiting from the central government policy, the Greater Bay Area has emerged as a thriving hub for established and emerging tech companies and startups. 

Given this dynamic, federal, and local governments are actively promoting 5G technology within the Greater Bay Area. One example is the establishment of the Greater Bay Area 5G Industry Alliance in 2019 by China Mobile Hong Kong, China Mobile Guangdong, CTM, and the Guangdong Communication Industry Association. The alliance members consist of operators, leading companies in the industry, social organizations, academic researchers, and enterprises involved in 5G technology. Their primary goal is to enhance and encourage the development of 5G industries among stakeholders and operators in the GBA region.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China also facilitated sharing of 5G networks and encouraged commercial partnerships among 5G operators. As a result, China Unicom and China Telecom have signed a cooperation agreement to share their 5G infrastructure. Providing subsidies is also a common tactic regulators and governments use to encourage 5G deployment. In Hong Kong, for example, from May 2020 till the end of December 2022, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) ran a subsidy scheme to encourage various sectors, through financial incentives, to deploy 5G technology.

As a result, the GBA has witnessed significant investments and a rapid rollout of 5G infrastructure. By 2021, all cities in the region have launched 5G networks, with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong leading the way.

Macau’s early 5G performance impresses

Chart of 5G Performance for All Operators Combined for Greater Bay Area

According to Speedtest Intelligence® Q2 2023 data, Macau outpaced all the other cities in the Greater Bay Area on median download speed, being the only city that topped 300 Mbps at 383.59 Mbps. Despite being the most recent city in GBA to launch its 5G network, operators in Macau began deploying as early as 2020, ahead of being granted their 5G licenses in November of 2022. CTM, one of the providers, stated that their 5G network has been fully operational since June 2021. Macau’s regulatory body, the Macau Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT), also mandated as part of the 5G license award that operators must cover 50% of the territory within the first year and provide full coverage within 18 months.

Within Guangdong Province, the nine cities have reported median download speeds ranging from 188 Mbps to 255 Mbps in Q2 2023. The cities of Zhaoqing and Zhongshan are the only cities in the province to report speeds of over 250 Mbps. Zhaoqing has a speed of 254.17 Mbps, while Zhongshan reports a speed of 251.13 Mbps.

Despite being an early adopter of 5G, Hong Kong’s median download speed of 136.65 Mbps in Q2 2023 falls behind the other cities in the GBA. One factor contributing to the lower median download speed is a preference for low bands to fulfill coverage obligations. CMHK, for example, has been deploying its 700 MHz 5G spectrum, enabling better indoor penetration and broader 5G coverage at the expense of median download speed.

Macau operators rank highest for 5G performance in the Greater Bay Area

Chart of 5G Performance Among Providers in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen

In this section, we drill down into the operators’ 5G performance in the major cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau to understand which operators are driving 5G performance in these cities. Speedtest Intelligence data shows considerable variation in the median 5G download speeds across these four cities.

As with any new launches, it is not surprising that the operators in Macau rank higher in terms of performance than those in the other three cities. During Q2 2023, China Telecom in Macau reported a median download performance of 418.13 Mbps, while CTM Macau achieved 374.51 Mbps during the same period. While operators in Macau continue to invest in 5G solutions, it’s worth noting that users could see 5G speeds decline after more and more users join and congestion ticks up.

On the other end of the chart, SmarTone, csl, and Hutchinson in Hong Kong reported speeds of 153.62 Mbps, 122.15 Mbps, and 105.34 Mbps respectively. CMHK tops the 5G operators in Hong Kong with a recorded median download speed of 166.41 Mbps in Q2 2023. Although reporting comparatively slower speeds than its neighboring cities, the number of 5G users in Hong Kong exceeded four million in April 2023, representing over 60% of the population. 

Low latency comes to the fore with 5G

China remains one of the biggest gaming markets globally, with three in ten (29%) Chinese consumers claiming to spend most of their time gaming each week. 5G technology is expected to revolutionize how gamers connect to the internet by providing a much more reliable connection as more casual and serious gamers adopt mobile gaming. This has created a demand for low-latency network connections so gamers can enjoy seamless and lag-free mobile gameplay. Latency, or the reaction time of a connection, is a crucial metric for achieving optimal performance in technologies like gaming, video conferencing, and AR/VR. Aiming for a latency of 59 ms or less is recommended for the best gaming experience.

