Tag: Global Speeds

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 28, 2021

TRAI Attempts to Kick-Start the Indian Fixed Broadband Market

Global Speeds


Key takeaways

  • New fixed broadband speed categories of “Basic”, “Fast” and “Super-fast” throw the performance of Indian States under the spotlight.
  • Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data shows only 2.5% of current Indian fixed connections fail to meet TRAI’s new 2 Mbps broadband grade.
  • Delhi tops the list for “Super-fast” broadband connections (>300 Mbps), but that equates to a mere 1.5% of its connections; the remaining states fare worse, with Sikkim recording zero.
  • Rajasthan tops the list for “Fast” broadband connections (50 Mbps – 300 Mbps) at 45.9% of connections, while Gujarat and Maharashtra lag far behind with 19.8% and 25.8%, respectively.
  • Rural locations fare worse than urban, but the gap is not as large as expected, with 3.4% of rural connections failing to achieve broadband speeds, versus 2.3% of urban connections.

TRAI redefines broadband in India

TRAI, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, recently published a raft of recommendations as part of a “RoadMap to Promote Broadband Connectivity and Enhanced Broadband speed.” These are designed to help achieve the goals of the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP-2018), which targets universal broadband provision of 50 Mbps, as well as breaking into the top-50 of the ITU’s ICT Development Index, by 2022.

The most prominent of these recommendations targets increased fixed broadband network rollout and adoption. According to TRAI, current broadband penetration levels in India are approximately 55%. Mobile accounts for the lion’s share of this, having grown strongly since the launch of 4G, while the Indian fixed broadband market remains underpenetrated, at approximately 9.1% of Indian households at the end 2020.

The details include a wide range of proposals designed to alleviate network deployment challenges, in particular relating to Right of Way (RoW) permissions, as well as encouraging India’s multitude of cable TV providers to offer broadband services. In addition, TRAI proposed a pilot Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, to subsidize broadband service in rural locations. Beyond these proposals, TRAI also recommended:

  • A change to India’s definition of broadband (for fixed and mobile), increasing from the current 512 Kbps to 2 Mbps from the point-of-presence (POP) of the service provider, to the subscriber
  • New categories of fixed broadband speed beyond this new baseline, including:
    • “Basic” (2-50 Mbps),
    • “Fast” (50-300 Mbps) and
    • “Super-fast” (>300 Mbps)

TRAI’s new speed tiers to drive improved internet performance

New speed tiers align India with ITU’s IDI Index

For TRAI, the introduction of a new minimum speed alongside speed tiers, helps it bring its definition of broadband into the present, while also allowing it to monitor and report on a key plank of the NDCP-2018 — India’s advancement up the ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI).

Broadband definitions vary widely around the world in terms of throughput , from the original OECD definition of a minimum of 256 Kbps, which is still used in many markets, to markets such as the U.S., where even the current minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload is no longer considered sufficient. Part of the rationale for TRAI’s recommended increase to the minimum download speed is that the 512 Kbps threshold introduced in 2013 can no longer handle even basic internet use cases. This has been thrown into sharp relief by the pandemic, which forced an unprecedented number of people to learn and work from home. In effect, traffic inflation has raised the minimum download speed for basic internet services in TRAI’s estimation to 2 Mbps. Furthermore, the introduction of speed tiers will allow Indian broadband performance to be linked to a new indicator the ITU has introduced within its ICT Development Index (IDI), in which the Indian Government is targeting a top-50 place by 2022.

Vast majority of fixed broadband connections already meet the new minimum speed threshold

Speedtest uses the Speedtest Server Network™, a global network of high-performance servers, ready to test the maximum sustained throughput of the user’s connection (download and upload speeds) and report back on key network health metrics. There are Speedtest servers in virtually every country and major population center worldwide, which means we can accurately reflect the service provided from the operator’s POP to the end-user. Our data shows only 0.5% of Indian fixed subscribers did not have access to broadband speeds under the old definition. The new definition doesn’t shift the needle much, increasing that underserved proportion of subscribers to 2.5% as of Q2 2021.

ookla_consumer-percentage_india_0921-01

The natural conclusion from the above chart is that TRAI should consider a higher speed threshold for its definition of broadband. When the United States Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.) changed their definition of broadband in 2015, the proportion of U.S. households without access to broadband speeds hit 20%. However, with fixed broadband penetration in India below 10% of households, TRAI’s new definition serves as a marker in the sand, designed to track performance as the fixed broadband market begins to unlock.

Much emphasis is placed on the myriad of cable TV providers already present in the market, with TRAI’s recommendation on AGR fees, alongside other remedies, designed to encourage them to branch out and provide broadband to their customer bases. However, as detailed in TRAI’s submission to the DoT, many of these cable companies are sub-scale and rely on out-dated network infrastructure. If and when they start signing up internet customers, we may well see the proportion of users that fall below the broadband definition increase.

Wide variation in performance among Indian states

Access to India’s new broadband speed categories varies widely from state to state. The new minimum threshold for broadband only renders an additional 2% of households without access to broadband speeds, however this is skewed by India’s more populous states and cities. At a state/union territory level, this value varies from a low of 1.6% in Delhi, to a high of 7.6% in the largely rural State of Sikkim. This split continues when we look at the new broadband speed categories, with over 70% of connections in the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra falling into the “Basic” speed category, while almost half of connections in the States of Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh and Kamataka were at least “Fast” (>50 Mbps). The availability of “Super-fast” broadband in India is very low, ranging from a high of 1.5% of connections in Delhi, to 0% in Sikkim.

ookla_consumer-percentage_india_states_0921-01

Urban-rural performance gap not as wide as expected

Indian fixed broadband penetration remains low and is heavily skewed towards urban areas. While 65.1% of the Indian populace live in rural areas (based on World Bank estimates for 2020), TRAI data shows that they account for a mere 5.6% of total fixed broadband connections. A comparison of Speedtest Intelligence data against rural and urban locations (based on India’s 2011 census) fails to show a large disparity between the two when looking at TRAI’s new speed categories, with 58.7% of connections in urban areas falling within the “Basic” speed category, compared to 61.7% in rural areas.

ookla_consumer-percentage_india_urban_0921-01

A more detailed segmentation of performance between rural and urban areas shows a wider performance gap, with rural locations tending to have a higher proportion of connections supporting speeds of less than 25 Mbps, while urban locations had a much higher share of connections with speeds greater than 100 Mbps. This is understandable given the lack of a modern fixed network infrastructure in many parts of rural India, coupled with challenges that the country’s ambitious BharatNet infrastructure project has encountered.

Our data shows that many connections currently sit at the boundary between “Basic” and “Fast” broadband, and this should serve as encouragement to India’s providers to boost fixed network performance and thereby drive mass market adoption of “Fast” broadband.

New speed categories to provide more clarity on network performance to Indian consumers

In addition to driving faster speeds and improved availability of fixed broadband, these changes will bring more clarity for Indian consumers when selecting a fixed broadband subscription. At Ookla, we’re fully aware that reporting on network speeds helps spur network operator competition and infrastructure investment. Introducing speed categories goes one step further, as operators in countries that have implemented this will naturally begin to include these speed categories in their marketing and products. They will also target network investment at increasing the proportion of their footprint that supports higher-tier broadband speeds.

For the Indian government and TRAI, this move will provide much needed visibility into the state of broadband within India, to better track performance and the reach of different access technologies, and to target and tweak remedies and incentives to spur further adoption.

