Tag: South Korea

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
| September 3, 2023

South Korea's 5G Performance Gap Under Scrutiny

5G

Key takeaways

  • Exaggerated 5G network speed claims led South Korean operators to a 33.6 billion won ($25.06 million) fine. South Korean operators claimed consumers could experience theoretical 5G speeds, which are not practically achievable in a “real world” environment, as factors such as spectrum usage, network densification, as well as user location and device capability significantly affect actual performance.
  • Recorded speeds of the top 10% of users fall well short of operators’ advertised speed. Reviewing the top 10% and lower 10% of Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® Q2 2023 samples reveals significant performance disparity among South Korea’s 5G users, with 5G speeds peaking at over 900 Mbps for the top 10% of users, while the lower 10% recorded speeds below 135 Mbps.
  • South Korean operators have delivered consistent 5G performance over the past year. SK Telecom leads the market with a median download speed of 531.89 Mbps, while LG U+ and KT reported speeds of 489.35 Mbps and 470.28 Mbps respectively. 

Reality check for South Korea’s 5G operators

Despite having one of the fastest 5G networks globally, South Korea’s antitrust regulator recently fined three 5G operators in South Korea a total of 33.6 billion won ($25.06 million) for making exaggerated claims about their network speeds. According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), the operators had exaggerated their achievable 5G service speeds and unfairly advertised that they were the fastest relative to their competitors.

In a statement by KFTC, it said, “The three mobile carriers have delivered false or exaggerated information on their services’ speeds by deceiving consumers that they can experience 20 Gbps speed, which is only a target in theory for the 5G technology.”

Based on many marketing messages around 5G, it is unsurprising that consumer expectations are for 5G to deliver a notable increase in performance. However, operators cannot guarantee 5G performance as factors such as the spectrum used, the level of network densification operators have pursued in their markets, network congestion, and the distance and any obstacles between the user device and the cell site can all impact observed network performance.

South Korea’s 5G speeds vary greatly

Speedtest Intelligence® data provides insights into real-world performance based on consumer-initiated tests. While median 5G download speed is a useful metric to benchmark performance, it falls short of providing a complete picture of what users are experiencing. Speedtest Intelligence data from Q2 2023 reveals a substantial variance in performance between the top and bottom 10% of users on 5G networks in South Korea. The top 10% of users in South Korea recorded speeds of at least 968.83 Mbps on average, while the lowest 10% of users experienced speeds of 132.02 Mbps or slower on average. Even if we focus on the top 10% of users experiencing the highest 5G performance, this still lags far behind the 20 Gbps advertised by the operators.

Chart of South Korea 5G Performance - Top 10% of samples versus Median and Lower 10%

South Korean operators have delivered consistent performance every quarter for the past year. During that time frame, SK Telecom has outperformed its competitors on 5G performance, reporting a median download speed of 531.89 Mbps for Q2 2023, while LG U+ and KT reported speeds of 489.35 Mbps and 470.28 Mbps respectively during the same period.

Chart of 5G Performance in South Korea

Using real-world performance to manage consumer expectations

Operators must establish clear expectations regarding 5G performance to avoid disappointing customers. Part of the solution to manage this gap is for the operators to rely on data from consumer-initiated tests to understand the real-world performance as experienced by their customers. We will keep a close eye on South Korea’s progress in 5G performance as it competes with other major markets on the global stage while managing domestic consumer expectations. To find out more about Speedtest Intelligence, please get in touch.

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

About the Author

Affandy Johan

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
| 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

Ookla Research™ Articles
| May 14, 2019

Ookla’s New 5G Map Tracks 5G Rollouts across the Globe

Global Speeds

After years of preparation, 5G is finally rolling out in city after city around the world. Also known as “Fifth Generation” Wireless Technology, 5G is the biggest thing to come to mobile after nearly a decade of 4G LTE, offering theoretical speeds up to 5 times faster. Not every city currently benefits, however, as 5G availability depends on a variety of factors including government regulation and technological improvements by mobile operators. If you’re as eager as we are to see which cities are 5G ready, you’ll love the Ookla 5G Map™.

Introducing the Ookla 5G Map™

The interactive Ookla 5G Map tracks 5G rollouts in cities across the globe. We update the map weekly with the information available to us about 5G deployments as they occur.

5g-map-global-5

Click on an individual pin to see more detailed information including city name, a list of operators who have rolled out 5G, and the status of the 5G network in the area. The status is divided into two types of availability: limited and commercial. Limited availability is when a 5G network is present but devices are limited to select users, usually in a testing environment. Commercial availability refers to a 5G network where any consumer can purchase a device for use on this network.

5g-map-pin-3

At this point all of the deployments we’ve mapped are 5G New Radio (NR). To learn more about the types of 5G and other network intricacies, visit our comprehensive 5G guide. As different types of networks launch we’ll continue to expand this map to provide you with accurate, in-depth information.

Currently, the majority of identified deployments are based on corporate press releases and other publicly available communications. As deployments continue to become commercially available and tests taken with Speedtest use a 5G connection, identified deployments will also be based on Ookla data.

Get regular updates on the progress of 5G by following @Ookla5GMap on Twitter where we will share network rollouts as they are added. You can also find this Twitter feed directly to the right of the interactive 5G map where the ten most recent updates will be displayed.

