Tag: Saudi Arabia

Ookla Research™ Articles
| June 17, 2024

Your Guide to Airport Wi-Fi and Mobile Performance at 50+ Global Airports in 2024

Consumer

Airports around the world have been packed with travelers this year, which puts extra stress on the Wi-Fi. With summer travel already well in swing in the northern hemisphere, we’re back with fresh data for our series on airport Wi-Fi performance to help you plan for connectivity at all your connections. You’ll find information about Wi-Fi on free networks provided by the individual airports as well as mobile speeds at some of the busiest airports in the world during Q1 2024. Read on for a look at internet performance at over 50 of the world’s busiest airports with data on download speed, upload speed, and latency.

Key takeaways

  • The seven fastest airports for downloads over Wi-Fi were in the United States: San Francisco International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Harry Reid International Airport.
  • Six U.S. airports had the fastest uploads over Wi-Fi: San Francisco International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
  • The fastest mobile download speeds on our list were at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in China, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in the U.S.
  • Eight of the 10 airports with the fastest mobile upload speeds were in China.

9 airports have 100+ Mbps Wi-Fi download speeds

Speedtest Intelligence® showed seven of the nine airports with median Wi-Fi download speeds over 100 Mbps were in the U.S.:

  • San Francisco International Airport (173.55 Mbps),
  • Newark Liberty International Airport (166.51 Mbps),
  • John F. Kennedy International Airport (151.59 Mbps),
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (151.28 Mbps),
  • Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (137.31 Mbps),
  • Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (119.92 Mbps), and
  • Harry Reid International Airport (107.84 Mbps).

Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France and China’s Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport rounded out the list with median download speeds of 107.13 Mbps and 101.01 Mbps, respectively. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Sea–Tac had the lowest median multi-server latency on Wi-Fi of any of the airports surveyed during Q1 2024.

Hover on the pins on the map below to see full details for download and upload speeds as well as latency at all the airports analyzed.

Fixed Broadband Internet Speeds Over Free Wi-Fi at Global Airports
Speedtest Intelligence® | Q1 2024
A map showing fixed broadband speeds in selected global airports.

At Ookla®, we’re dedicated to making sure the networks you depend on are always at their best. With Ekahau®, our Wi-Fi solution, we know firsthand just how challenging it can be to optimize Wi-Fi at airports, especially when you have up to 900 people waiting at each boarding gate during the busiest travel times. While the speeds achieved by these top airports are impressive, we saw two smaller U.S. airports with median Wi-Fi download speeds over 200 Mbps during our U.S.-only analysis of airport Wi-Fi in the fall.

Six airports on our list use multiple SSIDs for their Wi-Fi networks for different terminals or to take advantage of the coverage advantages of 2.4 GHz and the speed advantages of 5 GHz frequencies. We have included data for all the SSIDs with sufficient samples in the map and reported in the text on the best result when using multiple SSIDs results in dramatically different speeds.

Eighteen airports on our list had median Wi-Fi download speeds of less than 25 Mbps. Mexico City International Airport in Mexico had the lowest median Wi-Fi download speed at 5.11 Mbps, followed by:

  • Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam (7.07 Mbps),
  • Beijing Capital International Airport in China (9.45 Mbps),
  • Cairo International Airport in Egypt (10.62 Mbps), and
  • Tokyo Haneda Airport in Japan (11.37 Mbps).

You may struggle with everything from video chatting to streaming at any airport with a download speed below 25 Mbps. Latency is also a factor in performance so if your airport is one of the three with a median Wi-Fi latency over 60 ms, a mobile hotspot may be a better option for a stable connection.

Wi-Fi 6 has arrived

Our analysis shows at least 15 airports on our list were using the new Wi-Fi 6 standard in their Wi-Fi setup. Wi-Fi 6 uses Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) to increase performance and throughput, especially when serving multiple devices. This offers a real advantage at a large public location like an airport. In order to get maximum benefit from Wi-Fi 6, consumers would need to be using Wi-Fi 6-compatible devices. Speedtest data shows a fairly even split between airports that saw faster download speeds on Wi-Fi 6 and airports where Wi-Fi 6 results were comparable to those on other earlier Wi-Fi generations.

As you know, international travel can be complicated. Even if the airport offers free Wi-Fi, you may encounter other barriers to access. For example, a local number is required in Cairo to receive the access code to connect to the airport Wi-Fi. And while we’d love to include other large airports like Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport in future Wi-Fi analyses, they currently do not offer free Wi-Fi so we have included mobile data below.

11 airports show mobile speeds over 200 Mbps

Speedtest® data shows mobile speeds massively outpaced Wi-Fi, with 14 airports showing faster median downloads over mobile than the fastest airport for Wi-Fi. Hamad International Airport in Qatar had the fastest median download speed over mobile on our list at 442.49 Mbps during Q1 2024, followed by:

  • Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (341.19 Mbps),
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (295.94 Mbps),
  • Shanghai Pudong International Airport (264.71 Mbps),
  • Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (258.42 Mbps), and
  • Istanbul Airport (255.51 Mbps).

Mobile Network Speeds at Global Airports
Speedtest Intelligence® | Q1 2024

Fastest mobile speeds at airports in Africa and South America

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya had the fastest mobile download speeds of the four African airports we analyzed at 88.12 Mbps during Q1 2024. São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil was the faster of the two Latin American airports analyzed with a median download speed of 55.44 Mbps.

Airports with slow mobile speeds

Mobile can’t fix everything, because six airports came in with a median mobile download speed below 25 Mbps. Mexico City International Airport was again at the bottom with 8.75 Mbps, followed by:

  • Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (15.21 Mbps),
  • Orlando International Airport (15.84 Mbps),
  • Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (20.37 Mbps),
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (20.96 Mbps), and
  • Indira Gandhi International Airport (21.80 Mbps).

Latency on mobile was generally higher than that on Wi-Fi with 46 airports showing a Wi-Fi latency lower than the lowest latency on mobile, 27.51 ms at China’s Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. As noted above, latency is an important factor in performance, so it might be worth investigating the airport Wi-Fi by running a Speedtest if your mobile performance seems to lag.

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

We created a quick guide to help you decide whether to try out the Wi-Fi or simply use the local mobile network if you have access. Use it to compare free airport Wi-Fi performance against mobile performance for the 52 airports we have both Wi-Fi and mobile data for during Q1 2024. Twenty-six airports had faster mobile internet than airport Wi-Fi. Eight airports had faster Wi-Fi than mobile, and seven airports showed only a slight distinction between Wi-Fi and mobile or download speeds over 100 Mbps on both, so we gave both the green check marks. We were able to include more airports in the mobile analysis because there were more mobile samples to analyze at those airports than there were samples over Wi-Fi.

Chart of Comparing Airport Wi-Fi and Mobile Speeds at World Airports

The averages reported here are based on real-world data, so your experience may differ, especially on a busy travel day. Take a Speedtest® at the airport to see how your performance compares. Cheers to safe travels and rapid connections wherever you’re flying.

