Tag: Global Speeds

Ookla Research™ Articles
| April 17, 2023

47 New Ookla Market Reports Available for Q1 2023

Global Speeds

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

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania

Africa

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

Americas

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

Asia

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

Europe

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

Oceania

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

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

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

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

Global Speeds
Bhutan

About the Author

Josh Fomon

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 19, 2023

The State of Worldwide Connectivity in 2023

Global Speeds

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

5G | Fixed | Connectivity for All

Key takeaways 

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

5G Networks

Global 5G download speed improvements

Illustration of 5G Median Performance Worldwide

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

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

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

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

Chart of Fastest Countries for Median 5G Download Speed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disparity Between 5G Performance and Consumer Perception

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

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

Chart of NPS Score, 5G Compared to 4G

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

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

In March 2021, South Korean consumers launched a class action suit against operators because they felt they were being misled by the promises of 5G in the country. Recently, South Korea’s antitrust regulator fined three 5G operators a total of 33.6 billion won ($25.06 million) for making exaggerated claims about the level of performance their networks could achieve. South Korean operators claimed consumers could experience theoretical 5G speeds, which are not practically achievable in a “real world” environment, as factors such as spectrum usage, network densification, user location, and device capability significantly affect actual performance. Our data shows that the top 10% of 5G users in South Korea experienced speeds of 1.004 Gbps in Q3 2023, which, although impressive, are far lower than the advertised 20 Gbps speeds. 

Chart of 5G NPS Score Change Year on Year

Fixed Networks

Fiber driving fixed performance gains 

Illustration of Fixed Median Performance Worldwide

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

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

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

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

Chart of Fastest Countries for Fixed Broadband Download Speed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connectivity for All

The imperative of closing the connectivity gap

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

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

“> Map of Average Mobile Download Speed of Over 100 Mbps
“> Map of Average Fixed Download Speed of Over 100 Mbps

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

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

“> Map of Average Mobile Download Speed of Less than 5 Mbps
“> Map of Average Fixed Download Speed of Less than 5 Mbps

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

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

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

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
5G
Ookla for Good
Tech Insights
Hong Kong

About the Author

Sylwia Kechiche

Ookla Research™ Articles
| July 24, 2023

5G in Asia Pacific: Deployment Momentum Continues

Global Speeds

The Asia Pacific region has successfully implemented 5G technology despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, global economy, and geopolitical climate. South Korea, China, and Japan have led the way in 5G network deployment. With the continued rollout of 5G networks in other regional markets, Asia Pacific is on track to become the largest 5G market globally.

Key messages

  • Advanced Asia Pacific markets have taken the lead in the 5G rollout. Countries such as South Korea, Australia, and China, were among the first in the world to launch commercial 5G networks as more markets joined the ranks.
  • 5G performance outranks Europe. Early adopters in the Asia Pacific region have outperformed major European markets in terms of 5G performance. This is mainly due to factors like early spectrum availability and supportive government policies. 
  • 5G Availability varies. The region experiences varying levels of 5G Availability and adoption due to factors like population density, device affordability, and tariffs.
  • Seoul and Kuala Lumpur are the top cities for 5G performance, boasting median download speeds of 533.95 Mbps and 523.44 Mbps, respectively.
  • 5G helps to narrow the digital divide. 5G FWA is a viable alternative to traditional fixed broadband to narrow down the digital divide in the region

South Korea sets the pace as 5G networks expand across the region

Many of the more advanced markets in the Asia Pacific have been the frontrunners in terms of 5G rollout. South Korea was the first market in the world to deploy a nationwide 5G network in April 2019, followed by Australia, the Philippines, China, and New Zealand later that year. As predicted by GSMA Intelligence, the recent second wave of 5G rollouts in the region in countries such as Indonesia, India, and Malaysia will see Asia Pacific becoming one of the largest 5G markets in the world by 2025.

5G Launch Timeline in Selected Asia Pacific and European Markets

Allocation of spectrum resources is crucial

In our recent spectrum analysis, we discussed how important spectrum is for the performance and coverage of 5G. In general, regulators in the Asia Pacific region have been quick to allocate spectrum for 5G applications, and in many cases, operators have been able to secure substantial bandwidth in the key C-band.

List of the 5G Pioneer Band Spectrum Awards Across Select Asia Pacific Countries

The mid-band spectrum is the most frequently awarded spectrum band in the Asia Pacific region. It is the top choice for commercial 5G deployment because it balances 5G coverage and capacity. In some markets, 5G deployment uses low-band (sub 1 GHz) frequencies, allowing for wider outdoor 5G coverage and better penetration inside buildings in urban and suburban areas. However, this may come at the expense of the median download speed, which typically peaks at around 100 Mbps.