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

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| November 30, 2021

5G in Europe: EU Targets Require a Rethink

Global Speeds

Monitoring progress of the EU’s Digital Decade

We recently attended the European 5G Observatory’s workshop, “5G in the Digital Decade,” which provided an overview of progress towards the EU’s 5G Action Plan targets and also looked ahead to the new targets as set out in the EU Digital Decade. The European Commission presented its vision of the region’s Digital Decade in March 2021, providing targets (the Digital Compass) for the digital transformation of Member States by 2030. Progress towards these targets is measured through the existing Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), a key component of which focuses on connectivity. The relevant 2030 goals here are to provide Gigabit access to all EU households and 5G coverage in all populated areas.

The connectivity component of DESI is made up of a mix of demand and supply-side factors, including fixed and mobile broadband coverage and take-up, 5G spectrum availability and broadband pricing. The latest iteration was published in November using 2020 data, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain securing the top three spots for connectivity, and Greece and Bulgaria the bottom two.

ookla_desi_eu_markets_1121-01

As 5G evolves, so should the Commission’s 5G targets

The Commission’s DESI has evolved from its inception in 2014 to now track the Digital Compass’ targets. However, 5G is a rapidly evolving technology, and it was clear from the discussion during the Observatory’s workshop that there will be a need to review the actual targets and by implication the measurement criteria. The key concern lies in the “5G everywhere” target, both from a coverage and a performance perspective. As the end goal is the digital transformation of Member States, 5G coverage should be extended beyond the current target of all populated areas, to provide greater geographical coverage — in particular to support emerging vertical industry needs, for example in agriculture or logistics.

In terms of 5G performance, the ITU’s IMT-2020 requirements are for a user-experienced data rate of 100 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload. However, not all 5G networks are created equally. The increasing use of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) means that operators can boost 5G coverage and capacity by using existing spectrum formerly dedicated to other generations of mobile technology. As a result, network performance will vary widely based on the bands used. There are also differences in 5G rollout, with initial 5G radio equipment tending to be deployed on existing tower infrastructure, and the coverage of higher capacity C-band spectrum will be limited relative to that of lower frequency bands as result.

ookla_median-download-speeds_europe_1121-01

Divergence between the DESI and end-user internet speed

What’s also interesting are the outliers and how their performance differs from their position within the DESI. Bulgaria (which came second to last in the connectivity portion of the DESI), does lag behind the European average on fixed broadband speeds, but is significantly faster on mobile speeds. Bulgaria’s median mobile download speed of 83.71 Mbps makes it the seventh fastest market globally. The reverse is true for Spain, which came third in the DESI, and where median fixed download speeds of 118.25 Mbps are well above the European average, putting it in 11th place globally, but where mobile speeds of 34.63 Mbps lag well behind the European average, and place it 51st globally. Other examples of divergence between the DESI and actual internet speeds on the ground include markets such as Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Lithuania.

To support Member States, the Commission has proposed a “Path to the Digital Decade”, a governance framework which in addition to the development of roadmaps at a Member State level and regular reporting on progress, will also include a framework to address progress shortfalls and support for multi-country projects. Member States have been encouraged to make use of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, an EU-wide fund of EUR 723.8 billion designed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, from which they are required to devote at least 20% of their allocation to digital projects. As of October 2021, digital investment plans totalled 26% of the fund, of which 11% is dedicated to connectivity. With such significant public funds directed at improving connectivity, and the digital services that it underpins, the Commission must ensure that its targets and measurement methodology keep pace with the evolution of network technologies.

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

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| August 9, 2017

Rank Internet Speeds Around the World with Speedtest Global Index

Global Speeds

We’re pleased to announce Speedtest Global IndexTM, a monthly ranking of global mobile and fixed broadband speeds. At Ookla, our mission is to make the internet faster by providing data and insights on real-world internet speeds. As part of that mission, we’re making Speedtest data available to you in a new, interactive format.

Based on the billions of consumer-initiated tests taken all over the world using Speedtest, this resource displays the latest information on which countries have the fastest mobile and fixed broadband and which have the slowest.

How you can use Speedtest Global Index

The home page gives you a quick overview of how countries rank, how that rank has changed in the last month, and the download speed that rank is based on.

Top 5 countries

Click on an individual country to see 12 months’ worth of data including historic download and upload speeds over mobile and fixed broadband.

Use these country pages to spot spikes and dips in internet performance on a country level. Uncover trends and detect potential storylines.

Mouseover a dot on the trendline to see the average speed and worldwide ranking for that particular month, giving you the depth of data you need to tell richer stories.

Your source for data on global internet speeds

We hope you’ll come to see Speedtest Global Index as a go-to resource for global internet performance data. Take this data and use it to tell stories that help make the internet faster in your home country and around the world. Feel free to cite Speedtest Global Index as a source and link to it as needed.

We’ll update Speedtest Global Index with data based on the previous month at the beginning of every month so you’ll have fresh statistics and an early eye on new developments.



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
Speedtest News

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 20, 2021

Growing and Slowing: The State of 5G Worldwide in 2021

Global Speeds


5G continues to offer new and exciting ways of rethinking everything from streaming video to performing remote surgery. However, not everyone shares equally in these possibilities as many countries do not have access to 5G and even those that do, do not experience the same level of performance from their 5G connections. We examined Speedtest Intelligence® data from Q3 2021 Speedtest® results to see how 5G speeds have changed, where download speeds are the fastest at the country and capital level, where 5G deployments have increased and what worldwide 5G Availability looked like in Q3 2021. We also looked at countries that don’t yet have 5G to understand where consumers are seeing improvements in 4G access.

5G slowed down at the global level

Median-Speeds-Worldwide_1221-01

It’s common to see new mobile access technologies slow down as adoption scales, particularly early on in the tech cycle. Over the past year from Q3 2020 to Q3 2021, the median global 5G download speed fell to 166.13 Mbps, down from 206.22 Mbps in Q3 2020. Median upload speed over 5G also slowed to 21.08 Mbps (from 29.52 Mbps) during the same period.

More users are logging on to existing 5G networks, and we’re also at the stage in the evolution of 5G where countries that have historically had slower speeds are starting to offer 5G. In addition, the widespread use of dynamic spectrum sharing that has been used to boost early 5G coverage weighs on 5G download speeds. While the dip in speeds looks like a letdown, it’s more of a compromise to enable broader access. With additional spectrum and further deployments slated for 2022, we anticipate speeds will begin to pick up again.

South Korea had the fastest 5G in the world

ookla_5g-download_performance_countries_1221-01-1

South Korea had the fastest median download speed over 5G during Q3 2021, leading a top 10 list that included Norway, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Sweden, China, Taiwan and New Zealand. Sweden, China, Taiwan and New Zealand were new to the top 10 in 2021 while South Africa (whose 5G was brand new last year), Spain and Hungary fell out of the top 10.

5G expanded to 13 additional countries

ookla_5G-map_1221-01

According to the Ookla® 5G Map™, there were 5G deployments in 112 countries as of November 30, 2021. That’s up from 99 countries on the same date a year ago. The total number of deployments increased dramatically during the same time period with 85,602 deployments on November 30, 2021 compared to 17,428 on November 30, 2020, highlighting the degree to which 5G networks scaled during the year. Note that there are often multiple deployments in a given city.

Seoul and Oslo lead world capitals for 5G

ookla_5g-download_performance_capitals_1221-01

Speedtest Intelligence data from Q3 2021 shows a wide range of median 5G speeds among global capitals. Seoul, South Korea and Oslo, Norway were in the lead with 530.83 Mbps and 513.08 Mbps, respectively; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Doha Qatar followed. Brasilia, Brazil had the slowest median download speed over 5G on our list, followed by Warsaw, Poland; Cape Town, South Africa and Rome, Italy. Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway had some of the the fastest median upload speeds over 5G at 56.26 Mbps and 49.95 Mbps, respectively, while Cape Town had the slowest at 14.53 Mbps.

