Josh Fomon | October 18, 2021

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

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

Africa and the Middle East

Asia and Oceania

Europe

North and South America

Africa and the Middle East

Algeria

Mobile provider Ooredoo had the highest Speed Score^™ (25.69) and Consistency Score^™ (83.4%) in Algeria during Q3 2021.
Apple devices were the fastest devices in Algeria during Q3 2021, achieving a mean download speed of 27.53 Mbps.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G was the fastest popular device in Algeria for the second quarter in a row with a mean download speed of 39.66 Mbps.
Apple devices took four out of the top five spots among popular devices, with Xiaomi’s Redmi K40 5G taking the runner-up spot on this list at 35.78 Mbps.

Jordan

Speedtest Intelligence found Umniah was the fastest mobile operator in Jordan during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 35.86.
Umniah also had the highest Consistency Score at 93.9%.
For the second quarter in a row, fixed broadband provider Orange had the fastest Speed Score (77.30).
Fixed broadband provider DAMAMAX overtook Orange for the highest Consistency Score at 86.5%.
Among popular mobile devices, Apple’s iPhone 12 5G narrowly beat out the iPhone 12 Pro 5G for fastest median download and upload speeds at 39.43 Mbps and 18.73 Mbps, respectively.
Amman had the fastest median fixed broadband and mobile download speeds among Jordan’s most populous cities at 51.12 Mbps and 19.46 Mbps, respectively.

Kenya

Mobile provider Safaricom had the highest Speed Score (29.20) and Consistency Score (85.0%) in Kenya during Q3 2021.
For fixed broadband, Faiba had the highest Speed Score (26.47) and Consistency Score (48.7%) in Kenya for the second quarter in a row during Q3 2021.
Mombasa had the fastest mean mobile download and upload speeds among Kenya’s most populous cities at 28.25 Mbps and 16.26 Mbps, respectively.
Mombasa overtook Eldoret as the city with the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 22.61 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Morocco

Mobile operator Maroc Telecom achieved the highest Speed Score (56.99) and Consistency Score (90.9%) during Q3 2021, both slight dips from Q2 2021 results.
Marrakesh regained the top spot during Q3 2021 as the fastest city among Morocco’s most populous cities with a mean mobile download speed at 40.69 Mbps. Fes and Salé were close at 40.25 Mbps and 40.15 Mbps, respectively.

Nigeria

For the third quarter in a row, mobile provider Airtel had the fastest Speed Score in Nigeria at 33.43 during Q3 2021 — a slight increase from 28.82 during Q2 2021.
Airtel overtook MTN for the highest Consistency Score on mobile during Q3 2021 at 89.4% to MTN’s 82.7%.
Fixed broadband provider ipNX had the best Speed Score (21.66) and Consistency Score (40.2%) in Nigeria during Q3 2021.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G was the fastest popular device in Nigeria during Q3 2021, achieving a mean download speed of 41.94 Mbps — just faster than the iPhone 12 Pro 5G (41.37 Mbps).
Kano took the top spot among Nigeria’s most populous cities for fastest mean mobile download speed at 24.76 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Qatar

Ooredoo had the best Speed Score over mobile and fixed broadband in Qatar for the second quarter in a row during Q3 2021 at 145.53 and 71.36, respectively.
5G performance was extremely competitive with Ooredoo achieving the fastest median 5G download speed at 373.98 Mbps and Vodafone achieving 346.91 Mbps.
Ooredoo had the highest fixed broadband Consistency Score at 81.8%.
Vodafone had the highest mobile Consistency Score at 93.8%, edging out Ooredoo’s 91.4%.
Al Khor had the fastest median mobile download speed among Qatar’s most populous cities during Q3 2021 at 135.79 Mbps.
Umm Salal Muhammed had the fastest fixed broadband download speeds in Qatar at 83.41 Mbps.
Speedtest Intelligence reveals that among popular devices in Qatar during Q3 2021, Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G achieved the fastest median mobile download speed at 330.68 Mbps, a significant increase from Q2 2021’s 284.32 Mbps.

South Africa

Speedtest Intelligence shows Cool Ideas had the fastest fixed broadband Speed Score (53.85) and Consistency Score (73.0%) for the second quarter in a row during Q3 2021.
Among mobile operators, MTN had the fastest Speed Score (63.52) and highest Consistency Score (91.0%).
Apple devices had the fastest combined median download speed in South Africa at 38.24 Mbps and fastest median upload speed at 8.11 Mbps during Q3 2021.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G took top honors as the fastest popular device, achieving a median download speed of 79.56 Mbps.

Tunisia

During Q3 2021, Ooredoo achieved the highest mobile Speed Score in Tunisia at 44.06, a slight dip from Q2 2021.
Tunisie Telecom had the highest fixed broadband Speed Score at 9.31.
Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G had the fastest mean download speed in Tunisia among popular devices during Q3 2021 at 64.43 Mbps.
Among popular chipsets, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G had the fastest mean download speed for the second quarter in a row at 62.92 Mbps.
Sfax had the fastest mean mobile download speed in Tunisia for the second quarter in a row at 47.02 Mbps.

Turkey

Speedtest Intelligence revealed mobile provider Turkcell had the highest Speed Score and Consistency Score in Turkey during Q3 2021 at 67.19 and 93.3%, respectively. Both scores were slight increases from Q2 2021.
For fixed broadband, TurkNet edged out Turksat Kablo for the highest Speed Score 38.14 to 37.57.
Turknet also had the highest Consistency Score for fixed broadband at 72.3% during Q3 2021.
Istanbul had the fastest mean fixed broadband and mobile download speed at 48.34 Mbps and 56.43 Mbps, respectively.
Among top device manufacturers, Apple beat out Samsung for fastest mean download speed at 55.72 Mbps to 43.52 Mbps, respectively.

Asia and Oceania

Australia

Aussie Broadband was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Australia, earning a Speed Score of 88.33 during Q3 2021.
Aussie Broadband also had the highest Consistency Score, edging out Vodafone 85.7% to 83.2%.
Competition for the fastest fixed broadband speed among Australia’s most populous cities was extremely tight, with seven cities achieving between 49.00 Mbps and 53.00 Mbps. Melbourne(52.53 Mbps) edged out Darwin (52.42 Mbps), Brisbane (52.41 Mbps) and Sydney (52.30 Mbps).

China

According to Speedtest Intelligence, China Telecom was the fastest fixed broadband provider in China during Q3 2021 with a Speed Score of 129.56, a moderate gain over Q2 2021.
China Mobile continued to have the highest Consistency Score in China for fixed broadband during Q3 2021 at 90.3%, edging out China Telecom’s 88.4% and China Unicom’s 87.8%.
On mobile, China Mobile achieved the highest Speed Score (141.55) and Consistency Score (92.7%) among China’s top providers during Q3 2021.
During Q3 2021, China Telecom achieved a median 5G download speed of 304.03 Mbps, edging out China Mobile’s 302.99 Mbps.
Among top device manufacturers, Huawei had the fastest median download speed at 96.66 Mbps in China during Q3 2021 — a gain over Q2 2021. OnePlus followed at 85.92 Mbps, then Oppo (82.26 Mbps), Samsung (78.00 Mbps) and Vivo (66.97 Mbps).
Among popular devices, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max edged out Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro 5G for the fastest median download speed in China during Q3 2021 at 290.23 Mbps to 280.22 Mbps.
During Q3 2021, MediaTek’s Dimensity 700 5G chipset had the fastest median download speed at 295.51 Mbps, supplanting Huawei’s Kirin 9000 5G as the fastest chipset in China.
Tianjin once again had the fastest median fixed broadband download speed among China’s most populous cities at 215.33 Mbps, a moderate rise from its Q2 2021 results.
Harbin had the fastest median mobile download speed among China’s most populous cities at 92.34 Mbps, edging out Shenzhen’s 92.17 Mbps. This was a noticeable rise from Q2 2021 when Hangzhou was the fastest at 72.97 Mbps.

Hong Kong (SAR)

China Mobile Hong Kong was the fastest mobile operator in Hong Kong for the third quarter in a row, earning a Speed Score of 74.49 in Q3 2021.
China Mobile Hong Kong once again blazed ahead of the competition for the fastest 5G download speed, achieving a median speed of 191.95 Mbps during Q3 2021, a decline from its Q2 2021 results. Mobile provider 3 followed at 165.12 Mbps, then SmarTone at 147.10 Mbps and csl at 121.60 Mbps.
Among top manufacturers during Q3 2021, Samsung had the fastest median download speed at 44.64 Mbps, edging out Apple’s median download speed of 43.20 Mbps.
During Q3 2021, the iPhone 13 Pro Max took the top spot among popular devices in Hong Kong with a median download speed of 125.92 Mbps.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 5G was the fastest modern chipset for median download speed during Q3 2021 at 122.84 Mbps.

Indonesia

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Biznet was once again Indonesia’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 42.17.
Biznet also had the highest fixed broadband Consistency Score in Indonesia during Q3 2021, edging out MyRepublic 68.3% to 63.5%.
Telkomsel was the fastest major mobile operator in Indonesia during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 30.49. Telkomsel also achieved the top Consistency Score at 85.7%, beating out XL (82.7%) and IM3 Ooredoo (82.6%).
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G edged out the Xiaomi Redmi K40 5G as the fastest popular device with a mean download speed of 44.95 Mbps to 43.18 Mbps.
Jakarta had the fastest mean fixed broadband download speed of Indonesia’s most populous cities at 33.73 Mbps, while Makassar achieved the fastest mean mobile download speed at 25.30 Mbps.

Malaysia

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that TIME was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Malaysia during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 120.10. TIME also achieved the highest Consistency Score for fixed broadband at 87.6%.
On mobile, Digi edged out Maxis for the fastest mobile operator in Malaysia, earning a Speed Score of 33.19 to Maxis’ 31.94 during Q3 2021.
Apple devices showed the fastest speed in Malaysia during Q3 2021 with a mean download speed of 37.51 Mbps.
Competition was fierce among popular devices in Malaysia during Q3 2021, with the Apple iPhone 12 Pro 5G edging out the iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G at 55.06 Mbps to 54.78 Mbps. The iPhone 12 5G followed at 54.22 Mbps and then the Xiaomi Redmi K40 5G (54.20 Mbps).
Among Malaysia’s most populous cities, Petaling Jaya had the fastest mean fixed broadband speed during Q3 2021, achieving a 129.74 Mbps download and a 89.11 Mbps upload.
Nusajaya had the fastest mean mobile download speed at 38.08 Mbps during Q3 2021.

New Zealand

During Q3 2021, Vodafone was the fastest mobile operator in New Zealand, earning a Speed Score of 68.79.
Vodafone also achieved the fastest median 5G download speed at 326.44 Mbps. Spark was second at 266.75 Mbps.
The Apple iPhone 12 5G was very slightly ahead of the iPhone 12 Pro 5G for fastest median download among popular devices in New Zealand with 92.96 Mbps to 92.70 Mbps, respectively, during Q3 2021.
Among popular device manufacturers, Oppo edged out Apple for the fastest median download speed in New Zealand during Q3 2021, 44.00 Mbps to 43.47 Mbps.
Christchurch had the fastest median mobile download speed at 52.16 Mbps.

Philippines

During Q3 2021, Smart had the highest Speed Score (59.71) among top mobile operators in the Philippines.
Smart had the fastest median 5G download speed in the Philippines during Q3 2021 at 217.03 Mbps, nearly twice as fast as Globe’s 114.12 Mbps.
Competition for the fastest popular device was tight during Q3 2021, with all of the top five devices achieving median download speeds between 72.00 and 76.00 Mbps. However, Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro 5G edged out the iPhone Pro Max 5G at 75.27 Mbps to 74.68 Mbps.
Caloocan had the fastest median download speed among the Philippines’ most populous cities at 22.05 Mbps.

Singapore

Speedtest Intelligence shows ViewQuest was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Singapore in Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 276.23. MyRepublic, SingTel and StarHub all achieved a Speed Score above 200.00, while M1 followed at 183.83.
Singtel was the fastest mobile provider in Singapore during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 99.74, a moderate rise from Q2 2021.
Singtel also blazed ahead of the competition for fastest median 5G download speed at 248.45 Mbps during Q3 2021 — a noticeable rise from Q2 2021.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest popular device in Singapore during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 164.40 Mbps.
Apple beat out Samsung for fastest device manufacturer during Q3 2021, with Apple devices in Singapore achieving a median download speed of 71.98 Mbps to Samsung’s 63.73 Mbps.

Taiwan

During Q3 2021, Chunghwa Telecom had the fastest median 5G download speed in Taiwan at 440.93 Mbps. FarEasTone followed at 335.17 Mbps, then Taiwan Mobile (262.99 Mbps) and TSTAR (138.51 Mbps).
FarEasTone had the highest Consistency Score in Taiwan during Q3 2021 at 92.8%.
Among top device manufacturers during Q3 2021, Apple devices achieved the fastest median download speed in Taiwan at 50.25 Mbps.
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max had the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Taiwan at 200.90 Mbps.

Vietnam

Viettel again claimed the top spot as Vietnam’s fastest mobile and fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a mobile Speed Score of 46.33 and fixed broadband Speed Score of 68.01.
Vinaphone had the highest mobile Consistency Score in Vietnam during Q3 2021 at 94.7%.
Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G had the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Vietnam during Q3 2021 at 62.67 Mbps, edging out the iPhone 12 5G (61.24 Mbps) and iPhone 12 Pro 5G (61.22 Mbps).
Ho Chi Minh City took the top spot for the fastest median fixed broadband download speed among Vietnam’s most populous cities with 65.63 Mbps (63.05 Mbps upload).
Da Nang took the top spot for fastest median mobile download speed among Vietnam’s most populous cities at 42.66 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Europe

Austria

Magenta retained its top spot as Austria’s fastest fixed broadband provider with a Speed Score of 148.04 during Q3 2021. LIWEST was the closest competitor (83.34).
Magenta also had the highest Consistency Score for fixed broadband at 88.4% in Q3 2021.
A1 was again the fastest mobile provider in Austria during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 73.85. Operator 3 followed at 52.46.
A1 had the highest mobile Consistency Score in Austria during Q3 2021 at 92.8%.