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

Consumer

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| February 18, 2024

How Red Sea Global Redefines Luxury Ecotourism with Connectivity and Smart Technologies [Case Study]

The future of tourism and hospitality leverages connectivity to provide a seamless guest experience from the moment you reach your destination. In alignment with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives, Red Sea Global (RSG) is reshaping international luxury tourism by combining connected technology with an unwavering dedication to sustainability and conservation. Red Sea Global, a developer wholly owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, has opened two resorts so far, served by a dedicated international airport on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Recognizing that a seamless vacation experience requires connectivity at every step, RSG set out to build premier resorts with high-performing networks and smart technologies. RSG took on this challenge while meeting rigorous global environmental standards – remaining carbon-neutral, using 100% renewable energy, and ensuring 30% net positive conservation benefits by 2040 ​​by planting 50 million mangroves and 30 million trees.

Situation

Red Sea Global has opened its first two resorts at The Red Sea destination: The Six Senses Southern Dunes resort and the St. Regis Red Sea Resort at Ummahat Island, which will be joined soon by Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. These resorts are reachable using The Red Sea International (RSI) airport and will be joined over the next 18 months by another 21 resorts across The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations.

In order to provide a seamless guest experience at their resorts and airport, Red Sea Global needed to guarantee high-performing connectivity while being mindful of sustainability and environmental preservation. The 5G network build-out had to provide comprehensive coverage and fast speeds across the diverse terrain that includes beaches, dormant volcanoes, mountains, and deserts. RSG aimed to integrate robust 5G infrastructure to enable several guest experiences. This included vacation essentials such as media streaming and multimedia sharing on social media platforms. Further, RSG wanted to enable luxury amenities by leveraging smart technologies and harnessing Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities. Managing this 5G build-out while upholding rigorous sustainability standards required unique network deployment strategies and consistent monitoring.

Read the full case study here (available in English and Arabic).

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

About the Author

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 27, 2021

Oslo Tops the List of World Capitals with the Fastest 5G in Q1-Q2 2021

Global Speeds

Mobile operators are rapidly expanding 5G deployments across the globe, with 16,410 new 5G deployments across 109 countries added to the Ookla 5G Map™ in June 2021 alone. Huge investments in 5G are being made to increase performance, especially in major cities. We used Speedtest Intelligence® to see which world capitals have the best 5G speeds and availability, based on locations with commercially available 5G during Q1-Q2 2021.

Oslo, Norway was the fastest world capital for 5G during Q1-Q2 2021

ookla_fastest_5g_download_speed_world_capitals_0721

The race for fastest 5G performance among world capitals was extremely competitive during Q1-Q2 2021. Oslo, Norway had the fastest 5G of any world capital, clocking in with a median download speed of 526.74 Mbps. Seoul, South Korea had the second fastest median download speed over 5G at 467.84 Mbps; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates was third (421.26 Mbps); Doha, Qatar fourth (413.40 Mbps) and Stockholm, Sweden fifth (401.30 Mbps). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (384.66 Mbps); Kuwait City, Kuwait (338.97 Mbps), Muscat, Oman (318.95 Mbps); Beijing, China (291.19 Mbps); and Taipei, Taiwan (287.86 Mbps); rounded out the top 10. Helsinki, Finland showed a median 5G download speed of 279.59 Mbps; Sofia, Bulgaria 260.55 Mbps; Canberra, Australia 258.39 Mbps; Bangkok, Thailand 253.73 Mbps; Manama, Bahrain 249.71; Dublin, Ireland 223.01; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 209.98 Mbps; Paris, France 208.48 Mbps and Bucharest, Romania 203.44 Mbps.

We saw median 5G download speeds between 150 Mbps and 200 Mbps in the following world capitals during Q1-Q2 2021: Ottawa, Canada (196.11 Mbps); Hanoi, Vietnam (195.99 Mbps); Bratislava, Slovakia (188.23 Mbps); Madrid, Spain (183.37 Mbps); Bern, Switzerland (175.69 Mbps); Rome, Italy (171.79 Mbps); London, United Kingdom (167.50 Mbps); Tokyo, Japan (167.02 Mbps); Athens, Greece (164.95 Mbps); Copenhagen, Denmark (162.75 Mbps); Ljubljana, Slovenia (158.50 Mbps); Hong Kong (153.78) and Washington, D.C., United States (151.80 Mbps).

Cape Town, South Africa was the slowest world capital for 5G in Q1-Q2 2021

ookla_slowest_5g_download_speed_world_capitals_0721

Speedtest Intelligence shows Capetown, South Africa had the slowest median download speed over 5G during Q1-Q2 2021 at 53.33 Mbps. Other world capitals with slower median 5G download speeds included: Brasilia, Brazil (62.18 Mbps); San Juan, Puerto Rico (72.59 Mbps); Warsaw, Poland (80.18 Mbps); Singapore (111.20 Mbps); Manila, Philippines (112.23 Mbps); Prague, Czechia (116.30 Mbps); Budapest, Hungary (137.54 Mbps); Amsterdam, Netherlands (139.75 Mbps); Zagreb, Croatia (140.92 Mbps); Vienna, Austria (144.93 Mbps); Jerusalem, Israel (145.17 Mbps); and Berlin, Germany (148.16 Mbps).

Capitals not mentioned on either of these lists did not have sufficient 5G samples during Q1-Q2 2021 to be included in this report.

The fastest 5G speeds are yet to come

5G is rapidly improving across the world and we’re eager to see how countries, cities and operators continue to perform during Q3 2021 and beyond. If you want to see how your 5G network performs against these benchmarks, please download the Android or iOS app, and take a Speedtest®. Learn more about 5G provider performance in select cities here, and visit the Ookla 5G MapTM to see which providers are offering 5G in your area.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on July 28 to reorganize the content for clarity.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 6, 2021

Ookla Video Analytics Reveals the State of Global Video Experience

Services


Video is essential to today’s internet across the world. We use it to watch shows and movies, stream live events and even keep up to date on our favorite cats on social media. Ookla® launched video testing in the Speedtest® app for iOS and Android earlier this year so consumers can measure the quality of their video experience. Already, millions of video tests have been initiated by consumers. Today we’re sharing some of that data to provide insight into video experience around the world, specifically, we’ve analyzed adaptive start time and highest overall video resolution over all mobile technologies, 5G and fixed broadband in select countries during Q3 2021.

Switzerland had the fastest adaptive start time for all mobile technologies, South Africa fastest for 5G

Video streaming services use adaptive bitrate technology

All modern video streaming platforms use adaptive bitrate technology to automatically adjust video quality based on network conditions and device capabilities in order to display the highest quality video that a device can support, while minimizing buffering and slow video start time. Speedtest Video Analytics provides deep insights and competitive benchmarking for device and network video streaming capabilities.

Adaptive start time — the time it takes for adaptive bitrate playback to initiate — allows us to see how quickly videos are loading. A 2012 study found that users will leave a video if it doesn’t begin playing within two seconds. We have to imagine in 2021, that timeframe is being squeezed even further. Our analysis shows how countries are performing against this important benchmark.

ookla_adaptive-start-time_all-mobile-tech_1121-01-3

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals that Switzerland had the fastest median adaptive start time for all mobile technologies combined among the countries we analyzed at 1.02 seconds during Q3 2021. South Korea and Norway were close behind at 1.07 seconds and 1.10 seconds, respectively. Five more countries achieved a median adaptive start time at or under 1.25 seconds during Q3 2021, including Hong Kong (SAR) and Croatia (1.17 seconds), Portugal (1.24 seconds), and Kuwait and Mexico (1.25 seconds). All but three of the remaining countries we surveyed achieved a median adaptive start time between 1.25 seconds and 2.00 seconds during Q3 2021 except Colombia (2.11 seconds), Saudi Arabia (2.12 seconds) and India (2.13 seconds).