The U.S. had the highest 5G Availability

The presence of 5G is only one indicator in a market, because even in markets where 5G has launched, coverage and adoption can be pretty low. We analyzed 5G Availability to see what percent of users on 5G-capable devices spent the majority of their time on 5G, both roaming and on-network during Q3 2021.

ookla_5g-availability_countries_1221-01

The United States had the highest 5G Availability at 49.2%, followed by the Netherlands (45.1%), South Korea (43.8%), Kuwait (35.5%) and Qatar (34.8%). Brazil had the lowest 5G Availability on our list at 0.8%, followed by Sweden (1.5%), South Africa (2.7%), New Zealand (2.9%) and Hungary (3.6%).

Not all 5G networks are created equal

Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data shows a growing disparity in the performance of 5G networks worldwide, even among the pioneer markets who were among the first to launch the new technology. We see leading markets such as South Korea, Norway, the UAE and China pulling well ahead of key European markets, the U.S. and Japan on 5G download speeds, creating what increasingly looks like two tiers of 5G markets.

ookla_5g-download_performance_1221-01

Part of the reason for this divergence is access to key 5G spectrum bands, with Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. for example, soon to deploy their C-band spectrum holdings for 5G use. However, what really seems to separate these markets is the level of 5G network densification. The number of people per 5G base station ranges from 319 in South Korea and 1,531 in China, to 4,224 in the EU and 6,590 in the US, according to the European 5G Observatory’s International Scoreboard during October 2021.

Despite the noise around 6G, 5G still has a long way to run

Median 5G mobile download speeds across these markets are respectable relative to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) IMT-2020 target of 100 Mbps for user experienced download data rates. However, 5G Speedtest® results in each market demonstrate significant variability, with the bottom 10th percentile only recording speeds in excess of the IMT-2020 target in South Korea and Norway, and falling significantly short in many other markets, with Spain, Italy and the U.S. below 20 Mbps.

The story gets worse for upload speeds, where no market’s median speed broke the IMT-2020 recommended 50 Mbps, and where the bottom 10th percentile lay in single digits across the board. Operators are clearly prioritizing download speeds over upload, which makes sense given the asymmetric nature of demand, with most consumer applications requiring higher download speeds. However, as operators increasingly look to target the enterprise market with 5G connectivity and consumer demand for services such as video calling and mobile gaming continues to rise, operators will need to boost upload speeds.

ookla_5g-upload_performance_1221-01-1

Demand for mobile internet bandwidth continues to grow, up 43% year-on-year in Q3 2021 according to Ericsson’s latest mobility report. Looking ahead to 2022, operators will need to increase the capacity of their 5G networks to tackle this growing demand while driving network speeds to new heights. We’ve seen the impact the deployment of new spectrum can have on congested networks during 2021, with Reliance Jio witnessing a bump in 4G LTE performance and consumer sentiment following its acquisition of additional spectrum in India.

Where 5G still fails to reach

Speedtest Intelligence showed 70 countries in the world where more than 20% of samples were from 2G and 3G connections (combined) during Q3 2021 and met our statistical threshold to be included. These are mostly countries where 5G is still aspirational for a majority of the population. As excited as we are about the expansion of 5G, we do not want to see these countries left behind. Not only are 2G and 3G decades old, they are only sufficient for basic voice and texting, social media and navigation apps. To deliver rich media experiences or video calling, users need access to 4G or higher. Having so many consumers on 2G and 3G also prevents mobile operators from refarming that spectrum to make 4G and 5G networks more efficient.

Countries That Still Rely Heavily on 2G and 3G Connections
Speedtest IntelligenceⓇ | Q3 2021
Country 2G & 3G Samples
Central African Republic 89.9%
Palestine 84.7%
Yemen 72.4%
Turkmenistan 71.8%
Micronesia 56.3%
Madagascar 55.0%
Belarus 53.2%
Rwanda 51.7%
Kiribati 48.4%
Equatorial Guinea 47.6%
Afghanistan 44.4%
South Sudan 43.4%
Guyana 42.3%
Guinea 37.0%
Angola 36.8%
Cape Verde 35.9%
Tajikistan 35.6%
Zimbabwe 34.7%
Benin 34.4%
Togo 33.8%
Ghana 33.0%
Sierra Leone 31.7%
Antigua and Barbuda 30.2%
Vanuatu 30.1%
Lesotho 30.0%
Syria 29.6%
Moldova 29.4%
Saint Kitts and Nevis 28.9%
Mozambique 28.8%
Sudan 28.4%
Palau 28.3%
Grenada 28.1%
Tanzania 27.6%
Uganda 27.5%
Niger 27.5%
Gabon 27.5%
Haiti 27.4%
Suriname 27.4%
Tonga 27.3%
Liberia 27.0%
Namibia 26.7%
Swaziland 26.5%
The Gambia 26.3%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.3%
Dominica 26.3%
Somalia 26.1%
Cook Islands 26.0%
Zambia 25.9%
Barbados 25.7%
Armenia 25.5%
Algeria 25.4%
Papua New Guinea 25.2%
Jamaica 24.5%
Venezuela 24.2%
Ethiopia 24.1%
Uzbekistan 24.0%
El Salvador 23.5%
Honduras 23.1%
Nigeria 23.0%
Solomon Islands 22.8%
Caribbean Netherlands 22.7%
Botswana 22.3%
Anguilla 21.7%
Mauritania 20.6%
Saint Lucia 20.5%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 20.3%
Burundi 20.3%
Ecuador 20.2%
Ukraine 20.1%
Trinidad and Tobago 20.0%

We were pleased to see the following countries come off the list from last year, having dropped below the 20% threshold: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belize, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Tunisia. While countries like Palestine, Suriname, Ethiopia, Haiti and Antigua and Barbuda are still on this list, they have improved the percentage of their samples on these outmoded technologies when compared to last year (dropping 10-15 points, respectively), 2G and 3G samples in Belarus increased 6.7 points when comparing Q3 2021 to Q3 2020.

We’re excited to see how performance levels will normalize as 5G expands to more and more countries and access improves. Keep track of how well your country is performing on Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™.

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

Global Speeds
Consumer

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 12, 2017

The World’s Internet Speeds Increased More than 30% in 2017. Are You Keeping Up?

Global Speeds

In a world where business and life are increasingly fast and global, you want to know if your country’s internet is up to speed. In August, we launched Speedtest Global IndexTM to provide you that objective look at internet performance around the world. Knowing what your speeds are and how they compare to your neighbors’ makes for a good story, but what was missing was a benchmark. To provide you that worldwide context, we’re introducing Global Speed, the average internet speed of the world, to the top of the Speedtest Global Index.

You can still use the Speedtest Global Index to see download and upload speeds by country and rank who’s fastest and slowest. Here we’ve paired data about those individual country speeds over the past year with the new global averages call out which countries have improved most over the past year, who’s shown the least improvement and what speeds are like in the world’s most populous countries. Read on to see who’s winning the internet speed race and who has a lot of catching up to do.

The comparisons here are based on Speedtest data from November 2016-November 2017. We used the same monthly threshold for this article that we do for inclusion in the Speedtest Global Index: to be ranked in each category, countries must have at least 670 Speedtest results from unique users on mobile and at least 3,333 for fixed broadband. Although we use the word “country” throughout, you will notice some regions like Hong Kong and Puerto Rico that are large or autonomous enough to call out as separate entities, even though they are not separate countries. Global speeds are a weighted average of all samples from around the world.