Belgium

Telenet decisively claimed its spot as Belgium’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 123.84.
Telenet had the highest fixed broadband Consistency Score at 88.0% during Q3 2021.
Among mobile operators, BASE earned the fastest Speed Score in Belgium at 66.22, edging out Telenet (64.41) and Proximus (62.30).
Once again, Ghent retained its top place for fastest median mobile download speed among Belgium’s most populous cities, achieving a median speed of 86.27 Mbps during Q3 2021.
Ghent overtook Antwerp for the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 81.05 Mbps to 79.89 Mbps, respectively.

Czechia

Speedtest Intelligence reveals T-Mobile was Czechia’s fastest mobile provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 58.82.
Vodafone claimed the best mobile Consistency Score during Q3 2021, earning 93.0% to O2’s 90.3%.
Vodafone dominated as Czechia’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 92.47.
Vodafone once again had Czechia’s highest Consistency Score for fixed broadband during Q3 2021 at 76.3%.
Pilsen had the fastest median fixed broadband speed among Czechia’s most populous cities, achieving a median download of 53.40 Mbps, edging out Brno’s 52.74 Mbps.
Brno had the fastest median mobile download speed at 69.68 Mbps, beating out Pilsen’s 66.66 Mbps.

Denmark

Fastspeed was Denmark’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 303.91. Hiper followed at 245.03.
Telenor supplanted YouSee as Denmark’s fastest mobile operator, earning a Speed Score of 88.48 to YouSee’s 85.01.
An analysis of performance on some of the most popular phones in Denmark revealed the iPhone 13 Pro had the fastest median download speed during Q3 2021 at 124.21 Mbps.

Estonia

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Elisa was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Estonia during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 84.47.
Elisa also had the highest Consistency Score at 81.0%, edging out Infonet (77.7%).
Telia had the fastest mobile Speed Score in Estonia during Q3 2021 at 78.26.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro 5G was the fastest popular device in Estonia, earning a median download speed of 100.94 Mbps. The iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G followed closely at 98.71 Mbps.
Among major cell phone manufacturers, OnePlus had the fastest median download speed in Estonia during Q3 2021 at 59.91 Mbps.

Finland

According to Speedtest Intelligence, DNA retained its top spot as Finland’s fastest mobile provider in Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 79.26. DNA also edged out Telia for the highest Consistency Score, achieving 92.5% to Telia’s 89.6%.
Telia beat out Elisa and DNA in Q3 2021 for the fastest 5G download in Finland, achieving a median download speed of 283.34 Mbps to Elisa’s 231.45 Mbps and DNA’s 218.08 Mbps.
Telia retained its top spot as the fastest fixed broadband provider in Finland during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 94.56.
Fixed broadband provider Elisa supplanted Telia in Q3 2021 for the highest Consistency Score at 82.2% to Telia’s 80.8%.
Among popular device manufacturers, OnePlus had the fastest median download speed in Finland during Q3 2021 at 71.38 Mbps. However, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G had the fastest median download speed among popular devices at 114.93 Mbps, edging out the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (113.96 Mbps).

France

Speedtest Intelligence revealed a fierce competition for France’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, with Free narrowly edging out Bouygues with a Speed Score of 121.89 to 118.16.
SFR achieved the highest fixed broadband Consistency Score in France during Q3 2021 at 68.1%.
Orange once again earned the top spot as France’s fastest and most consistent mobile provider, earning a mobile Speed Score of 82.84 and a Consistency Score of 87.9%.
During Q3 2021, Orange blew away the competition as France’s fastest 5G provider by achieving a median 5G download speed of 352.77 Mbps, slightly faster than Q2 2021. SFR followed at 205.19 Mbps.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G was the fastest popular device in France during Q3 2021, edging out the iPhone 12 Pro 5G with a median download speed of 103.71 Mbps to 102.21 Mbps.
During Q3 2021, Lyon achieved the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speeds at 151.09 Mbps and 102.62 Mbps, respectively. Nice had the fastest median mobile download speed at 78.19 Mbps.

Germany

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Vodafone was once again Germany’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 126.45.
Vodafone also took the top spot among fixed broadband providers for highest Consistency Score at 80.2%.
Telekom achieved the highest Speed Score (80.92) and Consistency Score (90.1%) among German mobile operators during Q3 2021.
Telekom supplanted O2 for the fastest median 5G download speed in Germany with 161.14 Mbps and 157.55 Mbps, respectively, during Q3 2021.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max had the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Germany during Q3 2021, edging out the iPhone 13 Pro with 138.74 Mbps to 134.41 Mbps.

Hungary

Vodafone retained its top spot as Hungary’s fastest fixed broadband provider in Q3 2021, edging out DIGI with a Speed Score of 153.79 to 148.05. Vodafone retained the top spot for highest Consistency Score at 86.6% during Q3 2021.
Magyar Telekom retained its top spot as Hungary’s fastest and most consistent mobile provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 52.30 and Consistency Score of 89.0%.
Apple devices took the top spot among major device manufacturers in Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 41.09 Mbps in Hungary.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G edged out Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G for the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Hungary during Q3 2021, 77.92 Mbps to 76.08 Mbps.

Latvia

Speedtest Intelligence revealed that Balticom was once again the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Latvia during Q3 2021 achieving a Speed Score of 193.08 and Consistency Score of 90.7% — both slight increases over Q2 2021.
LMT was the fastest mobile operator in Latvia during Q3 2021 with a Speed Score of 47.79.
Tukums had the fastest median mobile download speed in Latvia at 50.02 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Luxembourg

Tango retained its top spot as Luxembourg’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021 by achieving a Speed Score of 126.48.
POST was again the fastest mobile operator in Luxembourg during Q3 2021, achieving a small increase in Speed Score from 102.09 in Q2 2021 to 109.64 in Q3 2021.
POST also remained the most consistent mobile operator in Luxembourg with a Consistency Score of 96.0%.
Differdange achieved the fastest median fixed broadband download and upload speeds among Luxembourg’s most populous cities at 116.46 Mbps and 92.67 Mbps, respectively.
Ettelbruck had the fastest median mobile download and upload speeds at 148.58 Mbps and 22.41 Mbps, respectively.

Malta

Melita retained its top spot as Malta’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 112.49 and Consistency Score of 82.9%.

Slovakia

Orange knocked Telekom out of first place as Slovakia’s fastest mobile operator during Q3 2021 with a Speed Score of 55.57 to Telekom’s 53.63.
Telekom had the highest mobile Consistency Score in Slovakia during Q3 2021 at 89.6%.
UPC retained its top spot as Slovakia’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider with a Speed Score of 139.98 and a Consistency Score of 86.6%.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro 5G had the fastest median download speed among popular devices in Slovakia at 67.29 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Spain

Movistar provided the fastest and most consistent mobile experience among Spanish mobile providers with a Speed Score of 54.30 and Consistency Score of 88.5%.
Vodafone was Spain’s fastest 5G provider by a wide margin during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 323.13 Mbps.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G had the fastest median download speed in Spain during Q3 2021 at 70.14 Mbps.
During Q3 2021, Madrid had the fastest median mobile download speed at 41.85 Mbps. Barcelona followed at 38.58 Mbps.

North and South America

Argentina

Speedtest Intelligence revealed Personal remained Argentina’s fastest mobile operator during Q3 2021 with a Speed Score of 40.08.
Buenos Aires edged out La Plata for mobile download speeds in Argentina’s most populous cities with a median speed of 25.45 Mbps to La Plata’s 23.98 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Brazil

Speedtest Intelligence reveals Claro remained the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Brazil among top providers during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 44.76 and Consistency Score of 88.2%.
There was no statistically fastest provider for median 5G download speed, though Claro showed 65.92 Mbps, Vivo 64.61 Mbps and TIM 58.14 Mbps.
Among popular device manufacturers, Apple had the fastest median download speed in Brazil at 29.98 Mbps. Apple devices took four out of five of the top spots among popular devices in Brazil with the iPhone 12 5G achieving the fastest mean download speed at 53.28 Mbps.
Brasília had the fastest median mobile download speed among Brazil’s most populous cities at 31.44 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Canada

Shaw was Canada’s fastest fixed broadband provider in Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 184.26.
Rogers edged out Shaw for the highest Consistency Score in Canada during Q3 2021 with 89.0% to Shaw’s 86.7%.
TELUS retained its top spot as the fastest mobile operator in Canada during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 81.93.
Videotron also retained its top spot during Q3 2021 as Canada’s most consistent mobile operator, achieving a Consistency Score of 87.4%.
Competition for the fastest 5G was fierce during Q3 2021. Bell achieved the fastest median 5G download speed of 183.39 Mbps and TELUS followed at 176.38 Mbps.
Rogers achieved the highest 5G Availability in Canada during Q3 2021 at 35.9%.
Newfoundland and Labrador retained its top spot as Canada’s fastest region for fixed broadband during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 124.22 Mbps. This province was also fastest for mobile.
Calgary also retained its top spot among the most populous cities with the fastest median fixed broadband download speed at 134.33 Mbps. Halifax took the top spot for mobile download speed by a wide margin with a median download speed of 113.10 Mbps.
Samsung devices had the fastest combined performance in Canada during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 67.14 Mbps.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest popular device in Canada during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 164.63 Mbps.

Chile

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Chile with a Speed Score of 24.44 during Q3 2021. Claro also had the highest Consistency Score at 78.1%.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G had the fastest mean download speed among popular devices in Chile during Q3 2021 at 33.37 Mbps, edging out the iPhone 12 Mini 5G (32.25 Mbps).
Among popular device manufacturers in Chile, Apple had the fastest mean download at 22.81 Mbps, a hair faster than Samsung’s 21.56 Mbps. Xioami, Motorola and Huawei followed.
Temuco had the fastest mobile speeds in Chile during Q3 2021, achieving a mean download speed of 23.08 Mbps. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar were close followers at 22.97 Mbps and 22.59 Mbps, respectively.

Colombia

Tigo was the fastest mobile operator in Colombia during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 26.21. WOM followed at 17.36. Tigo also had the highest Consistency Score at 85.5%.
Among popular devices in Colombia during Q3 2021, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G edged out the iPhone 12 Pro 5G for fastest mean download at 32.08 Mbps to 32.01 Mbps.
Cartagena narrowly beat out Barranquilla for the fastest mean mobile download speed among Colombia’s most populous cities at 22.78 Mbps to 22.25 Mbps during Q3 2021.

Ecuador

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Netlife was Ecuador’s fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 41.54 and Consistency Score of 73.0%.
CNT was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Ecuador during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 41.65 and Consistency Score of 85.7%.
During Q3 2021, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G was the fastest popular device in Ecuador, achieving a mean download speed of 39.89 Mbps. Apple devices took all of the five top spots on this list.
Quito had the fastest fixed broadband among Ecuador’s most populous cities during Q3 2021, achieving a mean download speed of 39.07 Mbps. This edged out Guayaquil’s mean download of 38.90 Mbps.
Machala had the fastest mean mobile download speed in Ecuador during Q3 2021 at 27.28 Mbps.

Guatemala

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Claro was the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in Guatemala during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 38.01 and Consistency Score of 89.2%.
Tigo was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Guatemala during Q3 2021 with a Speed Score of 19.97 and Consistency Score of 38.7%.
The Apple iPhone 12 5G was the fastest popular device in Guatemala during Q3 2021, edging out the iPhone 12 Pro 5G with a mean download speed of 50.23 Mbps to the iPhone 12 Pro 5G’s 50.20 Mbps.
Guatemala City had the fastest mean mobile download speed among Guatemala’s most populous cities at 31.11 Mbps.
Villa Nueva had the fastest mean fixed broadband download speed at 29.78 Mbps.

Mexico

Speedtest Intelligence reveals Telcel remained Mexico’s fastest mobile operator during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 46.79.
Telcel was also Mexico’s most consistent mobile operator, achieving a Consistency Score of 87.9% during Q3 2021.
Totalplay was the fastest and most consistent fixed broadband provider in Mexico during Q3 2021, achieving a Speed Score of 46.24 and Consistency Score of 71.9%
Apple devices had the five fastest mean download speeds among popular phones in Mexico during Q3 2021. The iPhone 12 Pro 5G narrowly beat out the iPhone 12 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G for the fastest popular device during Q3 2021, achieving respective speeds of 72.22 Mbps, 70.99 Mbps and 69.62 Mbps.
Veracruz once again showed the fastest mean mobile download and upload speeds among Mexico’s most populous cities during Q3 2021, recording a speed of 45.76 Mbps and mean upload speed of 19.56 Mbps.
Monterrey beat out Mexico City for the fastest fixed broadband download speed, earning a mean speed of 69.32 Mbps to Mexico City’s 65.39 Mbps.

Peru

According to Speedtest Intelligence, Movistar was Peru’s fastest fixed broadband provider during Q3 2021, narrowly edging out Claro for fastest Speed Score with 44.39 to 42.22, respectively. Claro had the highest Consistency Score on fixed broadband during Q3 2021, beating out Movistar 72.9% to 65.9%.
Claro was the fastest mobile operator in Peru during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 34.05.
Entel had the highest mobile Consistency Score in Peru during Q3 2021, narrowly edging out Claro at 78.1% to 77.4%.
Among major device manufacturers, Apple devices achieved the fastest mean download speed by a wide margin in Peru during Q3 2021, achieving 40.32 Mbps to Samsung’s 23.90 Mbps.