Most 5G-capable video tests showed blazing fast adaptive start times

ookla_adaptive-start-time_5g_1121-01

We’ve seen median 5G download speeds zoom ahead of traditional mobile technologies, even reaching median download speeds 10 times faster than on 4G LTE. It’s no surprise Video Analytics revealed adaptive start time was often much faster on 5G than on all mobile technologies combined. Five countries achieved median adaptive start times faster than 1.00 second during Q3 2021: South Africa (0.73 seconds), Switzerland (0.79 seconds), Norway (0.82 seconds), Hong Kong (0.86 seconds) and South Korea (0.90 seconds). Video Analytics shows the only countries with a median 5G adaptive start time slower than 1.25 seconds were the United States (1.27 seconds), Brazil (1.42 seconds) and Saudi Arabia (1.94 seconds).

Five countries’ adaptive start time improved more than 0.25 seconds on 5G compared to all technologies combined during Q3 2021: the Philippines (-0.62 seconds), South Africa (-0.53 seconds), Brazil (-0.39 seconds), Hong Kong (-0.31 seconds) and Norway (-0.29 seconds). However, several countries showed a less than 0.20 second improvement when comparing adaptive start rate on 5G to that on all technologies combined during Q3 2021: the U.S. (-0.14 seconds), Bahrain (-0.16 seconds), South Korea and Saudi Arabia (-0.17 seconds), and the United Kingdom (U.K.) and France (-0.18 seconds).

Adaptive start time is not always faster on fixed broadband

ookla_adaptive-start-time_fixed_1121-01-1

Speedtest Intelligence showed a narrower range for adaptive start time on fixed broadband than on 5G with every country on our list achieving between 0.67 and 1.85 seconds during Q3 2021. Ten countries on our list achieved a median adaptive start time faster than 1.00 second during Q3 2021: South Korea (0.67 seconds), Norway (0.74 seconds), Hong Kong (0.75 seconds), Switzerland (0.76 seconds), the U.K. (0.79 seconds), France (0.86 seconds), the U.S. (0.87 seconds), Spain (0.88 seconds), Portugal (0.89 seconds) and Italy (0.98 seconds).

Twenty out of the 24 countries we surveyed had a median fixed broadband adaptive start time faster than 1.50 seconds during Q3 2021. Colombia (1.50 seconds), Egypt (1.59 seconds), Turkey (1.64 seconds) and Saudi Arabia (1.85 seconds) were the only countries with a median adaptive start time slower than 1.50 seconds on fixed broadband during Q3 2021.

South Korea video tests reached 4K resolutions at the highest proportion on mobile and fixed broadband

Video resolution is incredibly important in the experience of streaming video and the higher the resolution, the more definition and clarity we are able to see. These days, the difference between an SD and 4K experience is gigantic. Resolution is measured in the numbers of pixels in a 16:9 ratio, with 2160 pixel height representing a 4K picture. Video Analytics measures the resolution rates, which represent the portion of samples that reach a particular resolution. In this analysis, we evaluated the resolution rates for 4K, typically the highest resolution users will need.

ookla_highest-video-resolution_all-mobile-tech_1121-01

Using Speedtest Intelligence, we found South Korea and Switzerland had the highest overall successful resolution rates for all mobile technologies combined during Q3 2021, reaching 4K resolutions 80.4% and 80.3% of the time, respectively. Croatia (79.7%), Kuwait (77.4%) and Norway (75.4%) were the only other countries on our list that achieved 4K video resolution more than 75.0% of the time. Only seven countries on our list did not reach a 4K resolution at least 50% of the time on all mobile technologies combined: the Philippines (38.4%), India (41.1%), Indonesia (44.8%), Colombia (45.3%), Mexico (46.3%), Russia (49.7%) and Egypt (49.9%).

5G led to higher video resolution, but 4K mobile devices still remain rare

ookla_highest-video-resolution_5g_1121-01

5G provided a higher resolution for mobile devices during Q3 2021 than all technologies combined. Every country we surveyed reached a 4K resolution over 80.0% of the time over 5G. In fact, six out of the 14 countries we surveyed for 5G achieved a 4K resolution more than 90.0% of the time, including South Korea (95.9%), Norway (94.5%), Kuwait (94.0%), South Africa (93.6%), Switzerland (92.6%) and France (91.5%). On the lower end of our list, only Italy (81.9%), Brazil (83.9%) and the U.S. (83.9%) achieved 4K resolutions less than 85.0% of the time.

While this is great news for the future of mobile devices, 4K resolutions in mobile devices still aren’t common: Sony is the only popular device manufacturer producing 4K mobile devices. In the meantime, users who can connect to 5G through either a hot spot or fixed wireless access (FWA) will reap the benefits of being able to stream on 4K devices like computers, televisions or tablets.

South Korean fixed broadband delivers ultra-high definition resolutions

ookla_highest-video-resolution_fixed_1121-01

Speedtest Intelligence reveals South Korea had the highest fixed broadband 4K resolution rate among countries surveyed at 92.2% during Q3 2021. Other countries that achieved 4K resolution rates above 85.0% on fixed broadband during Q3 2021 included: Switzerland (89.4%), Hong Kong (87.6%), Norway (87.1%) and the U.S. (86.7%). Every other country in our analysis achieved 4K resolution rates between 65.0% and 85.0%, except Egypt (49.5%), Indonesia (52.5%), the Philippines (64.2%) and Turkey (64.3%).

Video Analytics gives you the information you need about your video playback

We’re excited to share more about video performance and quality of experience using Video Analytics in the coming months. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Video Analytics and how it can help you benchmark and improve your network, please join our upcoming webinar, December 9 by clicking here.

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.

Services

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 21, 2021

Oman’s Mobile Performance Is Blazing Ahead and 5G Will Boost Speeds

Global Speeds


pdf_download_button_ar-1

Middle Eastern countries — particularly within the oil-rich Gulf — have been investing heavily in expanding and upgrading their mobile networks over the past few years. That’s been paying off for consumers across the region, with United Arab Emirate (U.A.E.) operator Etisalat being awarded with the World’s fastest mobile network operator in 2020 and Gulf nations holding four of the top 10 spots on the Speedtest Global Index™ during September 2021. With Oman rising in the mobile rankings and Muscat placing in the top 10 world capitals for fastest 5G during Q1-Q2 2021, Oman’s rise as a potential mobile powerhouse merits further investigation.

This article examines the state of Oman’s mobile performance during Q3 2021, including which provider had the fastest mobile performance, Oman’s 5G evolution, a governorate-level mobile analysis and snapshot of provider performance in Muscat using Ookla® Cell Analytics™.

Oman is behind its regional partners for mobile performance during Q3 2021, but speeds are rapidly accelerating

ookla_download-comparison_oman_1021_en

Speedtest Intelligence® revealed the U.A.E. had the fastest median mobile download speed among Oman’s regional trading partners at 109.92 Mbps during Q3 2021. Oman was a hair faster than Bahrain at 46.85 Mbps. Jordan and Iraq had the slowest median download speeds on this list at 18.82 Mbps and 33.74 Mbps, respectively.