Global download speeds are up more than 30% across the board

With a mean global speed of 20.28 Mbps, mobile downloads increased 30.1% over the last 12 months and mobile uploads increased 38.9%. A global average of 40.11 Mbps makes fixed broadband downloads 97.8% faster than mobile and this speed increased 31.6% during the same period. Uploads over fixed broadband showed the smallest increase of 25.9%.

Global Internet Speeds
November 2016 – November 2017
Download: November 2017 Average (Mbps) Download: Year Over Year Increase Upload: November 2017 Average (Mbps) Upload: Year Over Year Increase
Mobile 20.28 30.1% 8.65 38.9%
Fixed 40.11 31.6% 19.96 25.9%

In November 2017, 119 countries boasted a faster mobile download speed than the global average while 134 were slower. On the fixed broadband side, 71 countries and regions beat the global average download speed and 185 were slower. As we reported last week, gigabit Speedtest results are rolling in from across the planet, but their distribution across continents is wildly uneven.

Most improved countries

It was a good year for Laotian mobile speeds. With a 249.5% jump in mobile download speeds, Laos showed the largest improvement in the world. Vietnam came in second with an increase of 188.7% and Trinidad and Tobago was third at 133.1%. All of the countries listed on the table below are to be commended for making mobile internet faster.

Countries with the Largest Improvement
Mobile Download Speed
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Increase November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
Laos 249.5% 13.77
Vietnam 188.7% 19.54
Trinidad and Tobago 133.1% 11.68
Hong Kong (SAR) 102.6% 35.64
Lebanon 92.3% 24.50
Cyprus 90.2% 26.14
Republic of the Union of Myanmar 81.0% 11.72
Costa Rica 80.9% 7.89
Cambodia 70.5% 14.97
Sudan 68.9% 9.85

The tiny island of Reunion, a region of France off the coast of Africa, saw the largest improvement in download speed over fixed broadband in the world with a gain of 141.5%. Guatemala was second at 116.7% and Ghana third at 82.1%.

Countries with the Largest Improvement
Fixed Broadband Download Speed
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Increase November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
Reunion 141.5% 62.64
Guatemala 116.7% 12.04
Ghana 82.1% 18.96
Peru 80.1% 16.48
India 76.9% 18.82
Panama 76.6% 28.62
Italy 72.1% 31.58
Libya 67.6% 3.84
Argentina 62.2% 15.49
Kenya 60.9% 15.59

In some countries, notably Libya, a small gain in megabits per second (Mbps) can result in a large percentage increase. Although the actual performance improvement is small, we’re glad to see speeds moving in the right direction.

Speeds in some countries declined

On the flip side, there were far too many countries and regions where internet speeds decreased. The devastation of Puerto Rico’s mobile infrastructure by Hurricane Maria surely contributed to the island’s 39.8% drop in mobile download speed during the past twelve months. Uzbekistan saw a decline of 31.8% and Côte d’Ivoire 26.1%.

Countries with the Smallest Improvement
Mobile Download Speed
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Change November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
Puerto Rico -39.8% 8.53
Uzbekistan -31.8% 6.47
Côte d’Ivoire -26.1% 10.95
Brunei -23.4% 9.83
Thailand -19.7% 13.38
Iraq -16.8% 3.12
Algeria -10.8% 7.19
Nigeria -8.4% 9.90
Bangladesh -7.4% 4.97
Morocco -6.3% 15.03

Algeria saw the largest decrease in download speed over fixed broadband speed in the world at 23.9%. Dips of 9.1% in Ecuador and 6.5% in Latvia were less troubling but still moving in the wrong direction.

Countries with the Smallest Improvement
Fixed Broadband Download Speed
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Change November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
Algeria -23.9% 3.76
Ecuador -9.1% 10.40
Latvia -6.5% 47.25
Tunisia -3.2% 6.90
Iraq -1.1% 7.87
Syria -0.3% 7.12
Taiwan 0.5% 42.32
Maldives 1.0% 12.04
Namibia 1.2% 9.74
Jamaica 1.5% 19.11

Performance in the world’s most populous countries

With 57% of the world’s population, any internet performance improvements seen in the world’s ten most populous countries have a wide reach. Pakistan came out on top of the world’s largest countries with a 56.2% jump in mobile download speed during the past 12 months. India came in second in this category at 42.4% and Brazil third at 27.6% .

World’s Most Populous Countries
Improvement in Mobile Downloads
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Change November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
Pakistan 56.2% 13.08
India 42.4% 8.80
Brazil 27.6% 16.25
Japan 23.5% 21.67
United States 22.0% 26.32
Russia 19.2% 15.80
Indonesia 18.1% 9.73
China 3.3% 31.22
Bangladesh -7.4% 4.97
Nigeria -8.4% 9.90

At the other end of the spectrum, Nigeria’s mobile download speed actually dropped 8.4% and Bangladesh’s dipped 7.4%. China showed only a modest 3.3% increase in mobile download speed in 2017.

On the fixed broadband side, India came out on top of the world’s most populous countries for improvements to download speed during the past 12 months with an increase of 76.9%, beating China’s second place 42.3% increase and a 37.3% gain in the U.S.

World’s Most Populous Countries
Improvement in Fixed Broadband Downloads
November 2016 – November 2017
Year Over Year Change November 2017 Speed (Mbps)
India 76.9% 18.82
China 42.3% 61.24
United States 37.3% 75.94
Japan 20.7% 73.51
Indonesia 18.9% 13.38
Brazil 18.5% 17.80
Pakistan 15.5% 6.13
Russia 14.6% 36.90
Bangladesh 13.7% 16.14
Nigeria 3.8% 9.53

Nigeria again came out at the bottom of the world’s largest countries, this time with a 3.8% increase in download speed over fixed broadband.

We’ll revisit global internet speeds periodically here on our blog, but you can keep up to date on the latest trends in worldwide internet speeds by visiting the Speedtest Global Index. It’s updated every month with individual country data and, now, global averages. Keep track of your country’s performance and see how you rank against the world.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Isla McKetta

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 30, 2022

5G in Thailand: AIS Leads the Market

Global Speeds

AIS and TrueMove H drive early 5G adoption

Thailand was one of the first markets to launch 5G in the Asia Pacific region, with AIS and TrueMove H both launching commercial 5G services during Q1 2020, shortly after the conclusion of the country’s 5G auction. Driving 5G adoption in the market is one of the primary objectives for AIS and TrueMove H — both have begun reporting the number of 5G connections on their networks — and had each targeted 2 million by the end of 2021.

The regulator, The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), has been instrumental in establishing Thailand as a leading 5G market in the region. In February 2020, NBTC assigned spectrum for 5G use across low (700 MHz), mid (2,600 MHz) and high (26 GHz) frequency bands, and plans a further auction of mid-band spectrum in 2022 in the 3.5 GHz band, which was vacated in September 2021 by a Thaicom, a satellite provider. In terms of operator allocations:

  • AIS was first to launch 5G services in the market in February 2020, having acquired licenses across low, mid and high-frequency bands, giving it a strong mix of coverage and capacity spectrum.
  • TrueMove H followed, launching 5G in March 2020, having acquired spectrum in both the mid and high-frequency bands.
  • dtac launched 5G services in Q1 2021, only utilizing low-frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
  • State-owned operator National Telecom (NT), formed from the merger of CAT and TOT, is yet to launch 5G services in the market. NT brings together spectrum across both low and high frequency bands and was expected to reveal a 5G investment plan, which could include handing the spectrum back to the regulator, by the end of 2021. However NT is still to indicate its plans at this date.