United States

Speedtest Intelligence reveals Verizon was once again the fastest fixed broadband provider in the United States during Q3 2021, earning a Speed Score of 178.38.
T-Mobile was once again the fastest and most consistent mobile operator in the U.S. during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 62.35 Mbps and a Consistency Score of 84.4%.
Looking at tests taken only on 5G, T-Mobile achieved the fastest median 5G download speed during Q3 2021 at 135.17 Mbps — a significant increase from 99.84 Mbps during Q2 2021.
During Q3 2021, T-Mobile had the best 5G Availability in the U.S. at 64.4%.
Competition for the highest 5G Consistency was extremely close in the U.S. during Q3 2021, with Verizon Wireless achieving a 5G Consistency Score of 78.8%, T-Mobile 78.4% and AT&T 73.8%.
The recently released iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro blazed ahead of the competition for fastest popular device in the U.S. during Q3 2021, achieving median download speeds of 95.96 Mbps and 94.72 Mbps, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G was next at 83.81 Mbps.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had the fastest median mobile download speed in the U.S. during Q3 2021 at 82.94 Mbps.
Austin, Texas had the fastest fixed broadband speed among the U.S.’s most populous cities during Q3 2021, achieving a median download speed of 196.28 Mbps.

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

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

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Josh Fomon

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Josh Fomon | January 4, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Chile raced ahead on fixed broadband

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

Qatar soars to first for fastest mobile country

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

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

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

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

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Josh Fomon

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Karim Yaici | February 12, 2024

Consumers Enjoy Better 5G Coverage in U.A.E. Malls Than Those in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

As 5G adoption increases, consumers and businesses expect the same level of coverage and performance wherever they go. Yet, the characteristics of 5G, which typically operates in mid-band frequencies of 1.8 GHz to 3.5 GHz, pose a challenge for indoor coverage, as these frequencies struggle to penetrate walls and windows depending on the materials used in construction. Therefore, operators need to invest in additional solutions to enhance indoor coverage and potentially offload onto in-building Wi-Fi systems.

In the Gulf region, where shopping malls are central to the economic and social lifestyle, bridging the indoor-outdoor coverage gap is ever more important. In this article, we use data from Cell Analytics™ to benchmark indoor 5G coverage provided by seven mobile operators across 28 malls in Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Riyadh), and the U.A.E. (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) based on crowdsourced measurements collected between December 2022 and November 2023.

Key takeaways

Good indoor coverage is vital for 5G more than for previous generations. Indoor 5G coverage is more crucial than ever since people spend 90% of their time indoors, and an increasing number of consumers and businesses depend on its availability and expect near gigabit speeds wherever they are.
Top U.A.E. malls have superior indoor 5G coverage compared to top malls in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. du leads the way in the U.A.E. (particularly in Abu Dhabi), while in Saudi Arabia, Mobily has the edge in terms of the number of malls where it has better indoor 5G coverage. In Qatar, Ooredoo comes first for indoor coverage and its lead over Vodafone is more evident than in the other two countries.
Efficient deployment of indoor network coverage solutions requires addressing non-technical challenges. Beyond cost and technical factors, operators must anticipate other issues when aiming to improve indoor coverage, such as site acquisition and permission and compliance, all of which can be facilitated through regulatory measures.

5G underscores the importance of indoor coverage more than previous generations of mobile technologies

Before 4G, mobile networks were designed primarily for outdoor voice coverage. That is why outdoor deployment took precedence over indoor coverage in previous generations of mobile networks since coverage maps were important marketing collateral to grow market shares. With 5G, consumers and businesses expect high-speed and consistent mobile connectivity everywhere. As they rely heavily on continuous 5G availability, operators are pressured to deliver a similar quality of experience indoors and outdoors. Delivering consistent high-speed data connectivity across both indoor and outdoor networks is far more challenging since the performance of a 5G network is limited by interference.

5G is also the main data growth driver of usage for the operators and most of the usage is likely to be generated indoors. According to Ericsson, we spend 90% of our time indoors, and up to 80% of our data is consumed indoors. Therefore, operators should strive to improve coverage and capacity indoors if they want to capitalize on data growth, reduce churn, and support new consumer and business use cases.

Indeed, 5G enables a wide range of applications because it supports high bandwidth, low latency, and high device density. As 5G adoption increases, there will be more use cases where an excellent indoor 5G experience will be essential to end users and commercially beneficial to the operators.

Technical and commercial reasons also explain why indoor 5G performance is typically inferior to outdoors. The mid-band frequencies (1.8 GHz to 3.5 GHz) used in 5G deployment do not effectively penetrate walls and windows. The increasing use of insulating materials and metal structures further hamper the propagation of radio waves. Furthermore, indoor network systems need to be designed to fit within the site-specific requirements for antenna placement, connectivity, and power distribution systems, minimize interference with careful coordination between adjacent sites, and connect more customers per square meter than outdoors which impacts network performance.

Commercially, operators have prioritized outdoor coverage because it requires less CAPEX and OPEX per subscriber compared to indoor coverage and has a better return on investment. Additionally, operators need to adapt their indoor network solution to suit different venues and building configurations, find other service providers to share deployment costs with, and convince venue owners to offset some of them.

Technical solutions exist to address the 5G coverage gap

Spectrum is arguably the most influential factor for 5G coverage and speed. High frequencies (shorter wavelengths) carry data faster but have a shorter range than lower frequencies, leading to lower coverage levels and inferior indoor quality of service.

Operators can opt for higher towers to cover a large area to compensate for the shorter range or adjust spectrum usage in specific areas to maximize coverage while not too negatively impacting performance.

Alternative technical solutions also exist to address indoor cellular coverage challenges (see table below). Most of these solutions were designed originally for 3G and 4G but were upgraded by increasing their power and the number of antennas to enable greater performance and improve spectral and energy efficiency. However, deploying some of these solutions can be complex and costly. For example, a DAS that supports MIMO costs multiple times a typical outdoor macro site. They may also lead to unnecessary duplication of infrastructure if operators do not share their assets.

Examples of solutions to improve indoor 5G coverage

Solution	Description	Limitations
Amplifiers	• Strengthen a weak external cellular signal by amplifying it inside the building	• Could cause interferences with signals from the macro cells
Small cells (microcells, picocells, and femtocells)	• Low-power antennas that provide localized coverage and add capacity in dense locations • Connected to the macro cell through backhaul	• More suitable for small indoor areas (e.g. a room or floor), not shopping malls • Not cost-effective to cover a large area
Distributed Antenna System (DAS)	• Set of antennas distributed around a venue to amplify the signal and provide consistent coverage and capacity throughout • DAS is connected to one or more base stations via cable	• Could be expensive and complex to deploy and upgrade due to the multiple radio heads and cable connections required
Private LTE/5G Networks	• Localized cellular networks deployed to offer customized indoor coverage and capacity solutions • Cater to specific indoor environments such as factories, warehouses, and corporate offices	• Acquiring dedicated spectrum is challenging and costly • Deployment complexity and cost can make it prohibitive for smaller organizations • Navigating regulatory frameworks can be challenging

Indoor 5G coverage is more vital in Gulf countries because shopping malls play an essential economic and social role

The Gulf region has been a global 5G pioneer. Most countries have attained nationwide 5G coverage by 2023. 5G penetration among mobile users has also skyrocketed since the beginning of 2022. It reached 28.11%, 22.48%, and 26.86% in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. in Q3 2023, according to GSMA Intelligence.

Indoor network coverage is arguably more critical in the Gulf region. The high temperatures and long summers mean that people spend most of their time indoors, especially in shopping centers. These malls are the heart of the economic, social, and cultural life in the region for residents and tourists alike.

Aided by retail-friendly policies, such as low taxes and late opening times, malls experienced a boom in footfall and retail transactions. Despite the rapid rise in online shopping, especially after COVID-19 lockdowns, brick-and-mortar remains a pillar of national economies and accounts for the largest share of all retail transactions. The retail segment has also room to grow further as the retail gross leasable area (GLA) per capita across major GCC cities remains below that of developed markets like the U.S.A., despite being higher than other markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

5G connectivity inside the malls is not just crucial for consumers but also businesses. Stores can use the network to connect video cameras, point-of-sale (PoS) devices, and signage systems. Good indoor connectivity also enables shops to offer a hybrid retail experience, combining physical and digital sales channels. For example, customers can order items online for in-store pick-up. Indeed, nearly 60% of surveyed shoppers in the U.A.E. use their smartphones in-store to research products, compare prices, or look for offers. Excellent indoor 5G coverage also underpins future in-mall experiences that mix physical and digital interactions through technologies like AR/VR.

Operators and venue owners can also benefit from offering seamless connectivity in the malls. For example, operators can improve their brand image and prestige by associating themselves with iconic venues such as Dubai Mall in Dubai, Mall of Qatar in Doha, and Mall of Arabia in Jeddah. For landlords, exceptional indoor coverage and quality can serve as a key differentiator for the mall, potentially resulting in higher rental rates.

Operators can offload onto Wi-Fi as an alternative to extending 5G indoors, provided these systems are designed, optimized, and operated with equivalent quality of experience, using, for example, Ekahau®. While many malls in the region have Wi-Fi infrastructure, we believe that 5G complements rather than competes with Wi-Fi. Direct access to a 5G network offers more convenience for consumers and is intrinsically more secure than 4G or Wi-Fi.

The latest generations of Wi-Fi technology, including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, are likely to play a more pivotal role in enhancing indoor coverage thanks to their improved performance, higher speeds, and increased capacity. Wi-Fi’s seamless integration with cellular coverage enables the offloading of cellular traffic in congested areas, maintains connectivity in deep indoor locations, and provides a robust and interconnected network experience for users.

Major differences in indoor 5G coverage quality between malls, operators, and countries in the Gulf region

In this analysis, we examine the variations in the strength of indoor 5G coverage across select shopping malls in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E.. We use data from Cell Analytics based on crowdsourced measurements of consumers’ mobile devices worldwide. The tool captures RF measurement and data usage, both indoors and outdoors, enabling us to benchmark signal metrics and generate user density and competitive coverage difference maps.

We use the average Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) as a measure of network coverage. RSRP represents the network signal strength received by a mobile phone. An RSRP value that exceeds -90 dBm indicates superior coverage. If the signal strength is between -90 dBm and -100 dBm then network coverage is considered good. Lower RSRP values signify lower download speeds and an increased probability of network disconnection.

In the sections below, we examine 5G RSRP measurements inside major malls in Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Riyadh), and the U.A.E. (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) from December 2022 to November 2023. For each location, we compare operators’ RSRP values to determine which ones offer superior 5G coverage. We included locations where we received sufficient samples to achieve a confidence level of 95%.

du commands a lead in indoor 5G coverage in more U.A.E. malls than Etisalat by e&

The U.A.E. emerged as the fastest 5G market globally in Q2 2023, according to Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence®. This achievement was facilitated by an almost nationwide 5G coverage of the population. Both operators, du and Etisalat by e&, have sought to continually enhance customer experience by improving network coverage and quality.

du reported 98.5% 5G coverage of the population in November 2023 and attributed much of its CAPEX to 5G deployment and specifically to enhancing indoor coverage. For example, it has installed small cell antennas in apartments and offices and expanded DAS in new mall locations. It also launched 5G Standalone (SA) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) in 2023.

Etisalat by e& has managed to serve all main urban areas and highways across the country, with an estimated coverage of 97% in February 2023. It also made 5G Standalone (SA) services available for all mobile users in October 2023.

The chart below depicts indoor 5G RSRP values for du and Etisalat by e&, across 12 malls in Dubai and six others in Abu Dhabi. Both operators have the same number of malls in Dubai where they lead in indoor coverage. In Abu Dhabi, du consistently outperformed Etisalat by e& in terms of indoor coverage in all the malls we reviewed.

Overall, top U.A.E. malls have better indoor 5G coverage than those in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The weighted average RSRP per mall is at least -86 dBm in 9 out of the 18 locations analyzed, suggesting excellent indoor coverage. However, in some locations, such as Ibn Battuta Mall, Mall of Emirates (for both operators), Wafi Mall and Yas Mall (for Etisalat by e&), and Dubai Mall (for du), the signal power is equal or less than -90 dBm.

du consistently outperforms Etisalat by e& in indoor 5G coverage across all the six malls in Abu Dhabi. For example, du is 10% better than Etisalat by e& in Khalidiya Mall and 8% better in Marina Mall.

The difference in signal power in Dubai locations is generally smaller, implying that consumers are unlikely to perceive a difference in 5G coverage while shopping there. For example, the RSRP gap between operators is inferior to 1.5 dBm in Deira City Mall, Festival City Mall, Ibn Battuta Mall, Mirdif City Centre, and Wafi Mall. This could be because both operators share the same indoor coverage infrastructure in these malls to avoid duplication and to reduce costs.

Mobily and Zain are the frontrunners for indoor 5G coverage in Saudi malls

The Saudi Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST) reported that 5G coverage reached 97 governorates in March 2023 (out of 136 governorates), up from 84 a year earlier. This is a substantial jump from the 35 governorates it first reported in Q2 2020.

This improvement is partially driven by the ongoing release of suitable spectrum for 5G. Indeed, operators had access to low-band spectrum (700 MHz and 800 MHz) from 4G that they could reuse for 5G, and auctions for 2.3 GHz, 2.6 GHz, and 3.5 GHz bands were completed in 2019. The CST also plans to auction 600 MHz, 700 MHz, and 3800 MHz bands in Q1 2024.

Operators have steadily invested in 5G infrastructure. stc reported that it provides 5G coverage to over 90% of its mobile site locations in major cities. In October 2023, it announced significant network investments to extend its reach to over 75 cities and governorates.

Similarly, Mobily expanded 5G rollout and network coverage as part of its growth strategy. Its 5G network covered 28 governorates in March 2023. For Zain, its 5G network had expanded to cover 64 cities and more than 62.5% of the population by the end of 2023.