Where we’ve seen 5G so far

5g-pull-quote

At time of launch, we’ve identified 20 operators that have deployed 5G networks in 294 locations across the globe. As certain locations benefit from multiple rollouts, the total number of deployments comes to 303. Swiss operators Swisscom and Sunrise are leading the 5G charge by providing 5G network accessibility in a combined total of 217 cities, each with commercial availability. Across the ocean, 21 cities in the United States have 5G availability. All but two of these rollouts being launched by AT&T with limited availability. Verizon launched their 5G network with commercial availability in two Midwest cities: Chicago and Minneapolis.

Switzerland-Map-3

In South Korea we are tracking 16 cities with limited availability and two with commercial availability for 18 total 5G rollouts. The country’s capital city of Seoul benefits from 5G accessibility served by all three major operators: SK Telecom, LG Uplus and KT Telecom.

south-korea-map-3

Telstra and Optus in Australia operate limited availability 5G networks in 10 cities, many of these in the more populated coastal regions. We’re also tracking 5G rollouts in a number of European countries (Estonia, Finland, Spain and Italy) as well as in Qatar, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.

australia-map-1

If you’re a consumer who is already on 5G, share your Speedtest results by tweeting to @Speedtest.

If you are an operator planning to release your 5G network, we welcome your feedback. Tweet details of your release @Ookla5GMap or e-mail press@ookla.com and we will add your location to the map when it’s live. In the meantime, our researchers will be hard at work tracking global 5G announcements as they happen.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 14, 2019 to clarify the number of deployments in Switzerland and Australia versus the number of cities served. We’ve also since updated the map to include a new “Pre-Release” status. Check the Ookla 5G Map for the latest information.

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

Nikki Asay

Ookla Research™ Articles
| November 15, 2023

Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Guide to iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5 Performance

Devices

To upgrade or not to upgrade, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on the latest iPhone and Samsung devices on the horizon you may be asking yourself just that question. We analyzed data from Speedtest Intelligence® in 13 major markets to see how well the Apple iPhone 15 devices and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5 models are performing in comparison to last year’s models over 5G to help you make an informed decision. For details on performance by Samsung Galaxy S23 models, read our analysis from earlier this year. We’re especially interested in seeing if technical improvements on iPhone 15 models including support for WiFi 6E drive better performance.

Data for iPhone models is provided for the period from September 22-October 20, 2023, while data for the Samsung models is for the period from August 11-October 20, 2023. Keep in mind that device data differs across markets due to a variety of factors, including: 5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations, and mobile 5G plans. As many of these devices are very new, the sample counts in some countries are still low so the statistical ranges of expected performance are wider for the newer devices than the older models.

Half of models surveyed worth the upgrade in Australia

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Australia

In Australia, two out of four iPhone 15 models showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence reveals the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max both had a 14% better download speed than their prior year counterparts. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone standard model or the iPhone Plus in Australia during this period.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 had a 30% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Flip4 during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in Australia, while there was no statistical winner for the Galaxy Z Fold.

Recommendation: Depending on your model of choice, only half the devices surveyed merit an upgrade based on performance alone in Australia.

iPhones mostly worth the upgrade in Brazil

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Brazil

Three out of four iPhone 15 models in Brazil showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence showed the iPhone 15 had a better download speed than the iPhone 14, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max having a 8% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the iPhone 15 Pro showing a 1% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone Plus in Brazil during this period.

There was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold in Brazil.

Recommendation: iPhone users in Brazil should consider an upgrade based on performance, while Samsung Galaxy fans only need to upgrade if they are looking for feature improvements.

All iPhones show improvement over prior models in Canada

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Canada

All four iPhone 15 models in Canada showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Data from Speedtest Intelligence demonstrated the iPhone 15 had a better download speed than the iPhone 14, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max having a 26% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 15 Pro Plus showed a 12% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Plus, and the iPhone 15 Pro had an 8% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 had a better download speed than the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in Canada, while there was no statistical winner for the Galaxy Z Flip.

Recommendation: iPhone users in Canada should consider an upgrade based on performance, while Samsung Galaxy fans should make a decision based on which model they’re considering.

Three iPhone models show decent improvement over prior versions in France

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in France

Three out of four iPhone 15 models in France showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence reveals the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max both had 18% better download speeds than their respective prior year models. The iPhone 15 Pro had a 5% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone Plus in France during this period.

There was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold in France.

Recommendation: iPhone users in France should consider an upgrade based on performance, and Samsung Galaxy users only need to upgrade if they are looking for feature improvements.

Galaxy Z Fold5 shows some improvements in Germany

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Germany

Two out of four iPhone 15 models showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents in Germany during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence reveals slight improvements with the iPhone 15 Pro Max having a 6% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro having a 2% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone standard model or the iPhone Plus in Germany during this period.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 had a 13% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in Germany, while there was no statistical winner for the Galaxy Z Flip.

Recommendation: Apple users won’t see major performance improvements from the new models, but the Galaxy Z Fold5 is worth the upgrade on performance alone.

India sees better performance on three iPhone models

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in India

Three out of four iPhone 15 models in India showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence showed the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Plus had better speeds than their respective prior models. There was no statistical winner for the iPhone Pro Max in India during this period.

There was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold in India.

Recommendation: Indian iPhone users should consider an upgrade based on performance, and Samsung Galaxy users only need to upgrade if they are looking for feature improvements.

No significant performance gains on new devices in the Philippines

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in the Philippines

Neither the iPhone 15 Pro nor the iPhone 15 Pro Max had a statistically better median download speed over 5G than their prior year models during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period in the Philippines. There were not enough samples to properly assess the performance of the other two iPhone models.