5G performance varies by operator in Thailand

These significant differences in spectrum holdings between the Thai operators have helped to drive very different 5G performance profiles, particularly when comparing AIS and TrueMove H with dtac. AIS led the market on both median 5G download and upload speeds, recording 289.12 Mbps and 41.20 Mbps, respectively, in Q4 2021 according to [Speedtest Intelligence](https://www.ookla.com/speedtest-intelligence)® data. TrueMove H followed, with a median 5G download speed of 217.84 Mbps and upload of 27.49 Mbps. The lack of mid-band spectrum appears to be limiting dtac which showed a median 5G download speed of 35.73 Mbps and 18.78 Mbps upload.

Both AIS and TrueMove H maintained strong 5G Consistency Scores in Q4 2021, with well over 90% of Speedtest Intelligence samples on their 5G networks exceeding the threshold of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, indicating widespread coverage of mid-band spectrum. dtac, on the other hand, recorded a much lower 5G Consistency Score, again driven by its lack of mid-band spectrum, with just under two-thirds of samples on its 5G network meeting the criteria.

5G Availability differentiates operators in Thailand

While AIS led on 5G performance and consistency, TrueMove H led the market for 5G Availability, the percentage of users on 5G-capable devices that spend a majority of time with access to 5G networks, with 34.9%, well above AIS with only 15.9%, and with dtac in the low single digits. Availability is normally a good proxy for coverage, however the disparity we see between TrueMove H and AIS is largely down to the fact that AIS requires users to subscribe to a 5G tariff, as opposed to TrueMove H which allows greater access to 5G-enabled devices on its network.

Regional 5G performance in Thailand

Every operator takes a unique approach to regional strategy, so we have looked closely at 5G performance in select regions during Q4 2021 to see what’s working. We included regions with a minimum threshold of 300 samples where both sample size and network speeds remained stable over the time period. Given the large disparity in 5G performance between dtac and the rest of the market, we have removed dtac from our regional analysis.

AIS led median 5G download speeds in eight of the ten provinces sampled and AIS led on 5G upload speeds across all provinces. AIS also led TrueMove H on 5G Consistency in eight of the provinces sampled, with the difference between the two in both Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima marginal.

The most significant performance gap between AIS and TrueMove H is in Chiang Mai, where AIS recorded a median 5G download speed of 340.45 Mbps, compared to TrueMove H (175.86 Mbps), and an upload speed of 45.72 Mbps, compared to TrueMove H with 20.72 Mbps. The performance gap between the two operators in some of Thailand’s other most populous provinces, including Bangkok, Chon Buri and Songkhla was also significant in favor of AIS. In northeastern Thailand, the two operators in the two most populous regions of Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen showed similar 5G download speeds to one another, although AIS was faster in terms of median 5G upload speeds and narrowly ahead on 5G Consistency.

5G Availability paints a different picture, with TrueMove H ahead in many of the provinces we sampled, but by a margin that varied significantly between provinces. TrueMove H established a lead of 20 percentage points or more in the provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom, Chiang Mai and Bangkok. There was no winner in 5G Availability between the two operators in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Rayong and Khon Kaen.

Thailand 5G Signal Strength

With 5G Availability between AIS and TrueMove H skewed, we examined 5G signal strength, using the SS-RSRP metric, as a more accurate reflection of 5G coverage across Thailand. Ookla® Cell Analytics™ showed strong 5G signal for both operators with wide coverage in the heavily populated regions of the country during Q4 2021. However, it’s also clear that AIS had more samples along arterial routes between Thailand’s various provinces. Based on overall 5G signal strength AIS edged out TrueMove H, with 5% more samples achieving -83 dBm or better, indicating that on average AIS customers are able to maintain a stronger 5G connection across the country.

Changes on the horizon for 5G in Thailand

While AIS leads the market in terms of 5G performance in Q4 2021, the release of further spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band, due to be auctioned by the regulator this year, could drive changes in the market. Other changes are already underway, with TrueMove H and dtac announcing in November 2021 plans to merge their businesses, a move which would create a new market leader with an overall market share in excess of 50% as of Q4 2021, according to GSMA Intelligence. The proposed merger will draw regulatory attention, as it will establish a virtual duopoly in the market. In light of National Telecom’s delay in building out its 5G business plan, this raises concerns that the market for 5G in Thailand will become less competitive.

Ookla’s suite of products can help you benchmark and monitor your network. Learn more about how we can help you 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.

Global Speeds

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 12, 2021

UAE Extends its Lead as the Fastest Mobile Market on Earth

Global Speeds


Consumer and business confidence returning to the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) economy showed strong signs of recovery in Q3 2021, with Dubai’s Consumer Confidence Index reaching its highest level since 2011 according to the Dubai Department of Economic Development. Stimulus measures and an accelerated vaccine campaign have played a crucial role in this recovery. IHS Markit UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for October returned the highest Index score since the start of the pandemic, with panelists pointing to the re-opening of the economy and in particular the launch of Expo 2020 in driving increased sales and investment.

With the economy reopening, national mobile operators Etisalat and du have reported increases in data consumption, in wholesale revenues and in the demand for 5G handsets. The UAE continues to occupy the number one position in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index™ for October 2021 with a median mobile download speed of 127.81 Mbps, with Etisalat continuing to lead the market with a median download speed of 130.69 Mbps in Q3 2021.

ookla_performance_uae_1221-01

Etisalat retains its position as fastest 5G operator

Etisalat and du have focused heavily on driving further rollout and densification of their 5G networks over the past year. Despite strong competition from rival du, Etisalat remains the fastest operator for 5G, and the fastest operator overall within the UAE according to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence® data for Q3 2021, with its median 5G download speed of 416.30 Mbps faster than du’s 399.90 Mbps.

ookla_5g-network-performance_uae_1221-01

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the UAE has targeted 5G coverage of all inhabited areas of the country by the end of 2025. To support this, the TDRA announced in June 2021 that 2G networks will be sunsetted by the end of 2022, with the spectrum refarmed for 5G use. Until universal 5G coverage is available in the UAE, LTE will continue to play an important role in providing broader coverage, but also support for older/non-5G devices. These still represent a majority within the market, and Speedtest Intelligence data shows that 62.3% of total tests run during Q3 2021 utilized non-5G networks, with the vast majority of those running over LTE. This is an area where Etisalat pulls well ahead, with its median LTE download speed of 94.54 Mbps in Q3 2021 1.9 times faster than that of its rival.

Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon recently predicted that the global chip shortage will begin to ease over the coming year, and with both Etisalat and du reporting strong demand for 5G devices, 2022 looks set to be a pivotal year for 5G adoption in the market. Etisalat is already looking to advance its network lead, having recently completed a custom 5G network spanning the Expo 2020 site, covering 4.38 square kilometers with over 8,500 mobile access points and in excess of 700km of fiber optic cable. Etisalat also announced in June 2021 that it is partnering with Ericsson to enable mmW across its 5G network, while du has already trialed the technology, and was the first to launch a mmW 5G base station in February 2020. If the UAE economy continues on its positive trajectory, supported by Expo 2020 which is set to run until the end of March 2022, then we fully expect the strong network competition between these two players to drive median speeds in the market yet higher.

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

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 22, 2021

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Could Improve Internet Access for Those Who Need it Most

Global Speeds


Investment in broadband infrastructure in the United States is long overdue. The past two years have revealed how critical the internet is to daily life for everyone, and yet far too many people don’t have adequate speeds and service, even in wealthier areas like Loudoun County, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. The bipartisan omnibus infrastructure bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the digital inequities plaguing our country by connecting millions of Americans with critical services that many of us take for granted.