Chart of 5G Multi-server Latency in the Greater Bay Area

During Q2 2023, gamers in Macau and Hong Kong experienced significantly lower median latency on 5G, with both cities registering latency below 30 ms. Macau emerged ahead with a median latency of 18.22 ms, whereas Hong Kong reported a median latency of 25.97 ms. 

On the other hand, GBA cities in Guangdong Province reported a 5G median latency of over 60 ms during the same time frame. It’s worth noting that approximately 80% of tests conducted in Guangdong Province utilized servers based in Hong Kong and Macau, which influenced the higher latency results in these cities.

While gaming is usually top of mind when we talk about latency, having a low-latency network also plays a crucial role in driving digital transformation and achieving high levels of automation and responsiveness in key industries, such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital (CUHK) has partnered with Huawei Hong Kong to establish a 5G smart hospital. CUHKMC is utilizing the high throughput and low latency capabilities of 5G technology to facilitate innovative medical digital transformation. These include remote consultations and collaboration, telemedicine, and other applications to enhance patient treatment experience.

Boosting Cross-Border Connectivity

The Chinese government has implemented several measures to enhance the integration of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Macau, along with the seven other cities in Guangdong Province. To encourage greater mobility across the Greater Bay Area, operators in the region are enhancing infrastructure by building more 5G sites and creating data plans that can be used while roaming within the GBA, reducing cross-border roaming expenses.

Comparing the 5G signal strength using the SS-RSRP metric from Ookla® Cell Analytics™ between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023, shows improvements in terms of 5G coverage in heavily populated areas of the region. The plot indicates significantly more samples along arterial routes connecting the main cities in Q2 2023, with more recorded samples with SS-RSRP of more than -92 dBm.

Image of Ookla® Cell Analytics™, Greater Bay Area 5G Signal Strength (SS-RSRP) comparison between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023
Image of Ookla® Cell Analytics™, Greater Bay Area 5G Signal Strength (SS-RSRP) comparison between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023

Similar effort on expanding 5G indoor coverage

With 70 to 80 percent of data traffic projected to be generated indoors, improving indoor coverage and user experience has become a priority, especially in highly dense cities such as those within the Greater Bay Area. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued a 5G spectrum license to China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Broadnet to share the 3.3–3.4 GHz band as part of an effort to prioritize 5G indoor coverage. There has also been a significant drive by mobile operators in the GBA to extend 5G coverage to be readily available in public transport infrastructures. In Hong Kong, csl provides 5G network coverage along the MTR lines, with dedicated 5G spectrum on some routes.

Chart of Percentage of Buildings with 5G Coverage in Greater Bay Area

We analyzed data from Ookla® Cell Analytics™ to compare the percentage of buildings in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou with reported 5G coverage in Q2 2022 and Q2 2023. Deployment of 5G primarily uses high-frequency spectrums, which poses challenges for indoor penetration. In this analysis, we have only considered buildings taller than 10 meters as they are more likely to be high-rise buildings with in-building solutions such as distributed antenna systems (DAS) or served by sites nearby.

Macau, which did not have any commercial 5G network a year prior, undeniably has the most significant increase in the percentage of buildings with 5G coverage over the past year. The operators in the city have managed to provide 5G coverage to more than 50% (51.8%) of the city’s buildings in less than a year.

Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong also saw increased buildings with reported 5G coverage. Shenzhen and Guangzhou had 81.5% and 68.2% of buildings with reported 5G coverage in Q2 2023, respectively, equating to an 18.2% and 17.4% increase from the previous year. Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, reported a total of 63.2 % of buildings with 5G indoor coverage in Q 2023, an increase from 55.5 % a year before. Operators’ use of sub-1 GHz frequencies in 5G deployment is one of the contributing factors to the reported increase in in-building 5G coverage. 