Ooredoo overtook Omantel as Oman’s fastest mobile operator

ookla_mobile_performance_oman_1121_en

Competition between Oman’s top providers, Ooredoo and Omantel, has been fierce over the past year. However, Ooredoo pulled ahead of Omantel during Q3 2021, achieving a median mobile download speed of 48.22 Mbps to Omantel’s 44.56 Mbps. Ooredoo also had the fastest median mobile upload speed during Q3 2021 at 13.74 Mbps to Omantel’s 12.00 Mbps.

Ooredoo outpaced Omantel for fastest 5G download speed

ookla_5G_performance_oman_1121_en

Ooredoo also achieved the fastest 5G in Oman during Q3 2021, achieving a median 5G download speed of 346.37 Mbps to Omantel’s 228.25 Mbps. The fastest median 5G upload speed during Q3 2021 was much closer with Ooredoo achieving a median upload speed of 27.37 Mbps to Omantel’s 24.78 Mbps.

Ooredoo beat Omantel for 4G Availability, Omantel pulled ahead for 5G Availability

ookla_4G-5G-availability_oman_1121_en

Competition for the highest 4G and 5G Availability — with 4G Availability representing the proportion of users who spend most of their time on 4G or greater networks and 5G Availability representing the proportion of users who spend most of their time on 5G networks — was also close in Oman during Q3 2021. Ooredoo had the highest 4G Availability at 84.3% to Omantel’s 78.4%. For 5G Availability there was no statistical winner, but Omantel achieved 8.1% and Ooredoo achieved 7.4% during Q3 2021.

Muscat had the fastest mobile download speed among Oman’s governorates

ookla_mobile-performance_oman_map_1121_en

We used data from Speedtest Intelligence to examine Oman’s 11 governorates and found Muscat Governorate had the fastest median mobile download speed at 66.96 Mbps during Q3 2021. Al Buraymi Governorate was next on this list at 47.22 Mbps, followed by Al Batinah North Governorate (46.74 Mbps), Al Batinah South Governorate (44.68 Mbps) and Ad Dakhiliyah ‍Governorate (42.49 Mbps). Ash Sharqiyah North Governorate, Dhofar Governorate and Ad Dhahirah Governorate and Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate achieved between 34.00 Mbps and 39.00 Mbps. Al Wusta Governorate had the slowest median download speed at 33.21 Mbps. Musandam Governorate lacked sufficient data for inclusion.

Four governorates achieved the 4G Availability above 80% during Q3 2021

ookla_4g-availability_oman_map_1121_en

Speedtest Intelligence found that there was no statistical winner for highest 4G Availability in Oman during Q3 2021, but Muscat Governorate (84.4%), Al Batinah North Governorate (83.5%), Al Batinah South Governorate (83.0%) and Dhofar Governorate (82.8%) all achieved 4G Availability above 80%. All the rest of Oman’s governorates had 4G Availability between 72.0-80.0% except Al Wusta Governorate, which had the lowest 4G Availability in Oman at 57.9% during Q3 2021.

Signal strength is competitive in Muscat

We identified several key locations in Muscat to highlight using Cell Analytics data from Q2-Q3 2021. Each of these maps shows the strongest 4G reference signal received power (RSRP) in a given area, which can help mobile operators locate areas where they can improve their networks. Cell Analytics can identify the strongest RSRP by mobile network provider for a given area if there is a statistically-significant winner and color codes that plot bin to the provider’s color. Provider-level maps show the performance of individual providers for a given area, with pink and red showing a strong signal and blue indicating a weak signal.

Al Mawaleh South and Al Mouj Muscat

Located west and northwest of the Muscat International Airport, Al Mawaleh South and Al Mouj Muscat are high-traffic areas frequented by many Omani residents. The image below shows the strongest 4G LTE RSRP signal strength by provider with the dark blue representing Omantel and purple representing Ooredoo. As evidenced by the bands of solid colors, Omantel and Ooredoo have a strong presence by the major throughways in this area, while competition throughout the neighborhood is tight, particularly around the City Centre Muscat mall just west of the airport.

cell-analytics_best-rsrp_al-mawaleh-south_1021_en

The maps below show areas where each top provider has high and low signal strength data. Omantel had areas of high signal strength (pink and red), particularly on the major throughways and crowded shopping areas. Omantel also had a strong presence near the Al Mouj Marina, as well as key locations at the Seeb Stadium and City Centre Muscat mall. Ooredoo had deployments in similar locations with a strong signal near 18th November St., just north of the airport.

cell-analytics_rsrp_al-mawaleh-south_1021_en

Ruwi and Al Wadi Al Kabir

Located in central Muscat, Ruwi and Al Wadi Al Kabir Industrial Estate represent the commercial heart of Muscat. As the images that follow show, it’s clear mobile operators have recognized how valuable this valley is to Omanis. Ooredoo had a strong presence in this area during Q2-Q3 2021, particularly through the central throughways, downtown core and central Al Wadi Al Kabir Industrial Estate. Omantel had strong signal strengths along most of Bait Al Falaj St. as well as south of this map.

cell-analytics_best-rsrp_al-wadi-al-kabir_1021_en

It comes as no surprise then that Ooredoo showed very strong 4G LTE signal strength near the central and southwest areas of this map during Q2-Q3 2021, as well as a few pockets of strong RSRP throughout. Interestingly, there were a few weaker areas between Ruwi St. and 41 Way near the center of the map. Omantel had strong signal strength near the north of this map, the southern half and central core, though there were a few areas of weaker signal strength (green and blue) in the west and center.

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Al Ghubrah South, Al Ghubrah Ash Shamaliyah, Al Azaiba North, Al Azaiba South and Al Khuwayr South

Home to the busy downtown Muscat area as well as the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, national Omani soccer stadium and beautiful beaches, this central Muscat area contains major local and international points of interest. The map below shows the provider with the strongest RSRP signal strength for a given area during Q2-Q3 2021. We saw a seemingly even competition between Ooredoo and Omantel, with each provider showing stronger RSRP signal strength in bands near the major highway and major sightseeing activities.

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However, when we look at each individual mobile operators’ 4G LTE RSRP, we see the area on Sultan Qaboos St. that includes Oman Avenues Mall, LuLu Hypermarket-Bousher, Muscat Grand Mall, Sharaf DG Muscat Mall and IKEA Muscat was fiercely competitive. Ooredoo had strong signal strength near the north of this area while Omantel had strong signal strength near in the middle of this area, fading slightly within the shopping mall areas. Omantel also had strong signal strength along most of Qaboos St. and lower signal strength within many of the neighborhoods beyond that core roadway. In that last respect, Ooredoo seemed to be doing a little better with more red showing in some of the neighborhood areas where Omantel fell short.

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Oman’s future mobile experience is faster, competitive 5G

Like many of its peers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Oman has set in place a strategic vision for its economic development as it looks to diversify its economy away from a reliance on oil. Its e.Oman 2030 strategy highlights the realization of a high-speed, high density network infrastructure as a key enabling factor in achieving its goals of increased digital literacy and skills, the development and adoption of e-government services, and the digital transformation of Omani industries.