Ookla strongly supports the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As we all look on to see if this bill will successfully pass the United States House of Representatives, we’ve taken a close look at what the bill could mean for internet connectivity in the U.S. and why this bill is essential to bridging the digital divide.

17% of counties do not have access to “adequate” internet speeds

Data from Speedtest Intelligence® shows that 17% of counties with sufficient samples didn’t meet the minimum median speeds for the current FCC definition of broadband (25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload) in Q2 2021.

Worse, if you’ve ever tried to have a video call while someone was doing anything else online, you know that a download speed of 25 Mbps will likely result in massive lags for at least one of those users, if you can stay connected at all. That’s why the Senate bill will incentivize network expansion funding for networks offering speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload or more. While these speeds are a far better benchmark for our modern and evolving lives, 92% of counties with sufficient samples did not meet this new proposed threshold in Q2 2021.

ookla_fcc_minimum_speeds_Counties_0921

The maps above show which counties do meet the current and proposed FCC minimums. While more than 80% of U.S. counties met the FCC’s current broadband minimum in Q2 2021, the counties that don’t are in the places that are already deeply economically disadvantaged — rural areas including Appalachia and the deep South.

The map for proposed speeds shows the less than 10% of counties that met the proposed 100 Mbps download / 20 Mbps upload speed in Q2 2021 were largely in urban areas. We saw other urban counties with high download speeds and some Midwest counties with high upload speeds stand out as having met half the requirement, but those places will need more investment to reach the proposed standard.

Of course, determining where best to direct broadband investment requires a much more granular approach, but examining data aggregated by county is a great way to compare connectivity across the entire country. Some counties shown as having adequate service will have pockets needing investment. For the purpose of this high-level view, should an entire county average throughput speeds below federal broadband definitions, it is assuredly in need of assistance.

What the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act does for broadband infrastructure and working to end digital disparity

Our careful review of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act shows the provisions that could specifically put the U.S. on the path to being a global leader in internet connectivity:

  • Increase deployment. The bill currently allocates $42.45 billion for deploying improved internet infrastructure. Each state will receive a minimum of $100 million and U.S. territories split another $100 million. Up to 5% of funds may be used for planning and mapping. This would allow state and local governments to look closely at what areas are unserved or underserved by broadband in their jurisdictions and actually build the infrastructure to connect them.
  • Expand the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). This program, originally funded at $6 billion, currently provides subsidies to low-income households to directly pay for broadband. The bill would devote $14.2 billion to funding $30/month subsidies for those who qualify. The program would be renamed the “Affordable Connectivity Program” and increases in funding would be allowed over time. This would continue to connect some of the most economically vulnerable families to the internet.
  • Fund the Digital Equity Grant Act. $2.75 billion is included to pay for the "State Digital Equity Capacity Grant" and the "Digital Equity Competitive Grant" programs which finance state and nonprofit programs to increase connectivity and improve digital equity.
  • Redefine broadband levels. The bill would formally recategorize “Unserved” locations as those having access to internet slower than 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload. Locations where 80% of people or more lack access to 100 Mbps download / 20 Mbps upload would be labeled “Underserved.” This is critical in acknowledging the level at which most people in the U.S. need access to the internet today.
  • Increase funding to the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Fund. An additional $2 billion would go to building broadband infrastructure to and across tribal lands.
  • Increase funding to the Rural Utilities Service. This program to serve rural communities would receive an additional $2 billion for the Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program.
  • Subsidize the Middle Mile Infrastructure Deployment Plan. The bill provides $1 billion for this vital infrastructure that connects individual internet users with the backbone of the internet. At a cost of tens of thousands of dollars per mile, this may not go far enough, but it is a start.
  • Finance Private Activity Bonds. $600 million is written into the bill to back private financing of broadband efforts.
  • Expand the definition of “anchor institutions.” Places like schools, libraries and healthcare facilities have long been considered locations people could go to in order to access broadband when they don’t have access at home. This bill expands that list to include: public safety entities, institution of higher education, public housing and community support organizations. This expanded list of anchor institutions increases the number of places community members can access broadband and the institutions are eligible for funding to provide that broadband.

Failing to invest in broadband infrastructure is failing the future of the U.S. economy

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how critical adequate internet access is in a modern society as everything from routine medical visits to everyday education and millions of jobs went online. Some of that may shift back to in-person, but we can not and should not forget the disparities in internet access that were revealed during this time. The U.S. often holds itself out as an example for the world and the past year and a half have shown woeful cracks in broadband equity.

If the U.S. House of Representatives fails to pass this bill, they are abandoning millions of Americans to a future of falling behind. Poorly connected towns will fail because businesses that need broadband will go elsewhere. Poorly connected students will fall farther behind their classmates that have quality internet. Poorly connected workers will miss out on high-paying jobs. And poorly connected patients will put additional strain on our healthcare system without telehealth access. From connecting with teachers and co-workers in a video chat to streaming entertainment, access to adequate broadband makes participation in modern life possible.

The U.S. Congress must pass this bill. Whether you believe it is a moral imperative to address the digital inequities in our country as well as throw a lifeline to rural communities, or you simply view this as a strategic opportunity to maintain our position as a global leader, the time to act is now.

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

Bryan Darr

Ookla Research™ Articles
| March 9, 2021

How to Benchmark and Market Your 5G Network [Webinar]

Global Speeds

5G has dominated the news as mobile operators race to provide the fastest service in the most places. Every network provider wants to be the best in their market, however, conflicting 5G claims in news headlines and advertisements have begun to lead to headaches for operators.

The upcoming Ookla® webinar on March 24 will share how you can accurately position your 5G network using claims backed by the industry’s most trusted source for network data — while also building more trust with consumers.




Why legacy data collection methods like drive testing provide biased results for emerging technology

5G is an emerging technology with limited network coverage and limited device penetration. Using drive testing as a tool to back claims about how a customer might experience a 5G network connection is disingenuous, at best. At worst, it can drastically misrepresent the real-world 5G experience available in an area. Drive testing provides only a small sample of data and is often conducted in limited areas — missing places where users are most likely to connect. The artificial conditions created with drive testing don’t reflect real-world consumer experience and can lead to incorrect claims about network speeds.

How to validate a network claim based on test volume, 5G connection detection and throughput capacity

High test volume is critical to get an accurate picture of your 5G speeds. Generally speaking, the higher the test count the greater the statistical accuracy in the claims being made. In addition, not all 5G-capable devices can natively identify 5G when reporting the connection type to applications. Data providers who do not include robust in-app detection with strict filtering criteria are likely to misidentify the technology type of a connection, which in turn shows speeds that do not accurately reflect that network’s actual 5G service capability. In order to reflect the network’s real-world performance, the testing solution must be capable of measuring the full throughput of a user’s connection. Testing solutions that test to remote CDNs, test only in the background, or hide their tests in third-party applications are unable to accurately measure the full capacity of a connection.

The webinar on Wednesday, March 24 at 7 a.m. Pacific (10 p.m. Eastern / 3 p.m. GMT) will show you how to benchmark your network and promote your brand with validated marketing claims. Don’t miss it. A recording will be provided for registrants who can’t tune in to the live presentation.