The outlook for the Greater Bay Area

The Greater Bay Area has embraced 5G technology, unlocking its potential to revolutionize various industries and drive automation and digitalization, and will continue to be a key driver of China’s economic growth. The region’s 5G network infrastructure has brought transformative opportunities across diverse sectors. However, there are still improvements to be made in terms of in-building coverage and implementation of more advanced 5G use cases. We will closely monitor the progress and implementation of 5G technology within the Greater Bay Area. If you are interested in benchmarking your performance or want to learn more about internet speeds and performance in other markets worldwide, visit the Speedtest Intelligence®.

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.

5G
Greater Bay Area

About the Author

Affandy Johan

Ookla Research™ Articles
| April 18, 2022

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

Network Performance

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

Africa and the Middle East

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

Asia and Oceania

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

Europe

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

North and South America

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

Africa and the Middle East

Côte d’Ivoire

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

Jordan

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

Kenya

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

Libya

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

Nigeria

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

South Africa

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

Tanzania

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

Turkey

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

Asia and Oceania

China

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

Hong Kong (SAR)

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

New Zealand

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

Philippines

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

Singapore

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

Taiwan

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

Thailand

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

Vietnam

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

Europe

Austria

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

Belgium

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

Czechia

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

Denmark

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

Estonia

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

Finland

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

France

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

Germany

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

Hungary

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

Latvia

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

Lithuania

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

Luxembourg

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

Malta

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

Moldova

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

Poland

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

Slovakia

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

Spain

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

North and South America

Argentina

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

Brazil

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

Canada

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

Chile

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

Colombia

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

Ecuador

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

Guatemala

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

Mexico

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

Peru

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

United States

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

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

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

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

Network Performance

About the Author

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 17, 2023

51 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q3 2023

Global Speeds

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

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

Oceania

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

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

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

Global Speeds
Bhutan

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 8, 2021

Despite All Odds, Global Internet Speeds Continue Impressive Increase

Global Speeds


“A lot has changed” we wrote in our 2019 global roundup of internet speeds based on the Speedtest Global Index™. Little did we know how much was about to change. But two things remain the same: the internet is getting faster and the Speedtest Global Index is still a fantastic resource for tracking improvements on a global and country level (if we do say so ourselves). Today we’re taking a look back at how much internet speeds have increased over the past four years and which countries have seen some of the largest gains.

Mobile download speed jumped 59.5% over the last year globally, fixed broadband up 31.9%

The global mean of download speeds improved over the last 12 months on both mobile and fixed broadband to 55.07 Mbps and 107.50 Mbps, respectively, in July 2021. Mobile saw an increase of 59.5% when comparing July 2020 to July 2021 and fixed broadband saw an increase of 31.9%, according to the Speedtest Global Index.

ookla_global-index_world-speeds_0921-1

Looking further back, mean download speed over mobile was 98.9% faster in July 2021 than in July 2019, 141.4% faster when comparing July 2021 to July 2018, and 194.0% faster when comparing July 2021 to June 2017, the month we began tracking speeds on the Speedtest Global Index. Over the last two years there were only two months when the global average for mobile download speed did not show an upward slope: February and March 2020. Speeds began increasing again in April 2020, but did not recover to pre-February levels until May 2020. This coincides with initial lockdowns due to COVID-19 in many countries.

On fixed broadband, mean download speed was 68.2% faster in July 2021 than in July 2019, 131.3% faster in July 2021 than in July 2018, and 196.1% faster in July 2021 than in June 2017. There was a similar dip in download speed over fixed broadband in March of 2020 as we saw on mobile. The speed increased again in April 2020 but did not recover to a pre-March level until April 2020.