Likewise, there was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold in the Philippines.

Recommendation: Filipino consumers looking to upgrade their phones to the latest models will have to look for reasons beyond performance.

Galaxy Z Fold5 sees performance improvement in South Korea

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in South Korea

Mobile speeds in South Korea are already fast with a top 10 performance on the Speedtest Global Index™ as of September 2023. New phones may not push performance boosts, though, as Speedtest Intelligence data did not show significant increases in median download speed over 5G for the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max in South Korea during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max had a 16% better upload speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. There were not enough samples to properly assess the performance of the other two iPhone models.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold5 had a 10% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in South Korea, while there was no statistical winner for the Galaxy Z Flip.

Recommendation: If South Korean consumers are looking for better performance, upgrading from the Galaxy Z Fold4 to the Galaxy Z Fold5 is worth looking into.

Spain sees major increases in iPhone speed

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Spain

Three iPhone 15 models in Spain showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period, and the improvements in performance were mostly greater than we saw in other countries, with the exception of the United States. Speedtest Intelligence reveals the iPhone 15 Pro had a 40% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max had a 36% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the iPhone 15 had an 11% better download speed than the iPhone 14. There were not enough samples to properly assess the performance of the iPhone Plus.

There were not enough samples to evaluate the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in Spain.

Recommendation: Spanish iPhone fans should definitely upgrade their devices while Samsung users can hold off for now.

Unbeatable performance in U.A.E. makes upgrades unnecessary

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in U.A.E.

While Speedtest Intelligence data did not show significant increases in median download speed over 5G for the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period, performance likely isn’t a concern in the United Arab Emirates, whose blisteringly fast download speeds topped the Speedtest Global Index™ in September 2023. There were not enough samples to properly assess the performance of the other two iPhone models.

Similarly, there was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Fold in the U.A.E., and there were not enough samples to evaluate the Galaxy Z Flip.

Recommendation: Consumers in the U.A.E. should upgrade if they are looking for the new features on the new phone models, but upgrades for performance are unnecessary.

iPhone upgrades are the way to go in the U.K.

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in the United Kingdom

All four iPhone 15 models in the United Kingdom showed median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period. Speedtest Intelligence reveals the iPhone 15 had a 16% better download speed than the iPhone 14, the iPhone 15 Pro had a 14% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max had a 10% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Plus has a 4% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Plus. 

There was no statistical winner for 5G median download speed during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period for the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold in the U.K.

Recommendation: iPhone users in the U.K. should see performance improvements that make upgrading to the latest models worthwhile. Samsung Galaxy users only need to upgrade if they are looking for new features.

U.S. consumers see some of the highest improvements when upgrading to new iPhone models

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in United States

Not only did all four iPhone 15 models in the United States show median 5G download speeds that were significantly faster than their iPhone 14 equivalents during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period, the improvements in performance were greater than we saw in most other countries, with the exception of Spain. Speedtest Intelligence showed the iPhone 15 Plus had a 54% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 15 had a 45% better download speed than the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 Pro Max had a 27% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro has a 25% better download speed than the iPhone 14 Pro. 

Samsung users also saw increased median download speeds over 5G when using the newer models during the August 11-October 20, 2023 period in the U.S. The Galaxy Z Flip5 had a 15% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Flip4, and the Galaxy Z Fold5 had a 10% better download speed than the Galaxy Z Fold4.

Recommendation: Upgrades for all this holiday season!

No performance boost on iPhone 15 Pro Max in Vietnam

Chart of New Device Performance on 5G in Vietnam

The iPhone 15 Pro Max did not have a statistically better median download speed over 5G than the iPhone 14 Pro Max during the September 22-October 20, 2023 period in Vietnam. There were not enough samples to properly assess the performance of the other three iPhone models. Likewise, there were not enough samples to evaluate the Galaxy Z Flip or the Galaxy Z Fold.

Recommendation: Vietnamese consumers don’t need to upgrade to newer models on performance alone.

Ookla will continue evaluating device performance

We’re excited by the number of countries where mobile device performance increased with the new models and even more excited by the countries where performance is so fast that consumers can look to new modes of connectivity. Even if your country didn’t see the speed boosts you were hoping for, don’t hold back on upgrading if you want to treat yourself or a loved one based on any other number of reasons. Remember to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app on any new devices to make sure your mobile operator is delivering the speeds you expect.

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.

Devices

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 17, 2023

48 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q2 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 48 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 Q2 2023. Jump forward to a continent using these links:

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

  • Cameroon: Speedtest Intelligence data showed no winner for fastest mobile operator in Cameroon during Q2 2023. blue had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 191 ms, while Douala had the fastest median mobile download speed among Cameroon’s most populous cities at 15.51 Mbps.
  • Ethiopia: Safaricom had the fastest median mobile download speed at 35.19 Mbps during Q2 2023. Safaricom also recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 42 ms, and highest Consistency of 89.4%. Of Ethiopia’s most populous cities, Gondar had the fastest median mobile download speed of 61.22 Mbps.
  • Tanzania: There were no winners over fastest mobile or fixed broadband in Tanzania during Q2 2023. Maisha Broadband registered the lowest median multi-server latency in Tanzania at 14 ms. Of Tanzania’s most populous cities, Dar es Salaam had the fastest median mobile download speed of 26.33 Mbps, while Mbeya had the fastest median fixed download speed of 21.32 Mbps.