The two charts below show indoor 5G RSRP values for Mobily, stc, and Zain across three malls in Riyadh and three others in Jeddah. Despite the large investments in 5G infrastructure and access to low-band spectrum, Cell Analytics reveals a weighted average RSRP of -95.5 dBm across the six surveyed malls, which is significantly lower than the weighted averages in Qatar and the U.A.E. at -85.3 dBm and -87.4 dBm, respectively.

Saudi Arabia is home to the five malls with the poorest indoor 5G coverage among the 28 malls analyzed in this article. The RSRP weighted averages ranged from -98.8 dBm in Al Salam Mall in Jeddah to -93.8 dBm in Riyadh Gallery Mall in Riyadh (the other lagging malls are Mall of Arabia and Red Sea Mall in Jeddah, and Al Nakheel Mall in Riyadh).

Mobily had better indoor 5G coverage than its competitors in three malls while Zain outperformed them in two of the malls. Mobily is quite ahead of its competitors in Mall of Arabia, one of the biggest malls in Saudi Arabia, with an RSRP of -92.8 dBm, a signal strength that is 6.5 dBm higher than Zain’s and 8.8 dBm stronger than stc’s.

Zain leads Mobily in two malls, Riyadh Gallery Mall and Red Sea Mall, by 2.4 dBm and 1.7 dBm, respectively. On the other hand, stc leads in 5G coverage inside Granada Center with an RSRP of -88.1 dBm, the highest signal power among the analyzed malls in Saudi Arabia. The RSRP difference between the three operators in the other malls varies between 3.3 dBm and 4.6 dBm, which suggests that operator choice can affect signal reception when shopping in these venues.

Ooredoo leads in 5G coverage inside the malls in Qatar

The organization of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 prompted Ooredoo and Qatar to modernize their 4G and 5G networks. For example, Ooredoo deployed over 8466 multi-beam antennas across eight stadiums to enhance indoor coverage, in addition to ‘smart poles’ and macro sites to boost coverage in surrounding areas. Ooredoo reported 533TB of mobile data during the competition, with nearly 40% via its 5G network. By the end of Q3 2023, its 5G network served 98.6% of the population.

Likewise, Vodafone nearly doubled its radio network sites, upgraded the existing sites’ technologies, and increased 5G coverage, especially indoors. It reported that over 1188 TB of data were consumed across all stadiums during the World Cup. These initiatives helped to make Vodafone the world’s fastest mobile network operator in 2022. By June 2023, 85% of Vodafone’s 2250 radio network sites were 5G enabled.

The chart below shows indoor 5G RSRP values for Ooredoo and Vodafone across four malls in Doha. It reveals that Ooredoo delivered superior indoor coverage in all of them, except for Villaggio Mall, where Vodafone outperformed.

The difference in RSRP is highest in City Center Doha Mall where Ooredoo was ahead of Vodafone by 9.2 dBm. In the country’s largest shopping center, the Mall of Qatar, the difference in indoor signal strength between the two operators is sizable, standing at 4.4 dBm. However, since both operators offer excellent coverage simultaneously, with an RSRP of -81.4 and -85.8 for Ooredoo and Vodafone, respectively, consumers are unlikely to perceive a difference in coverage.

Operators need to consider non-technical aspects when deploying indoor solutions

Measures should be in place to encourage operators to make indoor network deployments more efficient. For instance, the Chinese government mandated that operators share the mid-band spectrum (3.3-3.4 GHz) for indoor coverage to promote co-development and cost-sharing. In Europe, mobile network operators (MNOs) share indoor networks deployed by neutral hosts, such as Cellnex, with a revenue model based on charging the venue or building owner for the network instead of the operator.

In the United States, the primary ownership model for DAS often involves a combination of ownership by neutral host operators, MNOs, and venue owners depending on agreements, partnerships, and specific needs of the venue or location. Neutral host operators often play a significant role in deploying shared DAS infrastructure, while venue owners, managers, or MNOs may also have ownership stakes or involvement in specific deployments to enhance indoor wireless coverage.

Beyond cost and technical considerations, operators need to carefully address other factors and practical challenges before and during the implementation of an indoor network coverage solution. These include site acquisition and permission, physical space and aesthetics, and regulatory compliance needs.

Regulators can have a proactive role in reducing bureaucratic hurdles and encouraging government-industry collaboration. For example, in South Korea, the regulator promotes the parallel development of indoor and outdoor 5G coverage across the country. Another example is the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which recently requested industry views on the mechanism to rate digital connectivity in buildings. TRAI’s initiative illustrates the importance of devising standard guidelines, incentivizing investments in in-building infrastructure, and ultimately ensuring seamless and reliable indoor connectivity for consumers and businesses.

Ookla can support operators and venue owners in improving indoor cellular coverage

As consumers’ expectations for network speed and consistent connectivity rise with the advent of 5G, operators should prioritize addressing indoor coverage issues to improve customer experience, drive data usage, and outperform their competitors.

As more consumers and businesses rely on 5G, an excellent indoor 5G experience will become even more essential. It will also pave the way for innovations that blend in-store with digital experiences. The future of physical malls in the region hinges on their ability to adopt new technologies and use them to transform the consumer experience.

Ookla can assist operators in identifying buildings or indoor venues with coverage or capacity issues using crowdsourced and controlled test data and the execution of precise walk tests for diagnosis. Cell Analytics helps to identify specific indoor areas with low signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) and signal quality (RSRQ), causing sluggish data speeds despite adequate coverage (RSRP).

Equipped with this knowledge, mobile network operators can promptly deploy personnel for on-site walk-tests using Wind™, Ookla’s handheld walk-and-drive controlled testing platform. Wind enables testers to simulate user behavior while meticulously capturing detailed RF data in the background and processing it in near-real time. This allows operators to implement corrective actions to boost network performance within any venue.

An alternative to deploying in-building 5G systems is to selectively offload usage to Wi-Fi provided these systems are designed, optimized, and operated to deliver an equivalent quality of experience – this can be done using Ekahau.

About the Author

Karim Yaici

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Sylwia Kechiche | December 19, 2023

The State of Worldwide Connectivity in 2023

To gain insight into the current performance of networks, we analyzed Speedtest® data in Q3 2023. Our analysis compares changes in 5G performance to the previous year, identifies the top 10 countries with the best performance, and discusses customer satisfaction with 5G. We also ranked countries based on the performance of their fixed networks and investigated the connectivity gap across the world.

5G | Fixed | Connectivity for All

Key takeaways

Global 5G download speed improved. The median global 5G download speed experienced a substantial 20% increase in Q3 2023, reaching 203.04 Mbps, compared to 168.27 Mbps in Q3 2022. This improvement aligns with a significant rise in global 5G subscriptions, indicating positive progress in user adoption of 5G and the performance of 5G networks.
Top 5G performers have shifted. The top 10 countries for 5G performance witnessed notable changes, with the United Arab Emirates claiming the top spot, surpassing South Korea. Malaysia, India, and the Dominican Republic also made significant strides, showcasing a dynamic shift in the global 5G landscape.
Speedtest user ratings indicate room for 5G improvement. Despite advancements in 5G technology, there has been a decline in the Net Promoter Score (NPS) among 5G users. Factors contributing to this dissatisfaction could include unmet expectations and discrepancies between actual 5G speeds and advertised speeds.
Fixed Networks Advancements. On a global scale, fixed networks demonstrated significant performance improvement, with a 19% increase in median download speed (83.95 Mbps) and a 28% increase in upload speed (38.32 Mbps) in Q3 2023 compared to the previous year. This highlights the ongoing transition to more advanced broadband technologies, particularly Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH).
The imperative of closing the connectivity gaps. Despite improvements in global connectivity, there are still areas that fall outside of network coverage. Speedtest® data highlights disparities in internet performance between fixed and mobile networks across different regions, emphasizing the importance of addressing connectivity challenges worldwide.

5G Networks

Global 5G download speed improvements

The median global 5G download speed has experienced a noteworthy surge, registering a 20% increase and reaching 203.04 Mbps in Q3 2023, compared to 168.27 Mbps in Q3 2022, according to Speedtest Intelligence® data. This improvement coincides with a substantial rise in global 5G connections, reaching 1.4 billion according to GSMA Intelligence, representing a 65% year-on-year increase from 872 million a year ago.

In terms of upload speed and latency, only a very modest improvement of 1% occurred. Median 5G upload speeds reached 18.93 Mbps in Q3 2023, compared to 18.71 Mbps in the same period last year; multi-server latency, a critical metric for network responsiveness, improved from 45 ms in Q3 2022 to 44 ms in Q3 2023.

Speedtest users experiencing the top 10% of 5G download speeds globally have seen a 9% increase, rising from 525.54 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 573.12 Mbps in Q3 2023. However, speeds have not yet reached Gigabit levels, primarly because of network economics. 5G was originally designed to deliver peak data rates of up to 20 Gbps based on IMT-2020 requirements, but we are still a ways off before gigabit speeds become the new normal. For instance, symmetrical download, upload speeds, and ultra-low latency haven’t been realized, partially because the vast majority of 5G networks are not ‘true 5G’ as they have been deployed in Non-Standalone (NSA) mode, meaning they rely on a 4G LTE network core. According to GSA, over 40 operators have launched 5G standalone (SA) in public networks, but the rollout is not yet complete. Nevertheless, the industry is actively exploring the prospect of 5G Advanced, which promises symmetrical upload and download speeds and ultra-low latency, signaling a proactive stance ahead of the eventual transition to 6G.

Malaysia joined South Korea and the U.A.E at 5G speeds podium

During Q3 2023, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea stood out as leaders in 5G performance, boasting the fastest median 5G download speeds globally at 592.01 Mbps and 507.59 Mbps, respectively. Our top 10 list also includes Malaysia, Qatar, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Macau, Singapore, and India. The shift in the top 10 rankings reveals dynamic changes, with Malaysia, the Dominican Republic, and India making significant strides, while Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Bahrain dropped out of the rankings.

The U.A.E showcased a 14% increase in its median 5G download speed, reaching 592.01 Mbps in Q3 2023, up from 511.68 Mbps in Q3 2022, allowing the U.A.E to take the top spot from South Korea. Key factors contributing to the U.A.E.’s 5G leadership include fierce market competition driven by Etisalat and du, resulting in extensive 5G coverage and widespread access to 5G services. Additionally, the allocation of a 100 MHz of contiguous spectrum, as discussed in our 5G spectrum article, has played a pivotal role in achieving faster speeds, lower latency, and improved spectral efficiency.

The regional shift in 5G performance leadership is noteworthy. In 2022, half of the top 10 countries were from the Middle East, while in 2023, the same proportion hailed from the Asia Pacific region. Our analysis suggests that early adopters in the Asia Pacific region have outperformed major European markets in 5G performance, due to factors such as early spectrum availability and supportive government policies.

Malaysia’s remarkable achievement in reaching the third spot globally for 5G download speed, with a reported speed of 485.24 Mbps in Q3 2023, is particularly noteworthy. Despite launching its nationwide 5G network less than two years ago, Malaysia’s unconventional deployment strategy has proven effective. India has also made a significant leap, with its median 5G download speed of 312.26 Mbps allowing India to reach the top 10 worldwide. The country’s climb of 72 places on the Speedtest Global Index™ between September 2022 and August 2023 is primarily credited to the launch of 5G. Following a 5G spectrum auction in India, operators have successfully addressed network congestion issues by offloading 4G traffic onto 5G networks.

In Brazil, 5G download speed increased 1.4 times, jumping from 312.09 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 443.93 Mbps in Q3 2023. Before Brazil’s 5G spectrum auction, operators had offered 5G using DSS since July 2020. While DSS can provide broad 5G coverage, its speeds are often similar to those on 4G LTE networks. In November of 2021, however, Brazil’s multi-band 5G spectrum auction closed, which not only generated BRL47.2 billion ($8.5 billion) in total commitments, but it also allowed operators to deliver much faster speeds on dedicated 5G spectrum compared to DSS. National operators – Telefonica Brasil (Vivo), Claro Brazil, and TIM Brazil – ended up with 40 MHz or 50 MHz in the 2.3 GHz spectrum band and 100 MHz each in the 3.5 GHz band. The subsequent simultaneous activation of 5G networks in July 2022 marked a transformative moment with the continuous expansion of 5G services to 623 municipalities by December 2023. An upcoming spectrum auction expects to improve Brazil’s 5G standing even further.

The Dominican Republic’s entry into the top 10 fastest 5G countries was marked by its official launch of 5G services in December 2021, making it the first Caribbean nation and the third in Latin America to adopt a 5G network.

Disparity Between 5G Performance and Consumer Perception

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a tool that gauges customer loyalty and satisfaction. At the end of Speetest, users may be asked to answer “How likely is it that you would recommend [provider] to a friend or colleague?” on a scale from 0-10. Net Promoter Scores are applied to both users and providers. Users are categorized into Detractors (score 0-6), Passives (score 7-8), and Promoters (score 9-10). NPS is the percent of Promoters minus the percent of Detractors and is displayed in the range from -100 to 100. Providers are ranked in descending order of NPS. NPS categorizes users into Detractors (those that score 0-6), Passives (scores between 7 and 8), and Promoters (scores of 9-10). NPS represents the percentage of Promoters minus the percent of Detractors displayed in the range from -100 to 100.

In our article discussing whether 5G was meeting customer expectations, we found that 5G users typically rate their network operator with NPS scores universally higher than those for 4G LTE users. In Q3 2023, that trend continued, as 5G users that were on 5G network when answering the NPS question still scored higher than those on 4G across all markets analyzed. It isn’t surprising given that at a global level, 5G had a 637% better median download speed than 4G and a 130% better median upload speed.

While 5G NPS still outpaces scores on 4G, our data shows that 5G NPS has been decreasing annually. This could point to the fact that excitement about 5G as a new technology is waning as users become used to faster speeds, or as customers await new use cases that can take advantage of the faster speeds that 5G can provide. After all, we are still waiting for that killer app for 5G, the way the video and streaming were for 4G.