Top 10 rankings are somewhat constant over three years, U.S. and Canada slip off in 2021

There has been surprising parity of which countries continue to occupy the top 10 spots on the Speedtest Global Index in July of each year. However, the lists for mobile and fixed broadband are radically different, with only one country (South Korea) showing up on both lists in 2021.

ookla_fastest-countries_mobile_0921

The United Arab Emirates and South Korea maintain their first and second place rankings for mobile in both 2020 and 2021 and China and Qatar merely flip-flop for third and fourth place. It’s interesting to see Australia and Canada decline in the rankings although their speeds have increased dramatically during the past three years. 5G is shifting mobile rankings where even countries with 5G (which few countries had in 2019) need a strong 5G focus to maintain their presence at the top of the list lest they be outpaced by other countries with larger investments in 5G.

ookla_fastest-countries_fixed_0921

The fixed broadband rankings are more dynamic than those on mobile. Monaco traveled up and down the top 10 from sixth place in 2019 to 10th in 2020 to first place in 2021. Singapore ranked first or second in all three years and Hong Kong (SAR) was in the top four. Romania was solidly in fifth place while South Korea dropped lower in the ranking every year. Chile and Denmark both debuted in the top 10 in 2021 and the United States dropped off the list.

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

We were curious to see if countries that made the top 10 in July 2021 for either mobile or fixed broadband were also performing well on the other medium, so we plotted the percentage difference from the global average for mobile download speed against download speed on fixed broadband. Note that the global average increased between 2020 and 2021 and that Liechtenstein and Monaco are not included in this comparison as they did not have sufficient samples to be listed on both axes.

2020/2021 chart of leading country performance again global averages

Most countries that made the top 10 in July 2021 for either mobile or fixed broadband were performing well over the global average for both at that point in time. South Korea and the U.A.E. stood out with mean mobile download speeds that were more than 240% faster than the global average and fixed broadband downloads that were more than 70% faster than the global average. China’s mobile download speed was more than 180% faster than the global average and the country was more than 70% faster than the global average for fixed broadband. Switzerland’s mobile and fixed broadband download speeds were close to 100% faster than the global average.

Chile and Thailand are in a quadrant that shows both had faster than average fixed broadband download speeds, but their mobile download speeds were slower than the global average in July 2021. Australia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia were in the opposite quadrant with faster than average mobile speeds and below average fixed broadband speeds.

Comparing the chart for July 2021 to that of July 2020, we saw a wide variety of outcomes. Countries with increases compared to the global average on mobile and fixed broadband included Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Hong Kong, Romania and the U.A.E. Chile and Norway showed dramatic increases compared to the global average on fixed broadband and declines on mobile. Bulgaria, China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland increased on mobile but showed little change on fixed. South Korea and Qatar increased on mobile compared to the global average and declined on fixed. Singapore and Thailand declined on both mobile and fixed broadband compared to the global average.

We’re interested to see how global speeds and rankings change over time as individual countries and their providers choose to invest in different technologies. Track your country’s performance using monthly updates on the Speedtest Global Index. Check the Ookla 5G Map™ for up-to-date information on 5G deployments where you live, and if you want more in-depth analyses, subscribe to Ookla Research™.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| May 23, 2023

U.S. Airports Have Fastest Free Airport Wi-Fi, Chinese Airports Have Faster Mobile

Consumer

The summer travel season is about to officially begin across the northern hemisphere and we’re back with fresh data for our series on airport Wi-Fi performance. This year we examined mobile Wi-Fi on free Wi-Fi provided by the individual airports as well as mobile speeds at some of the busiest airports in the world during Q1 2023. While airports in the United States top the list of fastest free airport Wi-Fi, the fastest mobile speeds we saw were in China. Read on for a specific look at internet performance including: download speed, upload speed, and latency.

U.S. airports have fastest airport Wi-Fi

Speedtest Intelligence® showed two U.S. airports at the top of the list for free airport Wi-Fi with Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood International Airport Terminal 3 and San Francisco International Airport showing median download speeds of 157.60 Mbps and 156.66 Mbps, respectively, during Q1 2023. This represented a small drop for SFO since our November analysis but an increase for FLL. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (143.42 Mbps), John F. Kennedy International Airport (136.06 Mbps), and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (136.02 Mbps) rounded out the top five with three additional SSIDs from FLL following closely behind with median download speeds from 122.07 Mbps to 134.62 Mbps.