Americas

  • Argentina: Personal had the fastest median download speed over mobile (35.05 Mbps) and lowest mobile multi-server latency (38 ms) during Q2 2023. In the fixed broadband market, Movistar recorded the fastest median download speed (98.37 Mbps) and lowest multi-server latency (12 ms). Among Argentina’s most populous cities, Buenos Aires recorded the fastest download speeds across mobile and fixed broadband networks.
  • Belize: Digi had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds of 17.61 Mbps and 9.88 Mbps respectively during Q2 2023. It also recorded the highest Consistency of 79.8%. smart! recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency, of 67 ms. NEXGEN had the fastest median download and upload performance over fixed broadband in Belize at 48.65 Mbps and 47.38 Mbps respectively.
  • Canada: Bell was the fastest mobile operator in Canada with a median download speed of 116.59 Mbps in Q2 2023. Bell also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 208.05 Mbps. Rogers had the fastest median mobile upload speed of 13.29 Mbps, and the highest Consistency of 84.7%. Bell pure fibre was fastest for fixed broadband across both download (277.24 Mbps) and upload (235.27 Mbps) speeds. Of Canada’s most populous cities, St. John’s recorded the fastest median mobile download speed (214.29 Mbps) and Fredericton recorded the fastest median fixed download speed (239.28 Mbps). 
  • Colombia: Movistar was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 161.28 Mbps in Q2 2023. ETB had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms. Of Colombia’s most populous cities, Cartagena recorded the fastest median fixed download speed of 109.01 Mbps.
  • Costa Rica: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 51.88 Mbps and 12.56 Mbps respectively. Liberty had the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 34 ms, and the highest Consistency at 79.7%. Metrocom was fastest for fixed broadband download and upload performance, at 192.00 Mbps and 143.94 Mbps respectively.
  • Dominican Republic: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 30.60 Mbps and 8.70 Mbps respectively. Viva had the lowest mobile multi-server latency at 44 ms. SpaceX’s Starlink was fastest for fixed broadband at 57.31 Mbps.
  • Ecuador: CNT was the fastest mobile operator in Ecuador with a median download speed of 28.45 Mbps in Q2 2023. It also recorded the highest Consistency of 81.5%. Movistar registered the lowest median multi-server latency in Ecuador at 39 ms. Netlife was fastest for fixed broadband, at 78.36 Mbps.
  • El Salvador: Claro had the fastest median download and upload speeds among mobile operators at 42.00 Mbps and 15.42 Mbps respectively. Movistar registered the lowest median multi-server latency in El Salvador at 65 ms. Cable Color recorded the fastest median fixed download speed (51.14 Mbps), upload speed (47.58 Mbps), and lowest median multi-server latency (35 ms).
  • Guatemala: Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Guatemala with a median download speed of 34.67 Mbps and median upload speed of 20.68 Mbps. Claro also had the highest Consistency with 84.4% of results showing at least a 5 Mbps minimum download speed and 1 Mbps minimum upload speed. Claro was also fastest for median fixed download performance, at 40.60 Mbps, while Cable Color was fastest for fixed upload performance, at 26.85 Mbps, and had the lowest median multi-server latency, of 35 ms.
  • Guyana: ENet was the top performing operator in the market, recording a median mobile download and upload speed of 67.58 Mbps and 20.92 Mbps respectively, and a median fixed download and upload speed of 62.40 Mbps and 39.66 Mbps respectively, in Q2 2023. ENet also recorded the lowest median multi-server latency across mobile and fixed networks.
  • Haiti: Digicel was the fastest mobile operator in Haiti with a median mobile download speed of 10.53 Mbps and median upload speed of 6.99 Mbps. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median fixed download speed at 60.24 Mbps, while Natcom had the fastest median fixed upload speeds (17.76 Mbps) and lowest median fixed multi-server latency at 32 ms. 
  • Jamaica: Flow was the fastest mobile operator in Jamaica with a median download speed of 35.56 Mbps. Flow also had the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 36 ms. SpaceX Starlink had the fastest median fixed speeds at 84.93 Mbps.
  • Mexico: Telcel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 48.76 Mbps, and for 5G at 223.93 Mbps. Telcel also had the lowest mobile median multi-server latency at 64 ms. Totalplay was fastest for fixed broadband (87.03 Mbps) and had the lowest median multi-server latency at 24 ms. Among Mexico’s most populous cities, Guadalajara recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 39.13 Mbps, and Monterrey the fastest median fixed download speed of 78.30 Mbps.
  • Peru: Claro was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 22.67 Mbps, and had the highest mobile network Consistency in the market with 80.4%. Apple devices had the fastest median download speed among top device manufacturers at 29.68 Mbps.
  • Trinidad and Tobago: Digicel had the fastest median download speed over mobile at 37.34 Mbps, and highest Consistency of 87.7%. Digicel+ had the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speed at 99.11 Mbps and 98.32 Mbps respectively, 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 164.76 Mbps. T-Mobile also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 220.00 Mbps, and lowest 5G multi-server latency of 51 ms. Spectrum edged out Cox as the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 243.02 Mbps. Verizon had the lowest median multi-server latency on fixed broadband at 15 ms.
  • Venezuela: Digitel was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 9.53 Mbps, and had the highest mobile network Consistency in the market with 58.1%. Airtek Solutions had the fastest fixed median download speed of 73.44 Mbps, and lowest median multi-server latency at 8 ms.