While it is difficult to fully explain the reasons behind the 5G NPS decrease without further research, we can clearly see that network performance isn’t the only factor at play influencing NPS declines. Others can include customer care, pricing, and other services. For example, in South Korea, one of the first countries to launch 5G with one of the world’s fastest speeds, consumers scored 5G networks -41.47 in Q3 2023 compared to -20.51 in Q3 2022.

In March 2021, South Korean consumers launched a class action suit against operators because they felt they were being misled by the promises of 5G in the country. Recently, South Korea’s antitrust regulator fined three 5G operators a total of 33.6 billion won ($25.06 million) for making exaggerated claims about the level of performance their networks could achieve. 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, user location, and device capability significantly affect actual performance. Our data shows that the top 10% of 5G users in South Korea experienced speeds of 1.004 Gbps in Q3 2023, which, although impressive, are far lower than the advertised 20 Gbps speeds.

Fixed Networks

Fiber driving fixed performance gains

On a global scale, fixed networks have demonstrated significant advancements, achieving a median download speed of 83.95 Mbps and an upload speed of 38.32 Mbps in Q3 2023, per Speedtest Intelligence data. This signifies a substantial 19% improvement in download speed and an impressive 28% enhancement in upload speed compared to those in 2022. This also indicates that more fixed connections have migrated to fiber networks.

According to the World Broadband Association (WBBA) report titled “Next Generation Broadband Roadmap 2023 to 2030” Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) is identified as the natural progression from copper-based xDSL broadband networks. The shift towards FTTH varies across different countries and regions, but the industry is committed to embracing more advanced and efficient broadband technologies.

Oftentimes, despite improvement in underlying broadband technology, Wi-Fi is the bottleneck that reduces customer experience. Our research has shown that Wi-Fi performance can lag behind ethernet in markets where advanced cable and fiber connections are replacing legacy broadband technology (such as DSL or coax cable). Wi-Fi speeds typically range from 30-40% of ethernet, indicating a need to accelerate the adoption of more advanced Wi-Fi technologies and optimize the home network environment.

The UAE, Singapore, and Hong Kong are in the lead for fixed

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore led the way in fixed network performance.

The UAE achieved a median download speed of 247.63 Mbps in Q3 2023, representing a notable 1.83 times increase compared to the previous year. Most customers in the UAE have access to fiber networks, and additional measures have been implemented by operators in the region to enhance internet speeds, such as increasing the minimum download speed from 250 Mbps to 500 Mbps and offering price discounts to incentivize users to upgrade to higher-tier plans.

Singapore also leads on the 2023 Fiber Development Index (FDI), with maximum scores in seven of the nine metrics. Singapore, along with Qatar and South Korea, has achieved 100% FTHH coverage. One of the reasons for this success, besides having a smaller area, is that Singapore’s regulator mandates building owners and real estate developers to provide adequate space, facilities, and accessibility for network operators to pre-install fiber networks.

Hong Kong also demonstrated significant progress, with a 37% increase in median download speed and a 40% increase in upload speed. To track broadband adoption, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) in Hong Kong monitors broadband adoption by advertised speed and technology mix; as of August 2023, 66% of residential clients already subscribed to the Internet with a download speed equal to or greater than 1 Gbps.

Chile has seen a 14% improvement in median download speed and a 29% improvement in upload speed on the back of a greater fiber adoption. Chile has been the top-performing fixed broadband market across Latin America, consistently outperforming other regional markets but over the last three years, it has also closed the performance gap with other leading markets globally. Chile’s strong fixed broadband performance — an anomaly in the region — is primarily due to strong competition among Chilean ISPs. Chile has seven ISPs with over 5% market share, all heavily focused on migrating customers to fiber.

Thailand is a newcomer to the ranking as FTTH continues to grow strongly. FTTH constitutes an impressive 95% of fixed broadband users in Thailand, equivalent to around 58.96% of household penetration. Operators have been actively rolling out fiber in adherence to the Digital Thailand National Policy.

In the United States, there has been a 26% improvement in median download speed and a 7% improvement in upload speed. In this very competitive market, with a range of access technologies vying for customers, a combination of migration to fiber, 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA), and faster cable connections is helping drive higher performance levels. In line with the demand for faster network performance in the market, the FCC recently announced that it is seeking input on a planned increase to its definition of broadband/high-speed internet to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, up from the current 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload standard.

As discussed in our recent article, several European countries are making substantial progress in offering high-speed broadband. Across Europe, Denmark had the fastest median download speed for fixed broadband (196.43 Mbps), followed by Spain (176.08 Mbps) and France (170.51 Mbps). Denmark experienced a 25% improvement in median download speed and a 16% improvement in upload speed. Spain also showed significant improvement, with a 32% increase in median download speed and a 29% increase in upload speed. France exhibited even stronger progress, with a 53% increase in median download speed and a 41% increase in upload speed. The speed gains we’ve seen in Spain and France are correlated with an increase in fiber adoption; for example, Spain boasts nearly 90% fiber optic coverage, thanks to private initiatives and government support, while France expects a full-fiber rollout by 2025.

Connectivity for All

The imperative of closing the connectivity gap

Massive investments are being made to bridge the connectivity gap as recognition of connectivity as a fundamental human right is growing. According to a WBBA Whitepaper, a high level of broadband penetration is critical to the country’s socioeconomic development. However, it’s not only about being connected to the network per se; the quality of that broadband connection is equally crucial. Unlike other utility services like gas and electricity, where quality is generally stable, with broadband, the quality of the network experience is crucial to ensure users can benefit fully from multiple applications.

To assess the digital divide, we mapped mobile and fixed internet performance using data from the Open Data Initiative, which Ookla provides as part of Ookla for Good.

Map of Average Mobile Download Speed of Over 100 Mbps

Map of Average Fixed Download Speed of Over 100 Mbps

Determining where a digital divide exists is a complex issue that involves identifying where network infrastructure is located, where people need connectivity, and how affordable it is. Although it can be challenging to dig into a specific location, it is evident that there are varying levels of Internet performance worldwide. A quick glance at our data shows that fixed broadband customers are more likely to experience faster networks (measured as an average download speed of 100 Mbps and above) than mobile across the Americas and Europe. The opposite is true for mobile networks across Africa and APAC, where mobile networks are often the primary means of connectivity. Compared to urban areas, rural communities are often ill-equipped for broadband access. Due to a lack of bandwidth (and therefore slower speeds), people in these areas need help doing many things on the internet, such as streaming videos. The US regulator FCC defines broadband in the United States as access to 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. Areas without those speeds are classified as broadband “digital deserts,” even if those areas have internet access. Although broadband definitions can vary considerably from country to country, we can see in the next section that many areas fall outside any standards of connectivity globally.

Despite the world becoming increasingly connected, many rural and remote areas still struggle to access the internet. For example, large swathes of South America and Africa fall outside terrestrial network coverage. As discussed in our recent article, cellular networks are critical to connecting individuals and businesses as internet access in Africa is predominantly mobile. Before we can start discussing 5G, connecting communities with the internet in general is a priority. Affordable 4G smartphones and targeted financing for under-served demographics are key for bridging the digital divide and reducing poverty, as a World Bank study found that 4G coverage can help cut poverty by up to 4.3%.

Map of Average Mobile Download Speed of Less than 5 Mbps

Map of Average Fixed Download Speed of Less than 5 Mbps

5G technology can potentially replace fixed internet access in situations where the cost of fiber deployments is high and rolling out traditional fixed broadband networks isn’t commercially viable. However, in countries like Indonesia, satellite technology may be a more effective solution for connecting remote areas. While 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and satellite technology can complement each other, the adoption of satellite technology is currently limited by factors such as coverage, device affordability, and service cost. As revealed in our recent article, Starlink outperforms GEO satellites and is a suitable replacement for fixed networks in rural areas. While it may not match the leading cable or fiber providers in terms of median speeds or multi-server latency, satellite internet provides a viable alternative in places where cable and fiber access networks are unavailable. This is mainly due to a more consistent distribution of download performance across Speedtest samples, unlike FWA and DSL-based services, where performance is impacted by the distance from the cell site or exchange/DSLAM.

Fixed and mobile network operators across the globe widely use Speedtest data to enhance Internet quality, improve accessibility, and inform network expansion. The United States Federal Communications Commission and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission rely on Speedtest data to ensure accountability of telecommunications entities and allocate funds for rural and urban connectivity development. Ookla also licenses data to NGOs and educational institutions to help bridge the digital divide between areas with and without modern Internet access. Our mapping data is used to track results and determine whether broadband infrastructure can handle growth as more people connect devices and technologies demand more bandwidth. We are also actively involved in discussing best practices for ensuring digital transformation and connectivity for all in the APAC region, Central Asia, and Europe. If you are interested in working with us, please reach out.

Keep track of how well your country is performing on Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index^™ and get advice on how to plan and optimize your network.

About the Author

Sylwia Kechiche

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Karim Yaici | January 12, 2024

Bahrain’s 5G Gaming Performance and Investments are Aligned with its Aspirations to Become a Regional Hub

Bahrain took the lead in 5G gaming performance across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East during the first half of 2023, based on Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data. This article examines the gaming performance on Bahrain’s 5G networks, evaluates their suitability for multi-player on-device and cloud gaming services, and discusses local initiatives to position Bahrain as the regional gaming hub.

Key takeaways

Bahrain’s 5G Game Score™ was the highest in the Middle East at 87.64 out of 100 during Q1-Q2 2023. This exceptional network performance helps to deliver a good gaming experience. With ultra-fast 5G speeds (413.69 Mbps) and low latency (72 ms), most casual gamers can expect a top-notch multi-player gaming experience.
Bahrain’s pro-gaming policies and initiatives helped to attract international companies and foster a burgeoning local gaming ecosystem. The vibrant start-up landscape, bolstered by supportive business-friendly policies, funding, and access to tech-savvy talent, helped to attract international gaming studios and emerge local ones.
Bahrain faces competition from its neighbors to become a regional gaming hub. However, it can leverage its advanced networking infrastructure and reputation as a technology incubator to attract companies and entrepreneurs who want to trial new ideas and technologies for gaming and transform them into ventures that serve the region.

Bahrain leads the Middle East in terms of 5G Game Score and latency

The cellular infrastructure is critical for the growth of mobile gaming. Advanced network systems that offer speed, reliability, and low latency are pivotal to seamless gaming experiences and thus, the gaming industry. The growing popularity of mobile devices and portable gaming also pushes the boundaries of what mobile games can do.

Recognizing this, Ookla has devised a new metric, Game Score, to measure the gaming experience. This score considers various network parameters that impact gaming, including download and upload speeds, latency, and jitter. Game Score is based on Ookla’s consumer-initiated Speedtest Intelligence results for download and upload speeds, as well as Consumer QoE’s™ latency and jitter measurements taken on actual game servers.

Each component is scored on a scale of 0-100 and then combined in a weighted average to produce a Game Score. A higher score signifies a better gaming experience for the user. You can find more details about the Game Score methodology here.

In a recent article, we presented the Game Scores for the six GCC countries. Bahrain led the Middle East region during the first half of 2023 with the highest 5G Game Score at 87.64. The U.A.E. and Qatar trailed closely with scores of 85.59 and 85.23, respectively, reflecting the high-quality mobile network performance in these markets that provides excellent gaming experiences. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman received lower Game Scores.

Gamers in Bahrain can enjoy a great multi-player gaming experience over 5G

Looking more closely at two main components of the Game Score – download speed and game latency – we can assess how well Bahrain’s 5G network supports multi-player gaming services.

Download speed is crucial for ensuring uninterrupted gameplay and maintaining high-quality streaming. High download speeds are also important for downloading digitally distributed games and updates. Download speed requirements for online mobile gaming vary depending on the game type (for example, cloud gaming needs higher bandwidth than a game played on a smartphone) and the gamer profile (for example, competitive gamers will require higher bandwidth than casual players)
Game latency is a measure of latency to popular gaming server locations. It impacts the speed at which a gamer’s response is reflected in gameplay and is particularly important for games where quick reactions are crucial. Low latency also means smoother and lag-free gaming.

For this analysis, we consider two types of multi-player games to account for variations in network requirements and user expectations. The table below outlines the minimum requirements for casual gamers (who make up the majority of gamers) for download speed and latency for on-device and cloud games.

Ookla’s data shows that Bahrain significantly exceeds the speed requirement for both game types, with a median download speed of 413.69 Mbps during Q1-Q2 2023. This implies that gamers should not face delays in downloading games, loading games, or applying patches.

Bahrain has also the lowest latency in the Gulf region at 72 ms and should provide smooth gameplay for most casual games. Yet, some multiplayer shooters, racing, fighting, and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games might experience some lag, particularly if streamed from a cloud server outside the country. There’s room for operators to enhance conditions for multiplayer games, especially for competitive gamers.

It should be noted that the gaming experience can be affected by other factors besides 5G network quality. The location of the game server, for example, can influence latency. If the game server is outside the country or region then the quality of international connectivity matters more. Since Bahrain has a small land mass and a high population density, game servers, and international gateways are likely to be close to gamers. This partially explains why its game-related metrics are better than those of other countries in the region.

Bahrain made the digital sector, including gaming, central to its economic expansion. The government and various regulatory authorities have fostered a favorable business environment to attract investments from global technology companies. Operators have also supported the country’s ambition to become the regional ICT hub by developing advanced digital infrastructure and nurturing local talent.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Bahrain prioritized ICT as a key sector for economic growth and diversification, setting targets to achieve 100% broadband coverage and increase the number of start-ups by 20% by the end of 2026. According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), mobile broadband penetration of the population reached 146.0%, and fixed broadband penetration of households reached 69% in Q3 2023.