For some markets, 5G spectrum awards are subject to strict milestones and requirements. Operators in South Korea were required to have 22,500 base stations by the end of 2021, 45,000 by the end of 2023, and 150,000 base stations upon completion of their 3.5 GHz spectrum rollout. Additionally, within three years, there were required to install 15,000 base stations utilizing 28 GHz. However, a review by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) found that all mobile operators met the minimum requirements for the 3.5GHz spectrum but not the 28GHz spectrum. Consequently, the ministry has withdrawn all operators’ spectrum licenses in the 28GHz band. In our recent mmWave analysis, we thoroughly covered the performance and progress inherent in that spectrum band.

Asia Pacific outpaced major European markets in terms of 5G performance

While Europe and the Asia Pacific markets share similarities such as large cultural diversity, customers with varying demographics, and mixed regulations and policies, our recent analysis of European 5G performance revealed that early 5G adopters in the Asia Pacific region performed better than some major European markets. 

Chart of Median 5G Download Speed in Asia Pacific Markets Compared to European Benchmarks

According to Speedtest Intelligence® H1 2023 data, several markets in the Asia Pacific region had faster median download performance compared to the top five European economies. Malaysia and South Korea led the pack with speeds of over 500 Mbps, with Malaysia reporting a median download performance of 512.10 Mbps, and South Korea at 503.99 Mbps  – an impressive accomplishment for Malaysia, which launched 5G 3.5 years after South Korea and has caught up to them in performance. Both countries have notable differences in terms of their telecommunications landscapes. The Malaysian government went with a nationwide single wholesale network (SWN) approach as its 5G deployment plan. Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) was established in 2021 to construct and operate the 5G network infrastructure and provide 5G services to mobile network operators at wholesale prices. South Korea has long been at the forefront of mobile technology and boasts one of the highest internet penetration rates globally. As a result of its early commitment to 5G development, South Korea became the first market in the world to launch a commercial 5G network.

During the same period, Singapore, India, New Zealand, China, and Australia achieved a median 5G download speed exceeding 200 Mbps. In comparison, only France recorded speeds above 200 Mbps among the European countries mentioned, while Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain, recorded median download speeds below 150 Mbps.

5G Availability and adoption vary across the region

Chart of 5G Availability in Selected Markets in Asia Pacific and Europe

5G Availability (the percentage of users on 5G-capable devices that spend most of the time with access to 5G networks) varied widely across the Asia Pacific region during H1 2023. Factors such as access to low-band spectrum and affordability and availability of 5G devices influence each market’s reported 5G Availability. Analysis based on data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that Hong Kong stands out as the only country analyzed to have surpassed 40% 5G Availability, reaching 42.3% in H1 2023. Part of the reason is the city’s high population density, 5G coverage that reaches over 90% of the population, and a high 5G smartphone penetration rate, which Counterpoint Research reported as 78% in Q1 of 2023.

Despite Australia being 78 times larger than South Korea, and being one of the least densely populated countries, both countries reported similar 5G Availability rates, at around 36.6%. Counterpoint Research reported a 5G smartphone penetration rate of more than 80% for both countries, with South Korea at 88% and Australia at 82%. Across the European markets, France, Spain, Germany, and the U.K. ranged between 20%-30%. Similarly, Thailand also falls within this range at 26.8%. 

Chart of 5G Connections as Proportion of All Connections in Select Markets in Asia Pacific and Europe

Based on Q2 2023 data from GSMA Intelligence, South Korea, China, and Japan led in 5G adoption, measured as the percentage of 5G connections compared to total connections, higher than the selected European markets looked at in this report. South Korea had a total of 31.3 million 5G connections, which accounted for more than 48% of all mobile connections in the country, while China boasts over 700 million 5G connections, equivalent to 41% of connections. Other early adopters of 5G in the region, such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia, have all seen a considerable rise in their total 5G connections from the previous year. Japan experienced a 76% increase of 5G connections between Q2 2022 to Q2 2023, to 60.8 million connections. Hong Kong increased by 65% to 4.8 million, and Australia had 8.8 million connections, up by almost 40% during the same period of time.

Seoul and Kuala Lumpur are the top cities in the Asia Pacific region for 5G speeds.