Asia

  • Afghanistan: The fastest mobile operator in Afghanistan was Afghan Wireless with a median download speed of 7.17 Mbps. It also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 78 ms, and highest Consistency of 58.1% in Q2 2023.
  • Bangladesh: Banglalink was the fastest mobile operator in Bangladesh with a median download speed of 23.47 Mbps in Q2 2023. DOT Internet was the fastest fixed broadband provider with a median download speed of 90.88 Mbps and had the lowest median multi-server latency at 4 ms.
  • Bhutan: There was no fastest mobile operator in Bhutan during Q2 2023, but TashiCell had the lowest median multi-server latency at 42 ms, and offered the highest Consistency in the market with 83.8%.
  • Brunei: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q2 2023 in Brunei, but Apple devices had the fastest median download speed at 143.97 Mbps.
  • Cambodia: Cellcard recorded the fastest median mobile download speeds at 31.60 Mbps during Q2 2023. SINET had the fastest median fixed download speed at 42.26 Mbps.
  • China: China Mobile was the fastest mobile operator with a median download speed of 132.81 Mbps. China Mobile also had the fastest median mobile 5G download speed at 279.14 Mbps. China Unicom was fastest for fixed broadband at 222.22 Mbps.
  • Georgia: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q2 2023 in Georgia. Geocell recorded the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 39 ms, while Magti recorded the highest mobile Consistency with 90.0%. MagtiCom had the fastest median fixed speed at 27.81 Mbps. MagtiCom also had the lowest median multi-server latency at 11 ms.
  • Indonesia: Telkomsel was the fastest Indonesian mobile operator with a median download speed of 28.71 Mbps. Telkomsel also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 46 ms.
  • Japan: There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile download performance during Q2 2023 in Japan, however Rakuten recorded the fastest mobile upload speed at 19.90 Mbps. So-net had the fastest fixed download and upload speeds, at 276.58 Mbps and 179.51 Mbps respectively, and the lowest median multi-server latency at 9 ms.
  • Malaysia: TIME was the fastest fixed provider in Malaysia with a median download speed of 108.38 Mbps, and had the lowest multi-server latency at 9 ms.
  • Pakistan: Transworld had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed in Pakistan at 17.10 Mbps, and the highest Consistency, at 36.6%.
  • Philippines: Smart delivered the fastest median mobile download speed in the Philippines at 35.39 Mbps. 
  • South Korea: SK Telecom recorded the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds at 161.16 Mbps and 16.37 Mbps respectively. LG U+ had the lowest median multi-server latency in the market at 63 ms. KT delivered the fastest median fixed download speed at 131.09 Mbps.
  • Sri Lanka: SLT-Mobitel delivered the fastest mobile and fixed broadband speeds in Sri Lanka at 20.71 Mbps and 38.97 Mbps, respectively in Q2 2023. Dialog had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 35 ms, and the highest Consistency, at 81.8%.
  • United Arab Emirates: etisalat by e& recorded the fastest median download speeds across both mobile and fixed, at 216.65 Mbps and 261.98 Mbps respectively in Q2 2023. etisalat by e& also had the fastest median 5G download speed at 680.88 Mbps and lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 35 ms. du recorded the lowest fixed multi-server latency, at 12 ms.
  • Vietnam: Vinaphone had the fastest median mobile download speed in Q2 2023, at 52.58 Mbps. It also had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 34 ms, and highest Consistency at 94.8%. Viettel was the fastest fixed provider with a median download speed of 105.72 Mbps.

Europe

  • Albania: Digicom was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Albania in Q2 2023, recording a median download speed of 93.40 Mbps. It also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, at 86.0%. There was no winner for fastest mobile operator in the market.
  • Belgium: Proximus recorded the fastest median mobile download speed during Q2 2023, at 78.01 Mbps. It also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, at 90.5%. Telenet had the fastest median fixed download speed at 143.42 Mbps. Among Belgium’s most populous cities, Ghent recorded the fastest median mobile download speed of 187.90 Mbps, and Antwerp the fastest median fixed download speed of 87.72 Mbps.
  • Denmark: YouSee was the fastest mobile operator in Denmark with a median download speed of 140.59 Mbps. Hiper was fastest for fixed broadband at 268.02 Mbps.
  • Estonia: The fastest mobile operator in Estonia was Telia with a median download speed of 101.32 Mbps. Telia also had the lowest median multi-server latency on mobile at 31 ms. Elisa was the fastest fixed broadband provider, with a median download speed of 94.70 Mbps.
  • Finland: DNA had the fastest median mobile download speed at 99.07 Mbps. Lounea was fastest for fixed broadband at 105.84 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 93.39 Mbps, and a median download speed with 5G at 187.25 Mbps. Vodafone recorded the fastest fixed broadband performance, with a median download speed at 121.76 Mbps. It also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, at 83.8%.
  • Latvia: BITĖ was the fastest mobile operator in Latvia during Q2 2023, with a median download speed of 114.51 Mbps. LMT recorded the lowest mobile multi-server latency, at 26 ms.  Balticom was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 243.92 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 117.68 Mbps in Q2 2023. It also recorded the highest Consistency in the market, at 95.0%. Cgates was fastest for fixed broadband with a median download speed at 161.67 Mbps.
  • Poland: UPC was the fastest provider for fixed broadband with a median download speed of 223.32 Mbps in Q2 2023. There was no statistical winner for fastest mobile operator during Q2 2023, however Plus recorded the fastest median 5G download performance, at 153.19 Mbps.
  • Switzerland: Salt blazed ahead for the fastest fixed broadband in Switzerland, with a median download speed of 358.73 Mbps. Salt also had the lowest median multi-server latency over fixed broadband at 8 ms, and highest Consistency in the market, at 94.1%.
  • Turkey: Turkcell was the fastest mobile operator in Turkey with a median download speed of 58.52 Mbps. Türk Telekom had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 39 ms. TurkNet was fastest for fixed broadband, with a median download speed of 62.80 Mbps. It recorded the lowest median fixed multi-server latency, at 13 ms, and highest Consistency, at 80.5%. Among Turkey’s most populous cities, Istanbul recorded the fastest median download speeds across mobile and fixed, of 39.89 Mbps, and 40.27 Mbps respectively.