Bahrain was among the first countries in the Middle East to launch 5G in 2019. The three mobile operators, Batelco, stc, and Zain, have invested in its expansion, achieving 100% 5G commercial network coverage. Operators are also upgrading their 5G infrastructure to improve throughput and reduce latency by deploying 5G Standalone (SA) and 5G Advanced (5.5G). For example, stc tested 5G SA in May 2022 and 5G network slicing in October 2023. Batelco deployed a cloud-native 5G core and tested 5G SA in April 2022. Zain trialed 5G SA in 2022 and implemented 5G carrier aggregation using a mid-band frequency.

Furthermore, Batelco’s parent company, Beyon, announced an investment of over $250 million to support the country’s digital transformation. This includes the development of the country’s biggest data center. In 2022, stc announced that it plans the region’s largest technology park, which includes a new data center. These new facilities will supplement existing data centers and strengthen the country’s position as a regional digital infrastructure center.

The country’s extensive and high-quality network infrastructure underpinned its ‘Cloud First Policy’ which encouraged public and private organizations to migrate to the cloud. This strategy has proven successful in attracting major hyperscalers like AWS which established three ‘regional availability zones’ in 2019 in Bahrain.

Pro-graming policies and initiatives helped attract international companies and develop a local gaming ecosystem

This influx of international cloud service providers has caught the attention of game publishers eager to cater to their fans in the region. Take Epic Games, the publisher of Fortnite, as an example. They set up a local server over AWS infrastructure to boost game response times and stimulate interest in e-sports. They expected latency to improve between 20% and 50% for players in the Gulf region and India. Similarly, Riot Games set up a local server in Bahrain for its game Valorant.

Bahrain has a vibrant start-up landscape in the Middle East region bolstered by supportive government policies, funding schemes, and a pool of young, tech-savvy talent. As part of the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, the government established Tamkeen, an agency designed to promote private sector development and digital services adoption. Tamkeen has been involved in initiatives such as setting up a training program for video game development and the creation of the ‘D11 Gaming Hub’, designed to strengthen the e-sports ecosystem in Bahrain.

Thanks to these efforts, Bahrain attracted foreign gaming studios, like The Stories Studio, to establish a local office. It has also nurtured a burgeoning local game production industry, with award-winning gaming studios, such as Juego Studios and Regnum Studio, and a host of start-ups offering a range of products, solutions, and services for the gaming industry. Bahrain also aspires to be a leading e-sports competition destination in the Middle East, having already hosted global events like the BLAST Pro Series Global Final, NVTC Tournament, and GIRLGAMER Festival.

Operators have also taken proactive steps to capitalize on the growing demand for gaming in recognition of its potential to diversify revenue, increase customer engagement, and differentiate their services. For example:

Batelco introduced a mobile gaming portal in 2022.
stc launched the ‘stc play’ app, hosted multiple e-sport tournaments, and bundled gaming packages with its mobile data and home services.
Zain introduced a mobile game pass with a dedicated data allowance for popular games. It also partnered with the Bahraini Esports Federation and gaming platform provider Playhera to organize e-sports tournaments. Most recently, it launched the ‘Zain Esports Lab’ in collaboration with Tamkeen to host e-sports leagues, provide training to gamers, and offer professional opportunities for e-sports enthusiasts.

Bahrain harbors grand ambitions to strengthen its standing as a regional gaming hub

As part of the Telecommunications, ICT, and Digital Economy Sector Strategy 2022-2026, the Bahraini government aims to consolidate its reputation as a regional innovation center while continuing to lure large technology companies. Part of this strategy revolves around making the country an even more attractive destination for gaming companies to cater to the rapidly expanding base of casual gamers, e-sports enthusiasts, and professional players across the Middle East.

In November 2023, the TRA also unveiled the Sixth National Telecommunication Plan (NTP6). The plan outlines the government’s strategic three-year approach and general policies for the telecommunications sector. Bahrain’s objective is to continue to lead the way in ICT and telecommunications infrastructure development within the GCC region and aspire to be among the global top 10 in this sector.

BCG reported that the Middle East boasts the highest gaming penetration in the world, with over 60% of the population identifying as gaming enthusiasts. The audience for live-streaming games is projected to surpass 200 million in 2025, making the Middle East one of the fastest-growing regions for gaming, outpacing even China.

The GCC region is particularly ripe for growth in terms of active gamers and e-sports participants, thanks to its youthful demographic, substantial disposable income, access to affordable high-speed connectivity, and the ongoing development of gaming infrastructure. The market is bound to expand as gaming becomes more mainstream and as more female users and older demographics engage in gaming.

Statista predicts that the gaming industry in Bahrain (including in-game ads and live streaming) will generate over $38 million in 2023 and grow to over $53 million by 2027. Mobile games constitute the largest segment, with a market value nearing $12 million in 2023, expected to grow to more than $18 million by 2027. This is driven by the increasing number of players, expected to reach nearly 400,000 users by 2027.

These figures show that the domestic gaming market in Bahrain is relatively small because of the limited population. That is why the opportunity lies in serving the larger and growing gaming audience in the Middle East and fostering a local gaming ecosystem that can scale up to serve the region.

However, Bahrain faces stiff competition from its neighbors seeking to diversify their economies through digital services. For example, Saudi Arabia invested in major gaming studios such as Capcom and Activision Blizzard via the Public Investment Fund (PIF), its sovereign fund, and has a national gaming and e-sports strategy. U.A.E. encourages global gaming producers to establish a local presence and hosts major game tournaments and events.

Bahrain should leverage its unique advantages, such as its advanced connectivity infrastructure, skilled workforce, and favorable business environment. Its track record as a technology incubator can also position it as an ideal place to test new ideas, technologies, monetization models, and regulations to support innovative gaming services.

About the Author

Karim Yaici

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Ookla | April 18, 2022

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

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

Africa and the Middle East

Asia and Oceania

Europe

North and South America

Africa and the Middle East

Côte d’Ivoire

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

Jordan

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

Kenya

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

Libya

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

Nigeria

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

South Africa

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

Tanzania

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

Turkey

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

Asia and Oceania

China

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

Hong Kong (SAR)

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

New Zealand

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

Philippines

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

Singapore

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

Taiwan

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

Thailand

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

Vietnam

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

Europe

Austria

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

Belgium

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

Czechia

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

Denmark

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

Estonia

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

Finland

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

France

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

Germany

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

Hungary

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

Latvia

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

Lithuania

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

Luxembourg

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

Malta

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

Moldova

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

Poland

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

Slovakia

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

Spain

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

North and South America

Argentina

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

Brazil

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

Canada

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

Chile

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

Colombia

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

Ecuador

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

Guatemala

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

Mexico

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

Peru

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

United States

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

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

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

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Ookla

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Isla McKetta | September 8, 2021

Despite All Odds, Global Internet Speeds Continue Impressive Increase

“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.

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^™.

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Isla McKetta

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Sylwia Kechiche | February 16, 2023

Spectrum: An Essential Ingredient to Ensure Good 5G Performance

We have recently written about 5G performance at length, ranked the countries, looked at operators’ 5G strategies, and even commented on consumers’ perception of 5G performance. Most recently, we commented on the state of the worldwide 5G in 2022 and the fastest 5G mobile devices. This article will examine the relationship between spectrum and 5G performance.

Key takeaways:

Based on Speedtest Intelligence® data, we can see a significant variance between countries in median 5G speed, with four broad clusters of 5G performance emerging: 5G Leaders, High Performers, Improvers, and 5G Outliers.
5G performance depends heavily on the operator’s 5G spectrum holding.
The larger the allocation of the C-band spectrum, the faster the 5G download speed, with the contiguous spectrum enhancing performance further.
Operators with access to 100 MHz of contiguous spectrum, e.g., in the U.A.E. and South Korea, led the 5G global ranking in Q4 2022 with a median download speed of 516.15 Mbps and 511.70 Mbps, respectively.
Access to low-band spectrum is just one factor that impacts 5G Availability.

Four tiers of 5G performance

Looking at market-level Speedtest Intelligence data, we can see significant variance in median 5G download speeds between the 52 countries we analyzed. We identified four broad clusters of 5G performance as measured by median 5G download speed.

5G Leaders: > 300 Mbps

These markets are the 5G pioneers, being among the first to launch 5G services, and are continually pushing the boundaries of 5G performance with median download speeds typically greater than 300 Mbps. High-performant 5G markets have allocated substantial amounts of spectrum for 5G use, particularly with wide allocations in the coveted C-band, and have assigned and, in some cases, begun limited use of mmWave spectrum. In some cases, we see a trade-off between 5G performance and 5G Availability (the proportion of time users with 5G capable devices spend connected to 5G networks).

5G High Performers: 200 – 300 Mbps

These markets share many of the characteristics of 5G leaders, having made an adequate spectrum allocation for 5G use and fostered competition between operators, which has helped spur network investment. However, they lag behind 5G Leaders based on their level of network densification. They typically use Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), which allows operators to share spectrum between network generations, but it can weigh on performance. Median 5G download performance in these markets typically ranges from 200 Mbps to 300 Mbps. We don’t generally see as much of a trade-off between performance and 5G Availability in these markets.

5G Improvers: < 200 Mbps

These markets typically have limited C-band availability or a regulatory environment promoting strong price competition, with operator investment constrained. As a result, median 5G download speeds are between 100- 200 Mbps in these markets. In some cases — for example, in the U.S. and U.K., we see 5G spectrum allocations (based on spectrum currently in use) giving a significant advantage to one player in the market, which has then sought to capitalize on this through aggressive 5G network deployment. Furthermore, with the exception of the U.S., which had a 5G Availability of 56.0% in Q4 2022, 5G Improvers all have 5G Availability in the low double digits, ranging from 13.5% in Japan to 19.2% in Germany.

5G Outliers

Only in a few markets did 5G performance drop below 100 Mbps. Polish performance can be explained by the lack of a dedicated 5G spectrum; Polkomtel trading under the Plus brand, utilizing 50 MHz of spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band, and all other operators deploying 5G using DSS in the 2.1 GHz spectrum band. Spain, on the other hand, has assigned spectrum across all three bands, with C-band blocks ranging from 80MHz (MasMovil) to 110 MHz (Orange), and most recently, awarded mmWave too. However, operators focus on meeting coverage obligations that rely heavily on the 700 MHz band. For example, Movistar’s 5G network reached a total of 1,719 municipalities at the end of 2022, equivalent to 83% of the population.

Fast 5G and good 5G Availability don’t always go hand in hand

Using Speedtest Intelligence data, we examined a relationship between the country’s 5G median download speed and 5G Availability. And for the most part, there isn’t one. Fast networks don’t immediately come with high 5G Availability. For example, the U.A.E. and South Korea have topped our ranking in terms of the fastest median download speed over 5G at 549.70 Mbps and 496.63 Mbps, respectively, during Q4 2022. Yet, when it comes to 5G Availability, the U.S. came first in the ranking at 56.0% in Q4 2022, South Korea’s 5G Availability stood at 35.1%, while the U.A.E recorded a 5G Availability of 7.7% in Q4 2022.

All eyes on spectrum

The key to understanding 5G is understanding operators’ 5G spectrum holding. There are two key considerations to keep in mind when discussing the spectrum for 5G: speed performance and geographical coverage. Regulators assign 5G spectrum across three spectrum ranges: low, mid (lower mid-band and upper/C-band), and high (mmWave).

Low-band (sub-1GHz) spectrum can travel farther, cover a greater geographical region, and provide deeper penetration within buildings, given its good propagation characteristics. But, the low band spectrum cannot deliver “true” 5G speeds, peaking at 100 Mbps median download speed. Another challenge is that these frequency bands are in high demand and in low supply, and in some countries, still used for analog television.

Mid-band spectrum (1-6 GHz spectrum) is the so-called “sweet spot” for 5G, especially the upper mid-band (C-band), which offers the best of both worlds in terms of coverage and capacity.

Existing networks such as 2G, 3G, and 4G already use the lower mid-band. This spectrum band has been the 4G data traffic capacity layer, often used in Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode. FDD is a technique that uses separate frequency bands at the transmitter and receiver sides. For example, the U.S. and China used the 2.6 GHz spectrum band in Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode to drive their 5G deployment. Most counties will use TDD for 5G network rollout. This means that the 5G base station and end-user device use the same channel to transmit simultaneously, potentially creating interference issues while allowing more flexibility. Furthermore, this spectrum band will grow in importance as legacy networks are retired and spectrum refarmed.

The upper mid-band, especially 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz (otherwise known as C-band), offers a good combination of propagation and capacity. 3GPP standards currently support a 100 MHz wide channel and a maximum bandwidth of 400 MHz in carrier aggregation mode.

The high band, also called the millimeter wave (mmWave), spectrum can deliver super-fast speeds (thinking gigabits) but has limited range. Recently we published an article looking at the mmWave performance and recent developments.

Using Speedtest Intelligence background data, we can gain insights into which spectrum bands operators use for 5G.

High band (mmWave) accounted for less than 1% of the scans in four countries: Japan, U.S., Qatar, and Australia.
Most countries used the mid-band spectrum.
- C-band spectrum is used by all countries that have allocated it (21 out of 23 countries), with a notable exception of the Netherlands and Poland, which will finally auction the 3.5 GHz spectrum, set to take place in the summer of 2023.
- All countries we have analyzed, bar South Korea, use lower mid-band partially due to operators switching off their legacy networks (2G/3G) and refarming their existing spectrum holdings to support 5G networks rollout.
Low band was used by 78% of analyzed countries (18 out of 23) across our sample.

Addressing spectral challenges via DSS and CA comes at a cost

The ITU minimum technical requirements to meet 5G performance requirements identify at least 100 MHz channel per operator and up to 1 GHz per operator in mmWave bands. This, however, is only sometimes the case. We can see imbalances in terms of operators’ performance within a country, which can be partially explained by having larger spectral resources. For example, Three UK benefited from having the largest, dedicated 5G spectrum — 140 MHz of frequency across several 5G spectrum bands, including a 100 MHz block of continuous spectrum in the 3.3-3.8 GHz band, which positions it well in terms of median download speeds compared to other U.K. operators.