In October 2019, Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) outlined its 5G roadmap in support of this objective. The regulator has granted Omantel and Ooredoo rights to a 100 MHz block of spectrum each in the C-band for 5G services, while reserving an additional 100 MHz block for a new entrant. The regulator also waived annual frequency fees for a year to encourage investment, while the operators undertook deploying 4,400 5G base stations over the following five years. According to the RTA, a total of 1,300 5G sites had been deployed in the market as of June 2021, equating to 5G coverage of 40% of the population. With 5G Availability in the market below 10%, it’s clear that operators need to do more to encourage 5G adoption.

Oman Future Telecommunications (OFT), operating under the Vodafone Oman brand, plans to launch commercial services in late 2021. OFT signed a strategic partnership with Vodafone in 2019 and was granted a license in 2021 to become Oman’s third network operator. OFT recently signed a managed services agreement with Ericsson to build and operate a greenfield 4G and 5G core and radio access network and already has agreements in place with Oman Tower Company and Oman Broadband to accelerate its network build. Increased competition in the market, particularly when 5G adoption is still in its early stages, will bring renewed focus on network speed as a differentiator. This is backed up by Vodafone Oman’s aggressive network rollout with Ericsson. Vodafone‘s experience in India — where the early 4G era and entrance of Reliance Jio saw price wars that led to both network operator consolidation and the amassing of large debt burdens by operators in the market — is likely to dissuade Vodafone from pursuing an aggressive pricing strategy in Oman.

Internet speeds in Oman are blazing forward and we’ll be watching closely to see how they change. Click here to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence and Cell Analytics.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| October 26, 2022

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New iPhone 14 and Galaxy Z Fold4 Are (Spoiler: They’re Fast)

Devices

Consumers across the world have been waiting for the recent launches of new Apple iPhone 14 devices and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. With new chipsets and technologies, Ookla® was curious to see how much faster these devices were performing against previous models, so we used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at data from select countries during the first few weeks after launch. We compared how the iPhone 14 devices are performing against their iPhone 13 counterparts over 5G and how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is performing against the Galaxy Z Fold3 over 5G.

Note that device data differs across markets due to a variety of factors, including: 5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations by operator, 5G Availability, the number of 5G deployments, and other differences, including mobile 5G plans. Furthermore, it should be noted that the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models launched in select markets on different days than the iPhone 14, which is why the date ranges differ slightly in each market in our analysis.

Key takeaways:

  • The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 outperformed the Galaxy Z Fold3 in every country we surveyed except Australia, and performed about the same as the Fold3 in South Korea and Taiwan.
  • The new Apple iPhone 14 models outperformed their iPhone 13 counterparts in every country.

Key improvements to the new Galaxy Z Fold4 and iPhone 14

Consumers almost always want to know if the newest technology is worth the upgrade when they’re investing in a costly new phone. Each of these devices has various upgrades, but when it comes to performance, here’s a quick list of what’s different between the new and older models. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3

  • The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G modem whereas the Galaxy Z Fold3 has the older Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.
  • The Fold4 has an upgraded Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) and the Fold3 has an Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55).

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13

  • The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have Apple A16 CPU chipsets, which we expect to be faster than the iPhone 13s, whereas the iPhone 14 has the Apple A15 CPU chipset.
  • The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 chipset for 5G, which also supports the 2.4 GHz n53 band for satellite, while the iPhone 14 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 for 5G, which the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 13 Pro also use.
  • The Apple iPhone 13 models have 4 GB of memory, whereas the newer iPhone 14 models have 6 GB of memory.

Australia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Australia, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence shows the Galaxy Z Fold4 was not  statistically faster  than the Fold3 in Australia. The Galaxy Z Fold3 had a median 5G download speed at 338.58 Mbps and the Fold4 at 309.40 Mbps. The median upload speed was roughly the same, with the Fold4 achieving 23.71 Mbps  and the Fold3 at 22.72 Mbps. 

Recommendation: Australian Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Australia, 5G

Our data shows every new iPhone 14 model offering faster median download speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts in Australia. The iPhone 14 Pro Max had the fastest median 5G download speed at 347.67 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (327.09 Mbps). Even the iPhone 14 base model was comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 303.44 Mbps to 306.92 Mbps, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro (299.88 Mbps). The iPhone 13 base model “lagged” behind at a fast 265.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were generally similar, with the iPhone 14 models ranging slightly faster from 23.92 Mbps to 24.50 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 17.84 Mbps to 20.24 Mbps. 

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Australia who want faster speeds should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model.

Brazil

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Brazil, 5G

During the first month of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s launch, Brazilian 5G consumers who upgraded saw tremendous improvements over the Galaxy Z Fold3. The Fold4 dramatically outpaced the Fold3 with a median download of 483.26 Mbps and median upload of 46.20 Mbps to the Fold3’s 173.09 Mbps download and 25.70 Mbps upload.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Brazil should upgrade their phone to the Galaxy Z Fold4 if they have access to 5G.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Brazil, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that every iPhone 14 model performed much faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts on 5G in Brazil. The iPhone 14 Pro Max raced ahead at 493.31 Mbps, then the iPhone 14 Pro (429.82 Mbps), and iPhone 14 (350.69 Mbps). The iPhone 13 (220.14 Mbps), iPhone 13 Pro Max (215.27 Mbps), and iPhone 13 Pro (200.35 Mbps) trailed behind.

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, ranging from 32.41 Mbps to 37.39 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 25.52 Mbps to 26.04 Mbps. 

Recommendation: Brazilian iPhone 13 users should absolutely consider an upgrade to the new iPhone.

Canada

Samsung Galaxy Z FoldSamsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Canada 5G

Canadian consumers saw a moderate increase in 5G download speed if they upgraded their phone from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the Fold4, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 202.23 Mbps to the Fold3’s 165.36 Mbps. Upload speed remained relatively flat between the two models with the Fold4 achieving 27.73 Mbps and the Fold3 26.77 Mbps.

Recommendation: Canadian Galaxy Z Fold3 users should feel confident that upgrading their phone to the Fold4 will give them a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Canada, 5G

The new iPhone 14 models raced ahead of their iPhone 13 counterparts in Canada. The iPhone 14 Pro Max achieved a median 5G download speed of 198.12 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (193.53 Mbps), and then iPhone 14 (189.85 Mbps). The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 149.78 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (145.60 Mbps), and iPhone 13 (133.64 Mbps). 

The iPhone 14 models were also faster for median upload speed ranging from 25.78 Mbps to 28.01 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 17.80 Mbps to 21.03 Mbps. 

Recommendation: Canadian iPhone 13 users should beeline straight to their mobile operator to upgrade to a new iPhone 14 model.

France

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Speedtest Intelligence revealed that French consumers saw a jump in speeds over the past month if they upgraded from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the new Fold4, which achieved a median download speed of 290.83 Mbps over 5G. The Fold3 was far behind with a median download speed at 217.18 Mbps. 5G upload speeds were similar with the Fold4 at 15.81 Mbps and the Fold3 at 14.58 Mbps.

Recommendation: French Galaxy Z Fold3 users shouldn’t hesitate to immediately upgrade to the Fold4 for a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, France, 5G

The iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts in France. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest median 5G download speeds at 318.97 Mbps and 297.57 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 259.62 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 259.73 Mbps, with the iPhone 13 Pro (247.50 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (224.40 Mbps) following. 