Oceania

  • New Zealand: Speedtest Intelligence data showed no winner for fastest mobile operator in New Zealand during Q2 2023. 2degrees had the lowest median mobile multi-server latency at 40 ms, and the highest Consistency, at 91.6%.

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 Q3 2023 data in October.

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
| June 27, 2017

Which Airport Has the Fastest Internet in Asia?

Global Speeds

Travelers jetting off to Asia this summer will probably want to know whether you can connect to the internet upon landing and whether that internet is fast enough to help you nail down any final travel details before hitting the hotel and sleeping off the jet lag.

Using Speedtest data for March-May 2017, we analyzed the speeds of free airport Wi-Fi and local cellular signals at the busiest airports in Asia to see what your best options are and where you’re flat out of luck.

Fastest airport Wi-Fi

Dubai reigns when it comes to free airport Wi-Fi. In fact, this airport has the fastest Wi-Fi we’ve seen at any airport in Asia, Europe or Africa. And their average upload speed is even faster than their download. Travelers to second-place Seoul are also in excellent shape if they need to connect to the internet while in transit.

Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore have decently fast download speeds over airport Wi-Fi while Bangkok’s and Hong Kong’s are merely okay. Sadly, the rest of the airports offer painfully slow free Wi-Fi.

You might think airport Wi-Fi is similar to the average mobile Wi-Fi speeds of the country, but instead some of the fastest countries — Singapore (111.59 Mbps), Hong Kong (63.70 Mbps) and China (47.64 Mbps) — have poor to average airport Wi-Fi speeds. Though sitting near the top of the airport Wi-Fi pack, South Korea’s 66.67 Mbps, Japan’s 42.00 Mbps and Thailand’s 30.48 Mbps country averages show the Wi-Fi at their premier airports could be a lot faster. India’s average download speed (12.39 Mbps) is right in line with the Wi-Fi at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

On the other end of the spectrum, the United Arab Emirates has clearly prioritized airport Wi-Fi because the Wi-Fi download speed at Dubai International is nearly double the country average of 22.12 Mbps.

Fastest airport cell

In countries including China and India, you can’t connect to the free airport Wi-Fi without an in-country mobile number, so we checked Speedtest results for users on cell networks as well.

The average mobile download speed at Singapore’s Changi Airport is nearly as fast as the country’s average of 46.12 Mbps. Considering Singapore ranks second fastest in the world for mobile downloads, that’s a hard speed to beat. Dubai also has wonderfully fast speeds, and they beat the country average of 29.81 Mbps.

East Asia’s airports form a strong middle of the pack with cellular download speeds ranging from 18.18 Mbps in Bangkok to 27.12 in Guangzhou. These are comparable to the country average mobile download speeds of 33.63 Mbps for China, 19.70 Mbps for Hong Kong, 18.48 for Japan, and 14.58 for Thailand. Flyers at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport, though, will be sorely disappointed with the 5.85 Mbps on offer. But that’s only slightly slower than India’s 7.62 Mbps mobile download average.

Wi-Fi or cell?

If you’ve already nailed down your international SIM card options, you’re going to have a lot better luck in many parts of Asia on a cellular signal than you would using the free airport Wi-Fi.

Of course you’re in good shape either way in Dubai, Seoul’s Wi-Fi download speed is slightly faster than that on cell, and in India you’ll definitely want to use the airport Wi-Fi if you can access it. Everywhere else the local cell performance puts airport Wi-Fi to shame.

Regional trends

Southeast Asia

If you’re jet-setting through Southeast Asia, count on any time spent in the Singapore Airport for your internet needs and plan to enjoy a more disconnected experience in India and Thailand, especially if you don’t have an Indian phone number and have to rely on cell service at the Delhi airport.

East Asia

As mentioned above, all the airports we analyzed in China, Japan and Korea had strong cellular speeds. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Seoul’s Incheon Airport also had good download speeds over their free airport Wi-Fi networks. China’s free airport Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is varying degrees of slow.

China

Within China, Hong Kong has the fastest free airport Wi-Fi, but you will be much better off with cellular networks at any of the airports we surveyed in China. Guangzhou has the fastest average download on cell while Hong Kong is the slowest, but with averages between 22 Mbps and 28 Mbps, you should be just fine.

Watch this space for upcoming articles comparing Wi-Fi and cellular speeds at airports across the globe. Until then, if you think your local airport is over- (or under-) rated, take a Speedtest on Android or iOS and show us what you’re experiencing.

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
| January 24, 2018

GOOOOAL: Which World Cup Finalist Scored the Fastest Internet in their Capital City?