In the absence of a dedicated 5G spectrum or to supplement the existing spectrum, operators can use two technologies to aid their 5G deployment: Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and Carrier Aggregation (CA). DSS enables operators to allocate spectrum flexibly across low-, mid-, and high-bands and switch between LTE and 5G New Radio depending on network demand. However, there is a downside to that in terms of 5G performance. For example, in Poland, apart from Plus, all other operators deployed 5G using DSS in the 2.1 GHz spectrum band, which can partially explain why they have lower speeds.

Conversely, CA enables operators to use two or more bands together, integrating them as one big block to deploy 5G. This allows for the aggregation of non-contiguous spectrum blocks, but it impacts performance by introducing latency and signaling overhead.

Access to low-band spectrum has a positive impact on 5G Availability, but it is not the only factor at play

Ookla® data indicates that 5G coverage, which is often enabled by having access to a dedicated low-band spectrum (600 – 900 MHz), is just one part of the puzzle when it comes to 5G Availability. Low-band (700 MHz) spectrum, initially used for LTE, is now allocated to 5G because it allows extended coverage. According to the GSA, the 700 MHz spectrum band is particularly precious. GSA’s data shows that spectrum at 700 MHz has generated an average of $0.309/MHz/pop in assignments and auctions since 2015, significantly above the average price for C-band. For example, India’s highly anticipated 5G spectrum auction garnered $0.380MH/pop for 700 MHz compared to $0.031/MHz/pop for C-band.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the U.A.E. don’t have any 5G devices using low-band spectrum simply because there has been no spectrum assigned in this band to 5G services. During the initial 5G auction in 2016, South Korea’s 700 MHz spectrum remained unsold.

Other essential aspects driving 5G Availability are the affordability and availability of 5G-capable smartphones, 5G tariffs, and end-user demand. Case in point, despite the lack of low-band spectrum, South Korea reached a 5G Availability of 35.1% in Q4 2022, driven by customer adoption and 5G network densification. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, in November 2022, there were 27.5 million 5G subscriptions in South Korea, equivalent to 36% of all mobile subscriptions. According to its Communication Agency, there are 215,000 5G base stations, which translates into 319 people per 5G base station, nearly seven times more than the EU and 13 times more than the U.S.

A country’s geography impacts 5G coverage too. For example, in addition to having access to low band spectrum, the Netherlands benefits from being flatter and more densely populated, resulting in a greater ability to expand 5G coverage.

Another factor at play is the spectrum license conditions that stipulate coverage requirements, for instance, as part of the 700MHz licenses in the Netherlands, there is a minimum speed of 8 Mbps in 98% of the cases in each municipality of the country in 2022.

While the relationship between low-band spectrum and 5G Availability is not a direct one, we wanted to investigate whether there is a link between the median 5G download speed and the C-band spectrum.

Larger the share of the C-Band spectrum, the faster the 5G download speed

Our analysis found that access to C-band spectrum typically translates into a faster median 5G download speed. Unsurprisingly, operators are keen to deploy 5G services using C-band spectrum. According to GSA, since the end of 2015, 54 countries have auctioned, assigned, or renewed licenses for C-band spectrum.

All eyes on 5G Leaders

Countries where operators solely rely on the mid-band spectrum for 5G, and where 5G services have been available for more than 13 quarters have achieved over 300 Mbps median download speed in Q4 2022. Bulgaria is an exception, having launched services just over two years ago. We can also conclude that operators’ overall spectrum holding and whether they have access to a contiguous spectrum matters, too. Contiguous spectrum helps achieve faster speeds, lower latency, and improved spectral efficiency.

U.A.E.: Emirati operators – Etisalat and Du – use two carrier spectrum in the 3.5 GHz and 2.5 GHz frequency range, each carrier at 100 MHz, to establish a 5G network. This results in speeds exceeding 500 Mbps. The U.A.E. had a median 5G download speed of 511.70 Mbps in Q4 2022.

South Korea: KT and SKT bought a 100 MHz channel each in 2018. In July 2022, LG+ secured an additional 20 MHz C-band spectrum, bringing its total spectrum holding to 100 MHz. Alongside the 5G spectrum auction, the government outlined the rollout milestones for the operators’ 3.5 GHz rollout: 22,500 base stations by the end of 2021, 45,000 by the end of 2023, and 150,000 at completion. Thanks to that, South Korea has the most base stations per population. South Korea is one of the early adopters of 5G, having commercialized 5G in 2019 and over a third of all mobile subscriptions on 5G. One of the reasons behind South Korea’s fast-paced 5G adoption is the support from the government, which adopted the 2021 action plan for the “Digital New Deal” to support 5G development and a wider digital transformation.

Qatar: Qatar, clocking a median 5G download speed of 462.15 Mbps and 5G Availability of 50.7% in Q4 2022, delivers the best of the worlds — good speeds and 5G Availability. In November 2022, Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) amended the mobile licenses held by Vodafone Qatar and Ooredoo Qatar in early 2019, authorizing each operator to utilize 100 MHz of C-band spectrum and committing them to roll out commercial 5G networks before the end of 2020 in all densely populated areas. Operators’ heavy investment into their network to achieve near-universal service coverage and incentives to migrate users to 5G networks has paid off. We have closely monitored 5G performance during the recent World Cup. Not only did Qatari 5G networks manage to withstand the additional network load that World Cap brought, but it has also improved in performance, with the median 5G download performance hitting 472.13 Mbps in November 2022.

Saudi Arabia: Operators in the KSA have access to more than 1000 MHz of licensed spectrum for IMT use in the low- and mid-band ranges. Saudi regulator – CST (Communication, Space and Technology Commission) – championed data-driven, evidence-based policy decisions to enable a 5G rollout by conducting analysis of spectrum usage, the performance of various bands, and existing network infrastructure to see where investments had been made within certain bands (e.g., extra capacity in specific bands in urban areas and coverage of rural areas using adequate bands). If you would like to find out more, read this case study.

Bulgaria: In April 2021, Vivacom Bulgaria won 100 MHz in the 3.7-3.8 GHz band for BGN4.6 million (€2.35 million). Vivacom utilizes DSS, combining frequencies in 1.8, 2.1, and 3.6 GHz bands for 5G. A1 Bulgaria, on the other hand, uses a dedicated 100 MHz band.

We will continue to monitor 5G performance across the world and investigate the factors that impact 5G performance. If you want to learn more about 5G performance, head to Ookla ResearchTM and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our latest analyses.

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Karim Yaici | October 8, 2023

Gulf ISPs should help fiber customers upgrade and configure their Wi-Fi routers to deliver faster speeds

Gulf countries improved fiber coverage and adoption by investing in fixed infrastructure, raising entry-level speeds, and making fiber services more affordable. Their efforts paid off, as evidenced by their improved position in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™. However, the persistent use of legacy and underperforming Wi-Fi standards in home networks can hamper efforts to provide the best network experience to customers.

Key messages

Wi-Fi 4 is still prevalent in the region which limits fiber’s potential. Many customers cannot get close to headline fixed broadband speeds because of the widespread use of Wi-Fi 4. Indeed, more than one-third of Speedtest® samples during Q2 2023 were using this old Wi-Fi standard. That means that a sizable proportion of users are not utilizing broadband services to their full potential.
Migrating to modern Wi-Fi standards can bring significant speed gains. On average, customers who used Wi-Fi 5 had a median download speed that was more than five times higher than those on Wi-Fi 4 in Q2 2023. Likewise, the speed over Wi-Fi 6 was 1.2 times faster on average than with Wi-Fi 5. Therefore, fixed broadband subscribers in the Gulf (most of whom use fiber services) with routers that only support Wi-Fi 4 would benefit the most from a CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) upgrade.
ISPs should do more to ensure their customers’ routers and smartphones are configured correctly. Even if consumers in the Gulf region own modern smartphones and Wi-Fi routers, they may still unknowingly use Wi-Fi 4 due to device misconfiguration and coverage constraints. ISPs can help educate consumers about how to correctly set up their home Wi-Fi routers and offer solutions to improve their indoor connectivity in order to use the more efficient 5 GHz spectrum band.

Most Gulf countries improved their global fixed broadband speed ranking since 2020

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. leads the Middle East in fiber coverage and adoption. Local ISPs, backed by the government, accelerated fiber roll-outs to keep pace with the demand for data services and to ensure universal access to high-speed internet as part of national broadband development strategies. According to the FTTH Council industry body, the U.A.E. topped the global rankings for fiber household coverage, reaching 98.1% in September 2022, a position it has maintained since 2016. Qatar closely followed in the second position with 97.8% coverage.

These two GCC countries ranked ahead of Singapore (96.5%), Hong Kong (91.6%), and China (89.4%). In Bahrain, meanwhile, more than 88% of households were connected to the fiber infrastructure, whereas fiber coverage exceeded 60% in Saudi Arabia and reached 52% in Oman.

According to Speedtest Intelligence®, the U.A.E. leads the Gulf region in median download speeds at 236.67 Mbps in Q2 2023, a number that doubled since Q2 2022. Bahrain saw another story of improvement, with its median download speed reaching 70.17 Mbps, an increase of 46% year-on-year since Q2 2023. ISPs also saw significant improvements in upload speeds. Fixed upload speeds increased by 61% and 40% in Oman and Qatar, respectively, reaching 29.27 Mbps and 73.21 Mbps. Users in Bahrain experienced the biggest jump in median upload speed, which doubled between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023 to 20.37 Mbps.

As a result, most Gulf countries boosted their ranking in the Ookla Speedtest Global Index™. The U.A.E was ranked second in the Speedtest Global Index™ for median download speeds over fixed broadband in June 2023. Other GCC countries improved their rankings as well but trailed the U.A.E.

The telecom regulatory regimes and policies also helped, to different degrees, stimulate competition in the market, raise minimum broadband speeds, and reduce broadband tariffs. For example, in April 2023, Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) approved an offer from BNET, the wholesale fixed infrastructure provider, to double the speed of entry-level fiber packages while maintaining the same wholesale prices. In the U.A.E., Etisalat by e& and du increased minimum download speeds to 500 Mbps and offered discounts on higher-tier fiber plans in 2022.

Wi-Fi 4 is still prevalent in the region which limits fiber’s potential

The choice of Wi-Fi standards and spectrum bands has a direct impact on connectivity quality, throughput, and network coverage. Indeed, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) significantly increases the maximum theoretical throughput speed of the access point to 3.5 Gbps, compared to 600 Mbps supported by the old Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) standard.

Wi-Fi 6/6E (802.11ax) supports even faster maximum data rates (up to 9.6 Gbps) and lower latency than earlier generations. It also combines 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz spectrum bands and wider channels for better throughput and less interference. Note that achievable speeds in real life will be much lower than these theoretical limits because of signal attenuation, interference, and the hardware and software variety of connected devices.

The rest of the analysis focuses on the most penetrated fiber markets in the region: Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. We used the percentage of samples that used a particular Wi-Fi standard and frequency band when connecting to the CPE as a proxy for their adoption by wired broadband customers in each country. We assume that most of the results reflect the performance of fiber services given that fiber represents the majority of fixed broadband connections in these four markets.

Our results show that more than one-third of test samples reported using Wi-Fi 4 to connect to the fixed CPE, but this varies considerably by country. Bahrain has the highest incidence of samples that use Wi-Fi 4 and the lowest proportion of Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 4 was more prevalent in the U.A.E. than Wi-Fi 6 (30.8% compared to 17.2% in Q2 2023). This suggests that the ISPs have an opportunity to improve the network experience for nearly a third of their customer base and extend their lead in the speed leaderboard if they can address that CPE speed bottleneck.

The distribution of samples by Wi-Fi standard is largely similar between the U.A.E and Saudi Arabia. The minimum broadband speed currently offered by ISPs in Saudi Arabia is 100 Mbps, while the median download speed on fixed broadband measured by Speedtest Intelligence data was 93.85 Mbps in Q2 2023. This suggests that many customers might still be on legacy, lower-speed plans, but the more likely case is that home Wi-Fi CPEs are limiting speeds in users’ homes. Indeed, 40.2% of Speedtest samples used Wi-Fi 4 in Saudi Arabia, limiting maximum achievable speeds.

Migrating to modern Wi-Fi standards can bring significant speed gains

Consumer-initiated speed tests confirm that users’ experience of network speed is significantly affected by how their devices connect to Wi-Fi access points. The chart below shows the median download speed distribution by Wi-Fi standard used.

Median download speeds for devices that use Wi-Fi 4 topped out at 37.18 Mbps in Bahrain, and dropped to a low of 28.47 Mbps in Saudi Arabia. Contrary to what some might think, speed improvements were far more pronounced when looking at results on Wi-Fi 4 compared to those on Wi-Fi 5, rather than comparing speeds on Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. Users who connected to Wi-Fi 5 had a median download speed that was more than five times higher on average than those on Wi-Fi 4. While download speeds over Wi-Fi 6 were 1.2 times faster than with Wi-Fi 5.

Wi-Fi 5 users in the UAE had the largest speed lead over Wi-Fi 4 users (6.5x). With Wi-Fi 6, median download speeds more than doubled to 251.68 Mbps for users in Qatar compared to those on Wi-Fi 5. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were outliers, with speeds largely similar regardless of whether test samples were with Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6. This is because these three countries have the lowest reported median download speeds (below 100 Mbps), and many users who consider upgrading from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 are unlikely to see a difference in their home network performance.