Upload speeds remained relatively similar, with all of the iPhone 14 models ranging between 16.02 Mbps to 19.44 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 15.01 Mbps to 16.43 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in France should absolutely consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

Saudi Arabia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Saudi Arabia, 5G

Saudi consumers who upgraded to the Galaxy Z Fold4 might not have noticed a marked improvement on their already blazing fast 5G speeds, with the Fold4 achieving a median 5G download speed of 435.10 Mbps to the Fold3’s 403.11 Mbps. Even on upload, the speeds were roughly the same at 38.78 Mbps and 35.20 Mbps for the Fold4 and Fold3, respectively. 

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Saudi Arabia don’t really need to upgrade your phones for great speeds. Base your decision on whether you want the other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Saudi Arabia, 5G

The launch of the new iPhone 14 models showed a similar story in Saudi Arabia as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. The new iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts, but all of the iPhones we looked at were very fast on 5G. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest download speeds at 432.96 Mbps and 429.61 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 base model was next at 396.18 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro followed at 392.44 Mbps and 391.14 Mbps, respectively, while the base iPhone 13 model was next at 385.68 Mbps. 

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, which ranged from a median speed of 34.90 Mbps to 35.85 Mbps, while the iPhone 13 models ranged from 30.14 Mbps to 31.62 Mbps.

Recommendation: Saudi iPhone 13 users should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features, but most iPhone 13 users still experience very fast speeds.

Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Singapore, 5G

Consumers in Singapore saw a noticeable increase in median 5G download speeds by upgrading to the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the first month after its launch. The Fold4 outpaced the Fold3 346.79 Mbps to 293.20 Mbps for median 5G download speed. Upload speeds remained almost exactly the same with the Fold4 reaching a 5G median download speed at 33.83 Mbps to the Fold3’s 33.19 Mbps. 

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Singapore should rush to see how they can upgrade their phone to the Fold4 for faster speeds and new features.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Singapore, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that in Singapore the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models had much faster median 5G download speeds than their already fast iPhone 13 counterparts. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieved median download speeds of 377.78 Mbps and 397.53 Mbps, respectively. However, iPhone 13 model users are still experiencing fast speeds. The iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved 273.14 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 249.54 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 247.81 Mbps. The iPhone 14 base model didn’t record enough samples to be included in our survey for Singapore.

Speedtest Intelligence also showed that upload speeds over 5G didn’t vary too significantly, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieving 37.60 Mbps and 36.86 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 32.23 Mbps to 33.74 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Singapore won’t regret upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds, but most iPhone 13 users already experience fast speeds.

South Korea

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, South Korea, 5G

Home to Samsung’s headquarters, South Korea has some of the fastest 5G speeds in the world. However, consumers who upgraded from the Fold3 to the Fold4 haven’t yet seen a noticeable improvement upon their already super fast internet experience. The Galaxy Z Fold4 reached a similar median 5G download speed as the Fold3 at 520.29 Mbps to 513.39 Mbps, respectively. However, the Fold4 was just faster than the Fold3 for upload speed at 51.96 Mbps to 42.65 Mbps. 

Recommendation: It’s hard to say “wait to upgrade” to South Korean Galaxy Z Fold3 users, but with such ridiculously fast speeds on the Fold3 that are comparable to the Fold4, users should consider waiting — unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, South Korea, 5G

We’re jealous of iPhone users in South Korea, who experienced lightning fast 5G download speeds on every model of iPhone we surveyed, which ranged from 570.01 Mbps to 663.43 Mbps. While we didn’t find a statistically significant fastest median 5G download speed, the iPhone 14 Pro had a median download speed of 663.43 Mbps, the iPhone 14 Pro Max at 635.23 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 602.17 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 596.18 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 570.01 Mbps. The base model of the iPhone 14 didn’t have enough samples to be included.

Median 5G upload speeds for the iPhone 14 models were also very fast, ranging from 37.14 Mbps to 62.46 Mbps. However, the iPhone 13 models still had very fast upload speeds, which ranged from 41.96 Mbps to 43.45 Mbps.

Recommendation: South Korean iPhone 13 users who want to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model should do so for the new features — 5G speeds are extremely fast no matter what model you have.

Switzerland

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Swtizerland, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence shows that Swiss Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 users only saw a moderate increase in median 5G download speed when upgrading from the Fold3, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 232.70 Mbps to the Fold3’s 202.69 Mbps. The Fold4 was faster than the Fold3 for median upload speed at 49.31 Mbps to 39.76 Mbps during the same time period.

Recommendation: Swiss Galaxy Z Fold3 users have a tough decision: Speeds aren’t much faster yet for the new model, so unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers, you may want to wait.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Switzerland, 5G

iPhone consumers in Switzerland waiting to see how the new iPhone 14 performs can rest easy. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models are faster than their iPhone 13 predecessors, achieving median 5G download speeds at 242.41 Mbps and 214.62 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models only achieved 192.70 Mbps and 184.53 Mbps, respectively, during the same time period. While there weren’t enough samples to evaluate the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 had a median 5G download speed at 158.33 Mbps. 

The iPhone Pro Max and Pro had faster upload speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts at 41.99 Mbps and 43.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models achieved 36.11 Mbps and 35.05 Mbps, respectively. 

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Switzerland who want faster speeds shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model and new features. 

Taiwan

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, Taiwan, 5G

Taiwanese consumers experienced roughly the same median 5G download speed for the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold3 at 321.12 Mbps and 320.78 Mbps, respectively. If you’re concerned about upload speed, the Fold4 does pull ahead of the Fold3 on 5G, 47.44 Mbps to 37.32 Mbps. 

Recommendation: We noticed operator speed makes a large difference to device performance in Taiwan, so check our Ookla Market Report™ to see what kind of speeds you should expect from your operator. If your operator makes the cut, you should consider upgrading your phone. Other Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, Taiwan, 5G

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that iPhone 14 models in Taiwan were much faster than iPhone 13 models, which were already very fast. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro had the fastest median 5G download speed at 373.25 Mbps and 366.28 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 329.46 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 319.53 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (298.37 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (272.79 Mbps).

Download speeds for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro were fast at 41.30 Mbps and 42.39 Mbps, respectively.The iPhone 14 (33.91 Mbps) was more on par with the iPhone 13 Pro Max (34.84 Mbps) and iPhone 13 Pro (34.05 Mbps). The iPhone 13 trailed behind at 29.61 Mbps.

Recommendation: Most iPhone 13 users in Taiwan aren’t lacking for 5G speeds, but iPhone 13 users should upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

United States

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3 performance, United States, 5G

According to Speedtest Intelligence, the Fold4 outperformed the Fold3 in the U.S. with a median 5G download speed of 165.63 Mbps to 124.12 Mbps. Upload speeds were roughly the same with the Fold4 at 15.58 Mbps and the Fold3 at 15.96 Mbps.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in the U.S. should embrace the Fold4 with open arms. Not only will you experience new features, you’ll continue to see faster speeds, especially as providers expand in 5G investments across the country.

Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 performance, United States, 5G

Even the base model of the iPhone 14 substantially outperformed every iPhone 13 model in the U.S. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models led the way for fastest median 5G download speed at 177.92 Mbps and 174.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 was at 150.08 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models followed behind at 121.19 Mbps and 121.08 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 trailed at 109.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were relatively similar, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models reaching median 5G upload speeds of 19.22 Mbps and 18.37 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 14 followed at 15.91 Mbps. The iPhone 13 models weren’t much further behind, ranging from 13.20 Mbps to 15.39 Mbps. 

Recommendation: iPhone fans in the U.S. who are waiting to see how the iPhone 14 performs should feel confident in taking the plunge to upgrade their phones. 

Ookla will continue monitoring how devices are performing 

After blazing fast launches which already saw the iPhone 14 models race ahead in the U.S. and other markets on the Ookla Market Reports™, we’ll eagerly be watching results for the rest of the year. If you recently upgraded your phone, be sure to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app to make sure you are getting the speeds you need along with up to 2 GB of free VPN browsing every month and access to video testing.

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

Devices

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 4, 2023

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

Network Performance

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

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

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

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

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

Chile raced ahead on fixed broadband

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

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

Qatar soars to first for fastest mobile country

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

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

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

Chart of 2022 perfromance against global median for leading countries

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

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

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

Network Performance

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 21, 2023

Mobile gaming in the Gulf region: 5G improves the experience, but latency remains an issue

5G

In this article, we look at the performance of mobile networks in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during the first half of 2023 for their ability to support gaming services. To this end, we introduce Ookla’s Game Score™ to quantify the gaming experience and analyze four network metrics that typically impact mobile gaming: download speed, upload speed, latency, and jitter.

Key takeaways

  • The Gulf region offers strong growth potential for mobile gaming. The region benefits from a large youth demographic, a growing casual gaming base, widespread smartphone adoption, and high-speed internet access. Operators and governments are also helping to increase public engagement in gaming.
  • The U.A.E., Bahrain, and Qatar had the highest Game Scores in the Middle East (83.49, 83.24, and 82.81, respectively, on a 100-point scale). These countries have superior mobile network performance that helps to deliver a good gaming experience. Their Game Scores were also higher for 5G compared to 4G, highlighting the importance of network upgrades and migrating customers to 5G.
  • Relatively high latency in some markets can make some games glitchy. Most casual gamers should be able to enjoy a smooth experience over 5G thanks to fast download and upload speeds, but some latency-sensitive games (like multiplayer shooters) may have noticeable lags. Mobile operators can explore different approaches (such as deploying edge computing infrastructure) to improve game responsiveness and prepare their networks for more data-intensive games.

Ookla’s Game Score™ helps quantify the gaming experience

Game Score™ compares the performance of operators’ networks in terms of their ability to offer the best gaming experiences to consumers. The score is composed of different components, each measuring a different aspect of a consumer’s gaming experience based on multiple network key performance indicators. 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 real-world game servers. 

Each component is evaluated and scored on a scale of 0-100 for each eligible operator. Finally, scored components are combined in a weighted average to produce a Game Score for each operator. For this article, we aggregated the scores of eligible operators to obtain a country-level Game Score. More details about our Game Score methodology can be downloaded from this link.

The Gulf region offers strong growth potential for mobile gaming

According to BCG, the Middle East region has the highest gaming penetration: more than 60% of the population are game enthusiasts. The audience for live-streaming games is expected to exceed 200 million in 2025, making the Middle East one of the fastest-growing regions for gaming.

The GCC region, in particular, has strong growth potential in terms of active gamers and e-sports participants thanks to its large youth demographic, sizable disposable income, access to high-speed connectivity, and the ongoing development of gaming infrastructure (such as hosting local gaming servers and setting up gaming arenas and e-sports facilities). The market will expand as gaming becomes more mainstream and more female users and older demographics engage in gaming.

5G is also helping to increase mobile gaming adoption as it enables smoother gameplay than 4G. According to the GSMA, around half of surveyed 5G users (or those intending to upgrade to 5G) in eight developed markets game frequently compared to around 30% among non-5G users. More operators are also bundling gaming services into their 5G plans, making mobile gaming more mainstream. Operators consider gaming as a growth area and a means to increase customer engagement and differentiate their connectivity propositions (see table below).

Local governments have also implemented strategies to develop a local gaming ecosystem to diversify their economies. For example, Saudi Arabia has a national gaming and e-sports strategy while the U.A.E. aims to encourage global gaming producers to establish a local presence.

Recent gaming-related propositions and initiatives

Bahrain Batelco introduced a mobile gaming portal in 2022
stc offers stc play app and organizes e-sports tournaments. It partnered with gaming infrastructure provider Subspace in 2019 to improve the multi-player experience in the region
Zain offers a mobile game pass with a dedicated data allowance for popular games
Kuwait Zain has a dedicated e-sports division that hosts tournaments. It partnered with PLAYHERA to establish a gaming and e-sports platform in 2022
Ooredoo offers gamer-dedicated 5G and fiber plans with reduced latency. It also organizes e-sports competitions
stc offers a 5G plan add-on that promises to reduce latency, jitter, and packet loss
Oman Omantel launched ‘GeForce NOW’ cloud gaming service in partnership with NVIDIA. It also offers an add-on to get 100 Mbps extra speed on fiber and a dedicated mobile add-on for game data traffic
Ooredoo organizes local e-sports tournaments
Qatar Ooredoo launched the first e-sports tournament in Qatar, part of its e-sports brand, Ooredoo Nation – Gamers’ Land, in 2021. In 2023, it launched Ooredoo Nation League as a hub for Qatari gamers
Vodafone commercialized the Vive Cosmos headset with a subscription to VIVEPORT Infinity, a repository of VR games, apps, and videos
Saudi Arabia stc launched ‘stc play’ e-sports and game distribution platform and rolled out the Blacknut cloud gaming platform. It also offers a mobile data add-on tailored for gamers
Mobily launched an e-sports platform for gamers powered by D11 Gaming. It also offers Game Mode, an add-on for unlimited use of PUBG Mobile and League of Legends: Wild Rift games
Zain launched ‘GeForce NOW’ cloud gaming service. It also offers a fiber package dedicated to gaming that includes a low-latency router, up to 500 Mbps for download and 200 Mbps for upload speeds
U.A.E. Etisalat by e& launched ‘Arena Play’ mobile add-ons to enable customers to play without incurring data charges. It also introduced ‘Arena eLife’ fixed broadband add-on to access many games online from home
du launched Games Instant Play as part of its ‘My World’ mobile portal

Bahrain, Qatar, and the U.A.E. had the highest Game Scores in the Middle East

The U.A.E., Bahrain, and Qatar had the highest Game Scores during the first half of 2023 in the Middle East. That means that users in these countries get the best mobile gaming experience in the region. The U.A.E. is home to the fastest 5G operator globally in Q2 2023, according to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence™ data. The U.A.E. comes first with a Game Score of 83.49 on a 100-point scale (considering all mobile technologies). The U.A.E.  was closely followed by Bahrain with a score of 83.24 and Qatar with a score of 82.81. These results reflect the superior mobile network performance in these three markets which helps to deliver a good gaming experience. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman were further down the Game Score ranking, achieving scores of 80.41, 78.74, and 75.40, respectively. 