Global Speeds

Whether you call it soccer or football, everyone calls the World Cup fun. We couldn’t wait for the actual match-ups in June, so we decided to pit the qualifying countries against one another to see who has the fastest internet speeds in their capital cities. The results might surprise you.

Get ready to watch Russia best Brazil and Portugal defeat Iran; meanwhile, Argentina and Nigeria and Belgium and England are preparing for penalty shoot-outs.

Using data from Speedtest Intelligence for Q3-Q4 2017, we’ve calculated which capital cities of World Cup-qualifying countries have the fastest mobile and fixed broadband speeds. We also took a peek at the fastest carriers and internet service providers (ISPs) in each capital using Speed Score, a comprehensive metric that combines measures of internet performance at all levels.

Mobile winners

Iceland’s sixth place ranking for mobile download speed in the Speedtest Global IndexTM virtually assured that Reykjavík would come out at the top of the list of fastest World Cup contenders. Canberra represents Australia well with a second place finish for mobile download speeds among World Cup capitals. And Brussels, Belgium barely surpasses Bern, Switzerland for a third place finish.

Mobile Internet Speeds
Capitals of World Cup Qualifying Countries | Q3 – Q4 2017
Country Capital City Average Download (Mbps) Average Upload (Mbps)
Iceland Reykjavík 55.49 21.53
Australia Canberra 44.24 12.60
Belgium Brussels 42.52 16.74
Switzerland Bern 42.02 17.52
South Korea Seoul 41.85 14.15
Denmark Copenhagen 41.78 18.29
Croatia Zagreb 41.16 16.40
Sweden Stockholm 40.12 12.63
Spain Madrid 38.30 14.02
Portugal Lisbon 30.60 11.39
Serbia Belgrade 30.33 12.49
France Paris 29.03 9.26
Poland Warsaw 26.94 9.84
Germany Berlin 25.83 9.51
England London 25.09 11.49
Russia Moscow 21.89 8.49
Japan Tokyo 19.89 7.10
Uruguay Montevideo 19.82 11.49
Mexico Mexico City 19.11 11.51
Peru Lima 18.33 12.90
Tunisia Tunis 18.27 8.07
Brazil Brasília 18.00 8.64
Morocco Rabat 17.32 9.76
Colombia Bogotá 16.87 9.50
Nigeria Abuja 16.17 6.76
Iran Tehran 15.05 7.04
Argentina Buenos Aires 13.77 7.70
Egypt Cairo 13.15 6.33
Panama Panama City 12.89 8.45
Saudi Arabia Riyadh 12.28 8.88
Senegal Dakar 8.85 3.81
Costa Rica San José 5.97 3.33

Looking at the group draw, Group A fares the worst with 16th place Moscow, Russia being the capital city with the fastest mobile downloads in the group. In Group B, Spain comes out on top. Australia wins Group C, Iceland takes Group D, Switzerland leads Group E and South Korea has the fastest mobile download speed in Group F. Belgium finishes first in Group G and Poland prevails in Group H, despite a 13th place finish overall.

From a regional perspective, European capitals top the rankings with all 14 European World Cup capitals sitting in the top half of the list. Latin American, Middle Eastern and African cities fare worst. Asia’s two contenders are split with Seoul boasting the fifth fastest mobile download speed among World Cup capitals and Tokyo, Japan coming in 17th.

The fastest World Cup capital in Latin America (Montevideo, Uruguay) shows a 64.3% slower mobile download speed than Reykjavík. First place among African World Cup capitals, Rabat, Morocco is 68.8% slower than Reykjavík for mobile downloads. And Tehran, Iran, the fastest World Cup capital in the Middle East, is 72.9% slower than Reykjavík.

Fastest carriers

We also looked into which carriers were fastest in each of the 32 World Cup capital cities.

With Speed Scores ranging from 8.89 in Dakar, Senegal to 46.57 in Brussels, mobile carrier Orange was fastest in four cities and tied for fastest in one. Vodafone was fastest in both Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain with comparable Speed Scores in the two locations. The rest of the cities show the diversity of fastest carriers that you might expect from a worldwide competition.

Fastest Carriers Speeds
Capitals of World Cup Qualifying Countries | Q3 – Q4 2017
Country Capital City Fastest Carrier Speed Score
Argentina Buenos Aires Personal 16.15
Australia Canberra Telstra 50.21
Belgium Brussels Orange 46.57
Brazil Brasília Claro 24.72
Colombia Bogotá Avantel 20.93
Costa Rica San José ICE 8.30
Croatia Zagreb Hrvatski Telekom 49.35
Denmark Copenhagen TDC / Telia 45.34 / 45.09
Egypt Cairo Orange 16.50
England London EE 36.83
France Paris Orange 33.15
Germany Berlin Telekom 53.54
Iceland Reykjavík Nova 64.61
Iran Tehran MTN IranCell 15.89
Japan Tokyo SoftBank 27.26
Mexico Mexico City AT&T 20.26
Morocco Rabat inwi 20.51
Nigeria Abuja MTN 29.23
Panama Panama City Cable & Wireless Panama / Movistar 14.85 / 14.80
Peru Lima Entel Peru 20.73
Poland Warsaw T-Mobile 36.07
Portugal Lisbon Vodafone 42.44
Russia Moscow MegaFon 37.06
Saudi Arabia Riyadh Zain 13.20
Senegal Dakar Orange 8.89
Serbia Belgrade Vip mobile 45.56
South Korea Seoul LG U+ 50.03
Spain Madrid Vodafone 40.17
Sweden Stockholm Telia 54.49
Switzerland Bern Sunrise / Swisscom 42.14 / 41.91
Tunisia Tunis Ooredoo / Orange 19.90 / 19.89
Uruguay Montevideo Antel 20.35

Fixed broadband winners

Given that Iceland ranks second in the world for fixed broadband download speed on the Speedtest Global Index and has the world’s highest gigabit user penetration (GUP), we’re not surprised to see Reykjavík shut out the competition by coming out on top of World Cup contenders for fixed broadband speed, too. Seoul, South Korea comes in second for fixed broadband download speed among World Cup capitals and Paris, France takes third.