Looking at the performance of the fastest 10% samples in Q2 2023 reveals a more significant potential speed uplift for data-heavy users when using modern Wi-Fi standards. Users in the top 10% of our results experience the best performance, so it is possible to gauge from their results what speeds are achievable with each Wi-Fi standard. To that end, the median download speed of the 10th percentile results on Wi-Fi 4 users across Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. was 71.60 Mbps, compared to 330.91 Mbps on Wi-Fi 5 and 693.48 Mbps on Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 5 was 2.7x faster than Wi-Fi 4 in Bahrain and 5.9x faster in Qatar, while the speed ratios of Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 5 ranged from 1.2 in Saudi Arabia to 1.9 in the UAE.

Given the clear performance advantages of Wi-Fi 5, ISPs should encourage customers to migrate from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 5 because it will significantly impact the end-user network experience. It’s also important to note that our data confirms that fiber broadband subscribers who continue using Wi-Fi 4 are the most penalized, especially if they subscribe to a service that is advertised as offering hundreds of megabits per second.

The persistent usage of legacy Wi-Fi is likely due to incorrectly configured routers

Huawei and TP-Link are the top router brands reported by Gulf users utilizing Wi-Fi 4. However, their popularity can vary vastly by market depending on the equipment bundled by ISPs with their broadband offerings, as well as the ability of consumers to use third-party routers (some ISPs allow only their own routers). Our data shows that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have the highest proportion of samples connected to a Huawei CPE. TP-Link routers are most common in Qatar and the U.A.E.

The U.A.E. has the highest proportion of routers from D-Link, Cisco, and less popular brands used with Wi-Fi 4 (nearly 64% of samples reported using ‘other’ manufacturers). This high level of market fragmentation is likely due to users replacing routers provided by their ISP or installing refurbished routers to extend coverage indoors. Such fragmentation complicates the task of ISPs to ensure that their customers use more recent routers or that they configure them correctly to use more modern Wi-Fi standards.

Our research showed that most commercial CPEs in the region introduced since 2020 likely support Wi-Fi 5 (if not Wi-Fi 6). Further, tests also showed that most Android-based smartphones that used Wi-Fi 4 were equipped with Wi-Fi 5-capable chipsets. Therefore, many users in the region are capable of using Wi-Fi 5 but are still on Wi-Fi 4. We believe that misconfigured routers could be the primary cause of such a high prevalence of legacy Wi-Fi 4 technology among Gulf countries.

ISPs can address the factors that favor Wi-Fi 4 and 2.4 GHz spectrum usage, for example, by working more closely with device manufacturers, supporting customers to acquire newer Wi-Fi routers, and correctly configuring them, as shown in the table below.

Factors that lead to Wi-Fi 4 usage and how ISPs can address them

Legacy equipment	Some fixed broadband customers are locked into long service contracts and are not eligible for router upgrades ISPs may not offer newer routers to existing customers whose contracts are automatically renewed
Solutions	Encourage existing broadband customers to upgrade to faster fiber packages to benefit from modern Wi-Fi routers Offer customers the option to replace their old Wi-Fi routers for free or for a small fee during their contract
Configuration issues	Routers may, by default, use older Wi-Fi standards or diactivate the 5 GHz band Some routers are pre-configured to use the same network name for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and some devices may not handle this well Some old mobile devices latch to 2.4 GHz (which is more likely used by Wi-Fi 4) on first-run but do not switch back to 5 GHz due to firmware limitations or a hardware/software setting in the router/end-user devices
Solutions	Work with OEMs to push firmware and software updates to prioritize newer Wi-Fi standards and the use of 5 Ghz over 2.4 GHz Educate customers about the importance of updating the router’s firmware and smartphone software Preconfigure the routers to have separate names for the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz bands Offer routers that can automatically select the optimal Wi-Fi channel and band to improve performance
Coverage and performance issues	Distance from CPE, physical obstruction, and interference in the crowded 2.4 GHz band
Solutions	Offer Wi-Fi extenders to improve indoor coverage Share best practices with customers on the configuration and placement of the router

Gulf-based IPSs have managed to rapidly grow their fiber footprint and migrate their customers to faster broadband services. However, a substantial portion of subscribers may not benefit from these speed increases due to the prevailing usage of Wi-Fi 4. As many ISPs in the region already offer a minimum fiber speed of 250 Mbps, they should, as a priority, migrate existing customers with legacy Wi-Fi routers to more modern models and educate customers with newer routers on how to correctly configure them. ISPs’ efforts to introduce newer CPEs will help improve the end-user experience, boost global speed rankings in the region, and ensure that their routers are more future-proof as gigabit speeds become more widespread.

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Karim Yaici

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Isla McKetta | December 10, 2018

The World’s Internet in 2018: Faster, Modernizing and Always On

When it comes to the internet, the news is mostly good for 2018. Download and upload speeds are increasing across the globe on both mobile and fixed broadband. 5G is on the horizon and gigabit service is expanding.

We looked at data from Speedtest Intelligence^TM, Ookla’s flagship data platform, from December 2017 through November 2018, to analyze everything from global internet speeds to the world’s fastest countries to when people are online. We also investigated which parts of the world are seeing the most benefit from high speed LTE on mobile and gigabit speeds on fixed broadband.

Mobile speeds increased more than 15% in 2018

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_mobile-average-speed-3

The world’s average mobile download speed of 22.82 Mbps increased 15.2% over the past year, while mobile upload speed increased 11.6% to reach 9.19 Mbps.

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_android-vs-ios-1

With a mean download speed of 27.84 Mbps and a mean upload of 10.61 Mbps, worldwide speeds on iOS devices were faster than those on Android (21.35 Mbps download, 8.73 Mbps upload) in 2018. This is likely due to market factors as Android devices are more popular in emerging markets where internet speeds tend to be slower.

However, download speed on Android devices increased 19.0% and upload speed increased 15.1%, more than those on iOS (18.0% increase for download and 11.1% increase for upload), which is good news for those emerging markets.

Fixed broadband speeds increased more than 26% in 2018

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_fixed-average

On a global level, fixed broadband speeds were nearly twice as fast as those on mobile in 2018. The world’s average download speed on fixed broadband was 46.12 Mbps, 26.4% faster than last year. Upload speed increased 26.5% to 22.44 Mbps.

All said, though, both mobile and fixed broadband speeds increased at a slower rate in 2018 than they did in 2017.

Countries with the fastest internet in 2018

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_top-5-mobile

The countries with the fastest mean download speeds over mobile in the past 12 months were: Norway (63.19 Mbps), Iceland (58.68 Mbps), Qatar (55.17 Mbps), Singapore (54.71 Mbps) and the Netherlands (53.42 Mbps).

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_top-5-fixed

Singapore showed the world’s fastest mean download speeds over fixed broadband during the past twelve months at 175.13 Mbps. Next fastest were Iceland (153.03 Mbps), Hong Kong (138.31 Mbps), South Korea (114.67 Mbps) and Romania (109.90 Mbps).

To keep up with month-to-month internet speeds at a global level, visit the Speedtest Global Index.

Most improved countries for 2018 internet speeds

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_most-improved-mobile

Costa Rica saw the largest increase in mobile download speed over the past year at 194.6%. Myanmar was second with 121.8%, Saudi Arabia third (113.2%), Iraq fourth (92.3%) and the Ukraine fifth (82.1%).

The countries with the largest improvements in upload speeds were Bangladesh (179.2%), the Ukraine (172.5%), Costa Rica (163.4%), Myanmar (146.9%) and Iraq (126.7%).

Graphic-Tables-Final-v2_most-improved-fixed

Paraguay saw the biggest increase in mean download speed over fixed broadband in the world over the past year at 268.6%. Guyana was second with 113.5%, Libya third (108.0%), Malaysia fourth (89.5%) and Laos fifth (76.2%).

Libya showed the most improvement in mean upload speed over fixed broadband during the past twelve months at 176.4%. Guyana was second with 116.1%, Malaysia third (95.2%), Belize fourth (88.9%) and Iraq fifth (76.8%).

4G is increasing mobile speeds

2017-2018-LTE-growth

When we looked specifically at Speedtest results on 4G, we saw that mean download speeds increased in most countries. Costa Rica was most improved for 4G download speed as was the case with overall download speed on mobile increasing 184.3% year over year. Saudi Arabia was second at 110.2% and Myanmar third at 78.0%.

Most encouragingly, we saw the number of Speedtest results over 4G increase in all but 15 countries. This could indicate that 4G availability is expanding. Tanzania saw the greatest increase with 355.0% more tests over 4G in 2018 than in 2017. Malta was second at 267.2% and Algeria third at 143.7%. We can see this expansion on the map above as 4G results fill in areas of the globe that were previously blank.

Gigabit coverage is expanding globally

gigabit-fade-1

Gigabit is in the news as ISPs across the globe expand their high-speed networks. We looked at Speedtest results on fixed broadband in excess of 750 Mbps to see which cities are benefitting most. Comparing locations with 100 or more gigabit-speed results in 2017 with those in 2018, that expansion becomes obvious. In 2017, 60 countries met our gigabit test threshold. In 2018, 16 additional countries joined our gigabit list. We’re also seeing that more cities around the world now have access to gigabit speeds.

Also exciting is that cities which already had gigabit in 2017 saw increases in the number of gigabit-speed results in 2018 as ISPs continue to build out infrastructure across cities. Many cities saw their first real gigabit expansion in 2018. For example, we saw the number of gigabit tests in New Delhi increase from 119 gigabit speed results in 2017 to 20,239 in 2018, that’s a mind-boggling 16,908% increase. Chennai, India saw a 7,481% increase (from 763 to 57,840) and Cormeilles-en-Parisis, France jumped 6,480%. Huge leaps in the number of gigabit-speed results were also seen in Gdańsk, Poland (6,338%); Rome, Italy (4,909%); Lancashire, United Kingdom (3,962%); Ota, Japan (3,240%); São Paulo, Brazil (2,947%); Hangzhou, China (2,669%) and Turda, Romania (2,636%).

When people are online

point-3-sec-final-1

The internet is always on, but we were surprised to see how consistently and steeply usage fell off on both mobile and fixed broadband after 9 pm local time. Normalizing the time of day for Speedtest results from around the globe, we found that usage bottoms out at 4 am and then climbs steeply again until 10 am. From there, the internet gets gradually busier until that night time drop off.

Internet in the world’s largest countries

The world’s five most populous countries are notably absent from the lists of fastest and most improved countries on mobile and fixed broadband. China, India, the U.S., Indonesia and Brazil represent about 46% of the world’s population, which makes their internet speeds worth noting nonetheless.

**Internet Speeds in the World’s Largest Countries**
Speedtest Data | December 2017-November 2018
Country	Mean Mobile Download Speed (Mbps)	% Improvement in Mobile Speed	Mean Fixed Download Speed (Mbps)	% Improvement in Fixed Speed
China	30.96	-5.8%	76.03	42.5%
India	9.11	15.2%	23.00	50.4%
United States	28.50	22.3%	92.77	37.3%
Indonesia	10.39	5.3%	14.89	18.3%
Brazil	18.65	29.3%	22.95	39.4%

Mobile internet speeds in the world’s largest countries

China had the fastest average mobile download speed among the world’s most populous countries in the past twelve months. However, China’s mobile download speed decreased during that time. The United States is fast catching up with China on mobile download speed.

Brazil occupied a middle ground for mobile download speed among the world’s most populous countries and showed the fastest rate of increase. India and Indonesia were at the bottom of this list. While the two nations show similar mobile download speeds to each other, India’s mobile download speed is improving much more quickly than Indonesia’s.

Fixed broadband speeds in the largest countries in the world

The United States showed the fastest fixed broadband download speed among the world’s most populous countries over the past year. China was second, India and Brazil nearly tie for third and Indonesia follows.

India showed the largest improvement in mean download speed over fixed broadband of the world’s five largest countries. China was second, Brazil third, the U.S. fourth and Indonesia fifth.

We’ll be back throughout 2019 to report on the state of the world’s internet as it evolves. Until then, take a Speedtest to find out how your network compares.

About the Author

Isla McKetta

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Ookla Joins Ericsson's Leading Telecommunications Open RApp System

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

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Josh Fomon

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

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

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

Chile raced ahead on fixed broadband

Qatar soars to first for fastest mobile country

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

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Josh Fomon

Consumers Enjoy Better 5G Coverage in U.A.E. Malls Than Those in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

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Key takeaways

5G underscores the importance of indoor coverage more than previous generations of mobile technologies

Technical solutions exist to address the 5G coverage gap

Examples of solutions to improve indoor 5G coverage

Indoor 5G coverage is more vital in Gulf countries because shopping malls play an essential economic and social role

Major differences in indoor 5G coverage quality between malls, operators, and countries in the Gulf region

du commands a lead in indoor 5G coverage in more U.A.E. malls than Etisalat by e&

Mobily and Zain are the frontrunners for indoor 5G coverage in Saudi malls

Ooredoo leads in 5G coverage inside the malls in Qatar

Operators need to consider non-technical aspects when deploying indoor solutions

Ookla can support operators and venue owners in improving indoor cellular coverage

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Karim Yaici

The State of Worldwide Connectivity in 2023

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5G | Fixed | Connectivity for All

Key takeaways

5G Networks

Global 5G download speed improvements

Malaysia joined South Korea and the U.A.E at 5G speeds podium

Disparity Between 5G Performance and Consumer Perception

Fixed Networks

Fiber driving fixed performance gains

The UAE, Singapore, and Hong Kong are in the lead for fixed

Connectivity for All

The imperative of closing the connectivity gap

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Sylwia Kechiche

Bahrain’s 5G Gaming Performance and Investments are Aligned with its Aspirations to Become a Regional Hub

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Key takeaways

Bahrain leads the Middle East in terms of 5G Game Score and latency

Gamers in Bahrain can enjoy a great multi-player gaming experience over 5G

Pro-graming policies and initiatives helped attract international companies and develop a local gaming ecosystem

Bahrain harbors grand ambitions to strengthen its standing as a regional gaming hub

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Karim Yaici

Speedtest Global Index Market Analyses Now Available for 43 Countries

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