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

James Carroll

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 10, 2020

Massive Expansions and Huge Improvements in Speed: The Worldwide Growth of 5G in 2020

Global Speeds

The rapid expansion of 5G in countries across the globe was a bright spot in a year that needed one. But just how great is the news? We examined Speedtest Intelligence® data from over 60.5 million Speedtest® results during Q3 2020 to see how much speeds have improved, where download speeds are the fastest at the country and capital level, where 5G deployments have increased and what worldwide 5G coverage looks like now. We also looked at countries where 5G doesn’t yet reach to understand where good news might be on the horizon.

We have only included countries with commercially available 5G on these lists in order to provide a more accurate view of the performance consumers can reasonably expect. While our data shows results for many countries where 5G is not yet commercially available, these tests are likely results from engineers testing their own networks. In addition, we’re only providing analysis for countries with more than 200 samples during Q3 2020. The bars shown in our charts are 95% confidence intervals, which represent the range of values in which the true value is likely to be. Countries marked in tables with an asterisk first launched 5G commercially in 2020.

5G downloads were 954% faster than 4G at the global level

The worldwide median download speed over 5G was 954% faster than that over 4G during Q3 2020. Median upload speed over 5G was 311% faster than that over 4G. Consumers are eagerly adopting the new technology and many have wanted to measure the full throughput capacity of their network connection. In Q3 2020 alone, there were 4,324,788 Speedtest results over 5G.
Median-Speeds-Worldwide_1220-1

United Arab Emirates had the fastest 5G

United Arab Emirates topped the list of countries with the fastest top 10% 5G download speed in Q3 2020. Top 10% (or 90th percentile) measures the speeds seen by the fastest 10% of users and is a way to gauge what each country’s networks are capable of. Saudi Arabia was second for top 10% 5G download speed, Norway third, Spain fourth and Japan fifth.
Fastest-Countries-Top-5G-Download-Speed_1220-2

Another way to measure 5G performance is to look at median 5G download speed, which is a better predictor of the kind of performance most 5G customers can expect. Norway was the country with the fastest median download speed over 5G during Q3 2020. U.A.E. was second in this category, South Africa third, Saudi Arabia fourth and Spain fifth.
Fastest-Countries-Median-5G-Download-Speed_1220-2

It’s notable that Japan was on the list of 10 countries with the fastest top 10% 5G download speed but not on the list of 10 countries with the fastest median download speed over 5G. No matter how fast a country’s mobile infrastructure is, many other factors go into median 5G speeds, including device adoption and spectrum allocation.

Abu Dhabi tops list of 5G speeds in world capitals

Our examination of 5G performance for 18 world capital cities with 5G during Q3 2020 found that Abu Dhabi had the fastest median download speed over 5G at 546.81 Mbps. Riyadh was second, Madrid third, Seoul fourth and Kuwait City fifth. As we saw at the country level, median upload speed was much lower than download speed.
Median-5G-Performance-Capitals_1220-2

How 5G performance and time spent compare within regions

We looked more closely at 5G performance across several intergovernmental organizations and trade blocs to get a better sense of how countries are performing in comparison to their neighbors and trade partners. We also calculated Time Spent on 5G, the proportion of time that users with 5G-capable devices spent on 5G, for each country.

Italy had the fastest 5G among G7 countries, U.S. the slowest

Italy had the fastest median download speed over 5G of all the G7 countries. Japan was second, Canada third, the U.K. fourth and Germany fifth. The U.S. had the highest Time Spent on 5G, followed by Canada. For a deeper analysis of 5G in the U.K., read our previous coverage. Because France launched commercially available 5G only within the last couple of weeks, we have not included it on this table.
5G-Performance-G7-Countries_1220

South Africa was the only country in the African Union with sufficient 5G to rate

As we saw above, South Africa’s impressive median download speed over 5G ranked the country third in the world during Q3 2020. South Africa was only one of two countries in the African Union to have commercially available 5G during Q3 2020. The other, Madagascar, did not have sufficient samples to properly analyze. Time Spent on 5G in South Africa was very low, an indication that 5G is not yet widely available there.
5G-Performance-Africa_1220

South Korea had the fastest 5G in APEC countries, U.S. the slowest

A median download speed over 5G of 411.11 Mbps put South Korea comfortably at the top of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries with the fastest 5G during Q3 2020. Thailand was second, Australia third, China fourth and Taiwan fifth. 5G speeds represented the largest improvement over 4G in the Philippines where the median download speed over 4G during Q3 2020 (9.36 Mbps) was substantially lower than that of other countries on this list.

South Korea and the U.S. tied for highest Time Spent on 5G among APEC countries during Q3 2020, followed by Hong Kong and Taiwan.
5G-Performance-APEC_1220

Spain had the fastest 5G in the E.U., Poland the slowest

Spain showed the fastest median download speed over 5G among the 11 European Union (E.U.) countries with sufficient 5G samples to rank during Q3 2020. Hungary was second, Finland third, Romania fourth and Ireland fifth. Spain’s median download speed over 5G also represented the largest gain over 4G among all of these countries, partially because Spain had the second slowest median download speed over 4G. France is not included on this list because 5G did not become commercially available in the country until after Q3 2020.

The Netherlands had the highest Time Spent on 5G among E.U. countries during Q3 2020, indicating that customers with 5G phones are able to spend far more time on 5G there than in other E.U. countries. Denmark was second for Time Spent on 5G among EU countries in Q3 2020 and Finland third.
5G-Performance-EU_1220

U.A.E had the fastest 5G in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

With the second fastest median download speed over 5G in the world, U.A.E. was also the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country with the fastest 5G during Q3 2020. Saudi Arabia was second and Qatar third. While Oman does have commercially available 5G, there were insufficient samples in the country during Q3 2020 to properly analyze performance.

5G represented the largest improvement over 4G in Kuwait and Bahrain, countries that had slower median download speeds over 4G than their neighbors.

Time Spent on 5G was relatively high in all the GCC countries on this list, except Bahrain, when compared to other countries in the world during Q3 2020. Qatar showed the highest Time Spent on 5G among GCC countries in Q3 2020 at 16.0%. U.A.E. was second and Saudi Arabia third.
5G-Performance-GCC_1220

Brazil was the only MERCOSUR country with sufficient 5G to rate

Brazil’s median download speed over 5G of 84.60 Mbps during Q3 2020 may not seem fast for 5G, but it still puts Brazil well ahead of other countries in the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), most of which do not yet have 5G at all. We did see 5G results in Colombia, but there were insufficient samples to properly compare.

Time Spent on 5G in Brazil during Q3 2020 was not quite one percent, indicating that customers do not have much access to 5G yet.
5G-Performance-MERCOSUR_1220

The U.S., Europe and Asia see widespread 5G coverage

Data from Cell Analytics™ shows a global view of 5G coverage in Q3 2020. This map, based on 5G connectivity data for opted-in Speedtest users, shows that 5G is spreading rapidly across the U.S., Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia. In other regions, 5G is primarily available in larger cities, if at all.
Global-5G-Coverage_1220

99 countries worldwide had 5G, in 14,643 total cities

The number of countries with 5G deployments increased 62.3% between Q3 2019 and Q3 2020, with 99 countries having 5G deployments at the end of Q3 2020, according to the Ookla 5G Map™. There were 14,643 cities worldwide with 5G deployments at the end of Q3 2020, a 1,671% increase over Q3 2019. The total number of deployments worldwide was 17,046. The counts here and throughout this section include commercially available 5G as well as 5G networks with limited availability and those in pre-release.

Countries with the Most 5G Cities
Ookla 5G Map™ | Q3 2020
Country Numbers of Cities with 5G
United States 7,583
Germany 2,312
Austria 1,104
Netherlands* 1,009
Switzerland 554
Thailand* 325
Ireland 214
Puerto Rico 187
United Kingdom 169
Kuwait 97

The U.S. had the most cities with 5G deployments at the end of Q3 2020 with 7,583. Germany was second, Austria third, the Netherlands fourth and Switzerland fifth. A deployment is when a provider has some level of 5G presence in a city. A city can have multiple deployments when more than one provider is present.