Chart of Mobile Internet Performance Over Free Wi-Fi at Select Airports

As we’ve seen in most recent analyses, the airports with the fastest Wi-Fi are international hubs that passengers from around the world pass through on their way to all kinds of destinations. If you are connecting through any of these airports, you should have no trouble with internet speeds this fast. In case of video calls, upload speeds are even faster than downloads at almost all of these airports, and SFO had the fastest uploads on the list.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and SEA had the lowest median multi-server latency on Wi-Fi of any of the airports surveyed during Q1 2023. This means your device should see very little delay when relaying information across the web.

Shanghai tops Wi-Fi performance at global airports

Shanghai Pudong International Airport was the fastest non-U.S. airport on our list with a fastest median download speed of 118.67 Mbps. Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (98.82 Mbps), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (82.83 Mbps), Dubai International Airport (67.21 Mbps), and Frankfurt Airport (59.10 Mbps) followed for median download speeds at non-U.S. airports. All of these airports have internet speeds that qualify as at least good, which means you should be okay unless you want to try multi-player gaming (which is probably not your first choice on an airport layover anyway). Both Mexican airports on our list showed speeds in the slow range, so log off early and enjoy your vacation if you’re at the airport in Cancún or Mexico City.

Chinese airports have fastest mobile speeds

Get ready to connect to local mobile service or tether your phone to your laptop if you’re traveling through airports in Shanghai and Beijing and have access to 5G. Not only did Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, and Beijing Daxing International Airport have the fastest median downloads over mobile on our list at 308.51 Mbps, 304.87 Mbps, and 300.70 Mbps, respectively, during Q1 2023 — the mobile speeds at these airports were dramatically faster than the airport Wi-Fi. Salt Lake City International Airport (282.21 Mbps) and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (259.86 Mbps) rounded out the top five.

Chart of Mobile Network Performance at Select Airports

While latency on mobile was generally higher than that on Wi-Fi, these same three Chinese airports (PEK, PKX, and PVG) also showed the lowest median multi-server latency on mobile during Q1 2023, indicating that your internet experience at these airports will have the least lag. Airports outside the U.S. performed better for latency overall with the top 16 airports for latency all located outside North America. CUN had the highest latency on mobile.

We were able to include more airports in the mobile analysis because there were more mobile samples to analyze at those airports than there were samples over Wi-Fi.

Airport Wi-Fi or mobile? Connecting on your next trip

Save yourself time by using this checklist to decide whether to try out the Wi-Fi or simply use the local mobile network. We compared internet performance on free airport Wi-Fi with median download speeds over mobile for the 38 airports we have both Wi-Fi and mobile data for during Q1 2023. Twenty-one airports had faster mobile internet than airport Wi-Fi. Twelve airports had faster Wi-Fi than mobile, and four airports showed only a slight distinction between Wi-Fi and mobile so we gave both the green check marks.

Chart Comparing Airport Wi-Fi and Mobile Speeds at Select Airports

Airport Wi-Fi has come a long way since we started this series in 2017. We hope your connections are smooth and if you’re traveling this summer, take a Speedtest® at the airport to see how your experience compares.

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.

Consumer

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 14, 2019

Ditch the Lag: Cities with Great Gaming Culture and Low Ping

Global Speeds

Yes, you can game from anywhere with an internet connection. But if you’re at all competitive, it’s nice to play from somewhere with low ping and fast internet speeds. Plus when you need to leave the house, it’s extra nice to know you’re also surrounded by gamer culture. We’ve examined February 2019 Speedtest results in 35 cities that are known for their esports events, gaming conferences, game companies and more to find out who has the advantage and ranked them based on their ping.

The top contenders

Eleven_Gaming_Cities_0219

First place Bucharest, Romania is home to super-low ping, a lightning fast download speed and a thriving gaming culture. From Bucharest Gaming Week (which includes the CS:GO Southeast Europe Championship and the FIFA National Tournament) to their numerous local game studios, Bucharest is a great place to be a gamer whether you’re online or out and about.

The next five gaming cities with the lowest pings are all in Asia. Hangzhou, China comes in second overall with a fast ping and world-class download speeds. This city is so devoted to its gamers that it opened a $280 million gaming “city” in 2018 and plans 14 new esports arenas before 2022. Coming in third, Chengdu, China has an equally low ping to our first two contenders and serves as one of two host locations in China for the Global Mobile Game Confederation (GMGC). Both Hangzhou and Chengdu are also franchise holders in the Overwatch League, giving local gaming fans something to cheer about. Fourth place Singapore, host of the 5th Annual GameStart Convention in October 2018, had only a slightly slower ping than the first four cities and the fastest download speed of any of the cities we considered.