Map of 5G Performance and 5G Availability Across Selected Cities in Asia Pacific

Given that both Malaysia and South Korea are ahead in 5G performance among their peers, it is unsurprising that their capital cities came first as well in the ranking of selected cities. In H1 2023, Seoul had a median download speed of 533.95 Mbps, while Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, reported a median download speed of 523.44 Mbps. Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), Malaysia’s designated 5G wholesale provider, reported 90% 5G coverage of populated areas (COPA) throughout Kuala Lumpur at the end of 2022. 

Despite being one of the latest markets to launch 5G, the Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai performed well in the cities’ speeds ranking. Both cities reported median download speeds of over 300 Mbps in H1 2023, with Delhi at 357.43 Mbps and Mumbai at 319.45 Mbps. While Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and Delhi have shown 5G performance comparable to or even exceeding those of well-established 5G markets in the region, their 5G networks are still relatively new. As a result, these cities have lower 5G Availability than others as anticipated.

Metro Manila, with one-third of the population of the Philippines, had the lowest median download speed among all the cities in this report for H1 2023, with a speed of 135.51 Mbps. During the same period, Metro Manila reported a 5G availability rate of 35.7%, slightly lower than Seoul (35.9%) and Sydney (39.2%).

Breaking the digital divide with 5G FWA

The benefits of 5G go beyond the faster speeds compared to 4G. It also plays a role in bringing connectivity to underserved areas. Although developed markets in the Asia Pacific are leading in ultra-fast, fixed fiber broadband, there is still a portion of the region where internet connectivity is expensive, unavailable, or insufficient. Many people in these underserved regions rely on mobile devices to access the internet. According to GSMA Intelligence, mobile broadband networks are accessible to more than 96% of the population, making it the primary option for internet access in many households. 

In some markets, mobile operators see 5G, particularly 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) services, as a viable alternative to traditional fixed broadband. While FWA is not a new concept, the use of 5G technology is expected to accelerate its growth, especially in areas where it is not economically feasible to deploy high-speed fixed broadband networks. According to GSMA Intelligence, nearly three in five users who either have upgraded or plan to upgrade to 5G find the idea of using 5G for home broadband appealing. FWA is becoming one of the operators’ primary 5G use cases, providing an opportunity to increase revenue and monetize network investments and wireless spectrum.

The Asia-Pacific region is seeing a rise in the adoption of 5G FWA, with Southeast Asia leading the way. In 2019, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, became the first country in the region to launch FWA. Other regional operators, such as Telkomsel in Indonesia and AIS in Thailand, have also begun offering FWA services. In New Zealand, operators plan to provide FWA coverage to 90% of the population by the end of 2023.

While 5G FWA shows promising growth potential, operators need to ensure that as 5G adoption in the network increases, they have the capacity to support their FWA services and the spectrum to guarantee quality. When the demand for 5G FWA service grows, operators may have to look at utilizing the mmWave spectrum to maintain the quality of their FWA services while keeping network capacity intact.

We will keep a close eye on the progress and effectiveness of 5G implementation throughout the Asia Pacific region. If you are interested in benchmarking your performance or if you’d like to learn more about internet speeds and performance in other markets around the world, visit the Speedtest Global Index™.

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

Global Speeds
5G

About the Author

Affandy Johan

Ookla Research™ Articles
| December 20, 2023

U.S. - The Rise of 5G FWA & The Battle for Fixed Broadband Customers

Global Speeds

Fixed-wireless access (FWA) has emerged as a key 5G use case. Cellular providers in many markets are using FWA to easily enter and compete in fixed broadband markets, while fixed ISPs with access to 5G spectrum are utilizing it as a complementary access technology, allowing them to target locations where fiber access networks are not present. FWA can also be a solution to help bridge the digital divide in more remote locations where it’s uneconomical to lay fiber to connect premises.

The U.S. is at the forefront of fixed wireless access (FWA) development, with many of its major wireless carriers, including T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and UScellular targeting expansion. T-Mobile has built up a lead in terms of 5G fixed-wireless market share, with Verizon following closely, and AT&T recently launching a new FWA service – AT&T Internet Air. We examined Ookla Speedtest data to understand how FWA performance is evolving in the U.S., and how it is impacting churn in the market.