Fixed Broadband Internet Speeds
Capitals of World Cup Qualifying Countries | Q3 – Q4 2017
Country Capital City Average Download (Mbps) Average Upload (Mbps)
Iceland Reykjavík 142.89 154.28
South Korea Seoul 130.75 131.96
France Paris 112.58 55.86
Sweden Stockholm 98.77 66.68
Spain Madrid 86.59 73.43
Japan Tokyo 75.88 70.46
Denmark Copenhagen 72.74 52.13
Switzerland Bern 68.82 54.44
Poland Warsaw 62.57 16.19
Portugal Lisbon 55.80 30.97
England London 52.53 16.12
Germany Berlin 46.84 9.52
Russia Moscow 45.25 42.96
Belgium Brussels 43.25 9.63
Panama Panama City 29.11 5.93
Australia Canberra 28.85 12.46
Serbia Belgrade 26.45 5.59
Croatia Zagreb 26.20 11.40
Mexico Mexico City 24.11 10.14
Uruguay Montevideo 23.02 5.82
Argentina Buenos Aires 22.03 4.26
Brazil Brasília 21.57 5.29
Saudi Arabia Riyadh 20.93 9.05
Peru Lima 18.15 3.51
Colombia Bogotá 13.43 6.48
Morocco Rabat 11.83 2.51
Iran Tehran 9.33 4.18
Costa Rica San José 8.79 4.29
Nigeria Abuja 8.07 5.27
Tunisia Tunis 7.82 4.49
Senegal Dakar 7.42 3.11
Egypt Cairo 5.61 1.92

Group A again suffers on the fixed side with leader Russia coming in 13th based on Moscow’s fixed broadband download speed. Spain’s still the front-runner of Group B. France takes Group C, Iceland wins Group D, Switzerland tops Group E, South Korea reigns over Group F, England heads up Group G and Japan starts Group H based on average download speeds over fixed broadband in their respective capitals.

European capitals again fare well, with 12 of the 14 placing in the top half of fastest World Cup capitals for fixed broadband download speed. Belgrade, Serbia and Zagreb, Croatia rank 17th and 18th, respectively. Tokyo ranks much better for fixed broadband download speed than for mobile, which puts both Asian World Cup capitals in the top six.

With the exception of Panama City, Panama, which ranks 15th, all Latin American World Cup capitals are in the bottom half of the list for download speed over fixed broadband. As are all Middle Eastern and African capital cities.

Panama City’s fixed broadband download speed is 79.6% slower than Reykjavík’s. Riyadh, Saudia Arabia boasts the title of fastest World Cup capital in the Middle East, but is still 85.4% slower for fixed broadband downloads than Reykjavík. The fastest World Cup capital in Africa — Rabat, Morocco — is 91.7% slower than Reykjavík.

Fastest providers

Comparing Speed Scores for fixed broadband across World Cup capitals, Vodafone had wins in Berlin, Germany and Lisbon and Orange took Paris and tied for first in Madrid. The rest of the fastest ISPs vary by location as listed below:

Fastest ISPs Speeds
Capitals of World Cup Qualifying Countries | Q3 – Q4 2017
Country Capital City Fastest ISP Speed Score
Argentina Buenos Aires Cablevisión Fibertel 21.72
Australia Canberra iiNet 33.23
Belgium Brussels Telenet 66.95
Brazil Brasília NET Virtua 27.30
Colombia Bogotá ETB 19.17
Costa Rica San José Cabletica 8.28
Croatia Zagreb vip 30.23
Denmark Copenhagen Fiberby 103.26
Egypt Cairo TE Data 4.84
England London Hyperoptic 117.40
France Paris Orange 107.20
Germany Berlin Vodafone 55.46
Iceland Reykjavík Nova 278.06
Iran Tehran Mobin Net 11.74
Japan Tokyo So-net 118.05
Mexico Mexico City Axtel 45.83
Morocco Rabat Maroc Telecom 9.25
Nigeria Abuja MTN 10.73
Panama Panama City Cable Onda 25.08
Peru Lima Movistar 16.64
Poland Warsaw UPC 82.72
Portugal Lisbon Vodafone 61.80
Russia Moscow MGTS 62.00
Saudi Arabia Riyadh STC 16.46
Senegal Dakar Tigo 6.42
Serbia Belgrade SBB 34.60
South Korea Seoul KT 162.45
Spain Madrid Masmovil / Orange 101.52 / 101.34
Sweden Stockholm Ownit 158.78
Switzerland Bern Fiber7 241.93
Tunisia Tunis TOPNET 7.61
Uruguay Montevideo Antel 22.01

Did your team not come out as expected? Or are you defending a tight match? Take a Speedtest on Android, iOS or on the web and we’ll check back in on scores closer to the main event.

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