South Korea is home to the fifth and sixth best cities for gamers. A satellite city of Seoul, Seongnam-si boasts the Pangyo Techno Valley (a.k.a. the Silicon Valley of Korea) and numerous game development companies. Perfect for a city with a 9 ms ping. Though Incheon’s ping was a little slower at 12 ms, gamers there can console themselves with the city’s gamer cred — the 2018 League of Legends World Championship was held in Incheon’s Munhak Stadium.

Coming in at number seven, Budapest, Hungary is an emerging game city, having hosted its first big esports event (the V4 Future Sports Festival) in 2018, but a 12 ms ping makes them a strong contender. More established Malmö, Sweden is number eight with a slightly slower average download speed but the city is headquarters to Massive Entertainment, creators of Tom Clancy’s The Division series, Far Cry 3, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and many more.

Vancouver, Canada, North America’s only qualifier for the top gaming cities list, comes in at number nine with a 12 ms ping and many gaming companies including the Canadian arms of Nintendo of Canada and EA (Electronic Arts). We included both Shanghai, China and Moscow, Russia on the top gamer cities list as both had a 12 ms ping as well, though the internet speeds in Shanghai are superior. Shanghai will also host the International Dota 2 in 2019 while Moscow is known for Epicenter.

The rest of the pack

Notably absent from the list above is most of the western hemisphere. Cities in North America were held back by their high pings. Cities in South America suffered from high pings and also slow internet speeds — something that esports leagues have complained is a barrier to investment.

Our full list of gaming cities provides wider geographical representation, even if the internet performance is not always as stellar. You’ll find Los Angeles in 27th place, behind Seattle, Boston and Las Vegas. And São Paulo, Brazil has the best showing in Latin America at 23rd.

Internet Performance in 35 Cities with a Gaming Culture
Speedtest Results | February 2019
City Ping (ms) Mean Download (Mbps) Mean Upload (Mbps)
Bucharest, Romania 8 172.13 126.57
Hangzhou, China 8 125.93 29.54
Chengdu, China 8 101.92 33.80
Singapore 9 196.43 200.08
Seongnam-si, South Korea 9 155.25 114.83
Incheon, South Korea 12 139.84 102.91
Budapest, Hungary 12 132.72 54.46
Malmö, Sweden 12 126.28 105.67
Vancouver, Canada 12 117.55 50.23
Shanghai, China 12 75.14 30.06
Moscow, Russia 12 64.56 63.59
Oslo, Norway 13 115.46 69.03
Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR) 14 167.59 161.14
Zürich, Switzerland 14 144.36 109.39
Seattle, United States 15 138.50 79.88
Stockholm, Sweden 15 134.16 93.83
Auckland, New Zealand 15 92.05 53.30
Toronto, Canada 16 134.75 67.42
Boston, United States 17 152.42 60.87
Las Vegas, United States 17 141.69 41.22
Chennai, India 17 48.40 42.93
Cologne, Germany 18 63.77 18.36
São Paulo, Brazil 18 46.43 21.57
Jakarta, Indonesia 18 17.88 10.21
Mumbai, India 19 23.40 19.26
Paris, France 20 161.04 93.68
Los Angeles, United States 20 121.00 23.57
London, United Kingdom 20 63.58 23.18
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20 36.50 13.33
Buenos Aires, Argentina 21 34.31 6.40
Katowice, Poland 22 83.99 20.91
Mexico City, Mexico 25 37.66 15.39
Sydney, Australia 25 34.20 9.61
Santiago, Chile 26 56.13 18.49
Tokyo, Japan 28 99.24 101.90

Of course, die-hard gamers will know that a low ping in your city won’t necessarily save you if you’re playing on a distant server.

What’s the ping like in your city? Take a Speedtest and see if your connection is hurting your gameplay.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Isla McKetta