Chart of Overall Game Score™, per Country

Game Scores were consistently higher for 5G than 4G users in all Gulf countries. The gaming experience benefits from the larger bandwidth and lower latency offered by 5G, contributing to smoother and more responsive gameplay. Game Scores on 4G lagged those on 5G by a range from 5.37% in Oman to 8.26% in Saudi Arabia. Gulf operators have the potential to improve the gaming experience by continuing to improve their 5G infrastructure, migrating more customers to 5G, and establishing local gaming servers.

Chart of Game Score™ for 4G and 5G, per Country

In the following sections, we break down the Game Score into its components to understand how being on a 4G or 5G network can affect the everyday gaming experiences of Gulf-based mobile users.

Gaming download and upload speeds are markedly higher on 5G than on 4G, making mobile gaming more enjoyable

Download speed is essential in creating a smooth gaming experience without interruptions or degradations in streaming quality. 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), gamer profile (for example, competitive gamers will need higher bandwidth than casual players) and use cases (for example, downloading game updates compared to playing preload games). 

For the purpose of this analysis, we assume that 25 Mbps is the minimum download speed to enjoy a good gaming experience for casual gamers (who represent the majority of gamers). According to Ookla’s data, all Gulf markets comfortably exceed that requirement on 4G and surpass it significantly on 5G. Kuwait had the lowest download speed over 4G in the first half of 2023 at 35.12 Mbps. In contrast, Oman had the lowest 5G download speed at 176.79 Mbps. 

U.A.E. offers the fastest median download speeds for both 4G and 5G at 69.17 Mbps and 566.10 Mbps, respectively, ahead of Qatar and Bahrain which rounded out the top 3 in the region. 5G offers significantly better performance than 4G in all markets. The median 5G speed across Gulf countries was 6.8X faster than the median 4G speed (345.53 Mbps vs. 43.9 Mbps).

Chart of Median Download over 4G and 5G, per Country

Upload speed also plays an essential role in creating a smooth gaming experience without interruptions or quality degradation, particularly in multiplayer games. We use 3 Mbps as a reference point based on the recommended minimum upload speed for a good gaming experience for casual gamers.

Ookla’s data shows that Gulf markets are crushing it when it comes to exceeding upload requirements for both 4G and 5G. The lowest median upload speed recorded on 4G was in Saudi Arabia at 10.87 Mbps; For 5G, it was in Oman at 17.28 Mbps. Median upload speeds on 5G were 1.27X faster than those on a 4G network in the region. The gap between 4G and 5G upload speeds is larger in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E., which means that gamers in these countries could see the most significant improvement in gameplay and streaming quality when switching from 4G to 5G. In absolute terms, Qatar, Bahrain, and the U.A.E. offer the fastest upload speeds, reaching a maximum of 38.48 Mbps for the latter.

Chart of Median Upload over 4G and 5G, per Country

Relatively high latency in some markets can make some multiplayer games glitchy on 5G

Game Latency is a measure of latency to popular gaming server locations. Latency affects how quickly a gamer’s response is reflected in gameplay and is of particular interest to those who prefer games where reaction time is crucial. Low latency can provide smooth and lag-free gaming. For this analysis, we consider a sub-100 ms latency to be good for many games and most casual gamers.

Ookla’s data shows that most countries, except Oman, recorded latency below 100 ms on 5G. Bahrain had the lowest latency on 5G at 72.01 ms, and Oman had the highest latency at 115.46 ms. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also had a relatively high 5G latency at 93.2 ms and 90.31 ms, respectively, which means that some multiplayer shooters, racing, fighting, and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games might have a noticeable lag. Operators have room to improve the conditions for multiplayer games, especially for competitive gamers. 

Users saw more modest differences in latency between 4G and 5G than for download and upload speeds. That means that multiplayer gamers can still get decent gameplay on either network technology and may not perceive an improvement in response time when switching to 5G. However, enhancements in 5G infrastructure will widen 5G’s advantage over 4G and provide a stronger incentive for gamers to migrate over time.

Chart of Gaming Latency over 4G and 5G, per Country

The variation in latency to popular gaming servers, known as Game Jitter, can also cause laggy gameplay or distorted audio if it is too high. For smoother gameplay, latency should be consistently low. A jitter below 30 ms is considered good for casual mobile gamers.

Results show that the Gulf region has low jitter, especially on 5G. Jitter ranged from 8.26 ms in Bahrain to 13.43 ms in Oman during Q1-Q2 2023. Jitter on 4G was slightly higher than 5G in all countries except in Oman where it was surprisingly lower at 11.55 ms – both Ooredoo and Omantel recorded lower jitter on their 4G network than on 5G during the first half of 2023. 

Chart of Gaming Jitter over 4G and 5G, per Country

The localization of gaming servers, the rollout of 5G Standalone (SA), and edge computing can push mobile gaming performance to new heights

Mobile operators can explore different approaches to improve connectivity consistency, speeds, and latency compared to current 5G in order to support more data-intensive games, enhance the multi-player gaming experience on smartphones, and cater to competitive gamers. 

  • Shorten the distance between the users and the game servers. According to data published by the Saudi’s telecoms regulator, users can save, on average, 60 ms in latency when playing popular games with servers located in the GCC compared to servers in Europe. We expect more Gulf-based operators will host game servers in their data centers as more publishers strive to offer the best experience to local gamers.
  • Deploy 5G Standalone (SA) to increase bandwidth and speed and enable ultra-low latency. Most of the 5G networks deployed in the Gulf region use the Non-Standalone (NSA) model, where the radio antennas (part of the radio access network) are based on 5G but the core uses a 4G infrastructure. As of July 2023, the GSA reported that seven operators in the Gulf region were evaluating 5G SA, while six have either deployed or launched the service. The migration to 5G SA is expected to reduce latency to sub-5 ms, which should help the multiplayer and cloud gaming experience.
  • Deploy edge computing infrastructure to make gaming experiences more immersive. Edge computing enables new use cases with stringent bandwidth, latency, and availability requirements. Some local operators, such as Etisalat by e& and stc, have partnered with vendors and hyperscalers to develop edge computing capabilities to target enterprise customers. Operators should explore how to exploit these resources to support their own gaming and entertainment initiatives and support those of their partners.

The GCC region has a vibrant and untapped gaming market poised for tremendous growth. This potential hinges on the robustness of the telecoms infrastructure. Gulf operators’ investments in 5G infrastructure helped them climb Ookla’s Game Score leaderboard and demonstrated their commitment to putting their countries on the gaming map. Operators can continue to improve the gaming experience and further minimize latency by deploying local gaming servers, edge computing infrastructure, and 5G SA to make games more responsive and smooth. These improvements will put the region in an even better position to lead game development and foster the local gaming ecosystem.

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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Tech Insights

About the Author

Karim Yaici

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 12, 2024

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

5G

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.

Chart of 5G Game Score, Gulf Countries

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.

List of Network Requirements for Mobile 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.

Chart of Median Download Speed and Latency in Bahrain vs. Minimum Requirements for Games

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.

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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About the Author

Karim Yaici

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 8, 2021

Despite All Odds, Global Internet Speeds Continue Impressive Increase

Global Speeds


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

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

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

ookla_global-index_world-speeds_0921-1

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

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

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

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

ookla_fastest-countries_mobile_0921

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

ookla_fastest-countries_fixed_0921

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

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

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

2020/2021 chart of leading country performance again global averages

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

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

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

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

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Isla McKetta