Countries with the Largest Growth in Number of Deployments
Ookla 5G Map™ | Q3 2020
Country 5G Deployments as of Q3 2020 % Change Q3 2020 vs Q3 2019
Netherlands* 1,071 50,350%
Thailand* 451 32,401%
United States 7,808 21,566%
Germany 2,417 11,460%
Canada* 93 7,600%
Austria 1,173 4,918%
Ireland 236 4,180%
Poland 81 3,150%
Japan* 75 2,050%
Oman 50 2,000%

The Netherlands showed the largest percentage change in the number of 5G deployments between Q3 2019 and Q3 2020 with a 50,350% jump from two deployments in Q3 2019 to 1,071 in Q3 2020. Thailand saw the second largest percentage increase, the U.S. third, Germany fourth and Canada fifth.

Most early trials and commercial deployments of 5G spectrum allocations around the world have been centered around fallow swaths of the mid-band (3.3 GHz – 4.2 GHz) spectrum. With the recent commercialization of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) across all major 5G infrastructure vendors, there is now increasing demand for 5G support on many existing 4G frequencies, ranging from 600 MHz to 2.5 GHz. In unique 5G markets like Japan, there is an additional need for the 4.5 GHz band as well as the millimeter wave (FR2).

In the United States, early deployments leveraged millimeter wave frequency bands in the 28 GHz and the 39 GHz, which delivered impressive speeds in a very constrained footprint. The rapid 5G deployment in the 600 MHz band has added a substantial nationwide 5G footprint — and with that, much wider 5G availability for many more Americans. With the recent merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, the deployment of 2.5 GHz spectrum has been significantly accelerated, which should improve both network efficiency and user experience on T-Mobile’s network. Additionally, next year’s availability of 5G Carrier Aggregation will allow T-Mobile to combine 600 MHz with 2.5 GHz to deliver improved 5G speeds on top of the existing nationwide footprint. In addition, DSS has recently been deployed by AT&T and Verizon, which allows operators to choose from existing low-band spectrum assets (850 MHz) and deliver both LTE and 5G at the same time. This feature alone doesn’t add a significant boost in perceived user experience, but will certainly improve the 5G footprint.

China showed the highest percentage of 5G test samples

Another way to measure 5G adoption is to look at the proportion of samples taken over 5G relative to the total number of samples on all technologies. Speedtest Intelligence is uniquely positioned to measure global growth in 5G because of the worldwide adoption of Speedtest apps. China had the highest percentage of 5G Speedtest results compared to other mobile technology types in Q3 2020 at 18.9%. South Korea was second, Hong Kong third, Puerto Rico fourth and Qatar fifth.

Countries with the Most 5G
Speedtest Intelligence® | Q3 2020
Country 5G Samples as a % of Total
China 18.9%
South Korea 15.8%
Hong Kong (S.A.R.)* 7.9%
Puerto Rico 6.7%
Qatar 5.7%
United States 5.5%
Netherlands* 4.9%
United Arab Emirates 4.6%
Kuwait 4.6%
Australia 4.2%

What 5G will look like in 2021

With recently announced device chipset advancements expected in 2021, including 5G Carrier Aggregation, operators will be able to combine two 5G frequency bands in the sub-6GHz (FR1) range, allowing not only faster speeds, but also greater coverage. More importantly, the ability to combine Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) and Time Division Duplexing (TDD) FR1 channels will enable operators to leverage low-band frequencies (sub-1GHz) for uplink transmissions (user device to cell site), while combining the low-band with the mid-band (2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz) on the downlink. This should significantly expand the availability of fast 5G download speeds across larger geographies.

Similarly, DSS — which is a stepping stone to standalone 5G and allows for the simultaneous delivery of 4G and 5G technology on the same spectrum slice — will enable operators to combine already-deployed FDD spectrum with dedicated mid-band spectrum for an enhanced standalone 5G experience. This will unlock the full potential of 5G networks, such as ultra low latency and network slicing, while delivering an improved mobile experience to users.

Where 5G fails to reach

During Q3 2020 Speedtest Intelligence showed 55 countries in the world (with more than 200 samples) where more than 20% of samples were from 2G and 3G connections (combined). These are countries where, in many cases, 5G is still aspirational. As excited as we are about the expansion of 5G, we do not want to see these countries left behind.

Countries That Still Rely Heavily on 2G and 3G Connections
Speedtest Intelligence® | Q3 2020
Country 2G & 3G Samples 4G Samples
Turkmenistan 74.9% 25.1%
Rwanda 52.3% 47.7%
Iraq 49.4% 50.6%
Belarus 46.5% 53.5%
Afghanistan 46.0% 54.0%
Antigua and Barbuda 40.2% 59.8%
Tajikistan 40.2% 59.8%
Suriname 39.7% 60.3%
Haiti 37.7% 62.3%
Syria 37.5% 62.5%
Ghana 36.0% 64.0%
Ethiopia 35.0% 65.0%
Mozambique 34.7% 65.3%
Benin 34.3% 65.7%
Angola 34.1% 65.9%
El Salvador 32.5% 67.5%
Moldova 31.8% 68.2%
Venezuela 30.3% 69.7%
Tanzania 30.0% 70.0%
Papua New Guinea 29.5% 70.5%
Jamaica 29.4% 70.6%
Sudan 29.2% 70.8%
Algeria 29.0% 71.0%
Namibia 28.5% 71.5%
Zimbabwe 28.5% 71.5%
Somalia 28.4% 71.6%
Nicaragua 28.1% 71.9%
Armenia 28.1% 71.9%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 28.1% 71.9%
Uzbekistan 27.8% 72.2%
Cameroon 27.5% 72.5%
Zambia 27.4% 72.6%
Uganda 26.6% 73.4%
Trinidad and Tobago 26.6% 73.4%
Honduras 26.5% 73.5%
Bangladesh 26.3% 73.7%
Burkina Faso 26.0% 74.0%
Ukraine 25.8% 74.2%
Nigeria 25.7% 74.3%
DR Congo 24.6% 75.4%
Costa Rica 24.3% 75.7%
Botswana 24.1% 75.9%
Libya 22.9% 77.1%
Azerbaijan 22.9% 77.1%
Ecuador 22.8% 77.2%
Mali 22.4% 77.6%
Mongolia 21.8% 78.2%
Maldives 21.6% 78.4%
Mauritius 21.3% 78.7%
Tunisia 21.0% 79.0%
Belize 20.7% 79.3%
Laos 20.5% 79.5%
Kenya 20.3% 79.7%
Paraguay 20.1% 79.9%
Côte d’Ivoire 20.0% 80.0%

In markets where 4G layers haven’t been deployed or substantially covered, end users fall back to the circuit-switched network (2G, 3G). These decades-old network technologies should be sufficient for basic voice and texting, social media, and navigation apps, but cannot deliver rich media experiences or video calling. Unfortunately, many countries on this list are places where consumers rely primarily on mobile phones for their internet connectivity.

5G is radically changing the speeds and capabilities of mobile networks around the world. If the current growth rate continues, it won’t be long before most nations have access to 5G. But there are nations and subsets of subscribers who may not see the benefits of 5G for years to come. We will continue reporting on 5G achievements across the globe and watching speeds in general on the Speedtest Global Index™.

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Global Speeds

About the Author

Isla McKetta