Key takeaways

  • T-Mobile & Verizon 5G FWA performance holding up well nationally. Despite strong customer growth, both T-Mobile and Verizon have maintained performance levels over the past year according to Speedtest data. Both ISPs recorded similar median download speeds in Q3 2023, although T-Mobile maintains an edge on median upload performance. Despite this, there are significant differences in performance at a State-level, and for urban versus rural locations.
  • Cable & DSL providers bear the brunt of user churn. The FWA value proposition is clearly resonating most with existing cable and DSL customers, which make up the vast bulk of churners to both T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s FWA services. It’s not one-way traffic however, with T-Mobile’s larger user base in particular showing some attrition to cable providers. In rural locations where options are more limited, FWA services are increasingly going head to head, with over 10% of users joining Verizon’s FWA service coming from T-Mobile.
  • Clear signs that download performance could be a key contributor to churn in the market. Our analysis of the customers of major ISPs in the US that have churned to T-Mobile’s FWA service shows that their median download performance before churning was below the median performance of all customers of these ISPs, indicating a performance short-fall that is likely contributing towards churn.
  • Further C-band spectrum will serve to strengthen FWA’s case. The release and deployment of additional C-band spectrum for all three national cellular carriers, and AT&T’s new FWA service will drive further performance gains, and further competitive pressure in 2024.

T-Mobile and Verizon FWA scaling strongly and national performance holding up well

Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, FWA services from T-Mobile and Verizon have seen strong growth over the past three years. Aided by disruptive pricing strategies, no annual contracts, and ease of installation (self-install), net additions remain strong for both ISPs. T-Mobile’s current FWA plan retails for $50/month, but that falls to $30/month for customers subscribing to its Magenta MAX mobile plan. Verizon prices at a slight premium to T-Mobile, with its FWA service currently retailing for $60/month, but falling to $35/month with select 5G mobile plans. On the back of their success we’ve also recently seen AT&T update its FWA strategy, launching AT&T Internet Air in August 2023, with a similar pricing strategy.

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Customers – T-Mobile & Verizon
Company Reporting | Q3 2020 – Q3 2023

Utilizing the same 5G spectrum that its mobile customer base accesses, both T-Mobile and Verizon have been at pains to point out how they manage the on-boarding of new FWA customers, in order to limit any negative impact on performance for both cellular and FWA customers. The release and rollout of additional C-band spectrum for all three operators will provide extra headroom and the potential for improved 5G FWA performance, while T-Mobile has begun testing 5G Standalone mmWave, and has indicated that this could be utilized for 5G FWA in the future. 

Performance on T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s 5G FWA services has held up well to date, although it lags behind median download performance of the major cable and fiber ISPs. The median download speed across the US for all fixed providers combined in Q3 2023 was 207.42 Mbps. T-Mobile has recorded consistent median download speed over the past four quarters, reaching 122.48 Mbps in Q3 2023 based on Speedtest data, but saw its median upload performance erode slightly, down from 19.76 Mbps in Q4 2022, to 17.09 Mbps in Q3 2023. Verizon on the other hand improved its median download performance when compared to Q4 2022, reaching a similar level to T-Mobile, of 121.23 Mbps in Q3 2023. However, its upload performance remained lower than T-Mobile’s, at 11.53 Mbps.

U.S. 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Performance
Speedtest® Data – Custom Analysis | Q4 2022 – Q3 2023

Churn data shows Cable & DSL providers losing out to FWA

In order to understand the impact of these 5G FWA services on the U.S. fixed broadband market, we examined Speedtest data to identify users that had churned since Q2 2022 – when these services started to scale and really impact the rest of the market.

Our data shows that the bulk of churn to both T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s 5G FWA services in that time was from cable and DSL providers. Furthermore, it doesn’t skew towards rural locations, with both T-Mobile and Verizon seeing approximately 80% of their gross additions in urban locations. The aggressive pricing strategies of FWA providers have driven prices down across the market, with cable providers for example offering slimmed down broadband and content packages at competitive prices, while AT&T Fiber now prices its entry fiber package of 300 Mbps at $55/month.

Fixed Wireless Access New Recruits – Distribution of 5G FWA Gross Additions by ISP
Speedtest® Data – Custom Analysis | Q2 2022 – Q3 2023

While cable operators bear the brunt of churn to 5G FWA services at present, their strategic response in competing on price is seeing some FWA subscribers move back to cable – a trend which the availability of FWA services with no annual contracts makes easier. Speedtest data shows that Cox for example, saw 7.3% of gross additions come from previous users of T-Mobile’s FWA service, while for Spectrum and XFINITY, former T-Mobile FWA users accounted for 6.3% and 6.0%, respectively. 

In rural locations where FWA performance lags that of urban locations, and where cable providers have less overlap with FWA service, there is a more even spread of churn to FWA, between cable and DSL providers. In addition, we see stronger churn to rival FWA services, with Verizon’s FWA service attracting 11.1% of its gross additions from T-Mobile, and T-Mobile recording 2.7% of its gross additions from Verizon’s FWA users.

Users that churn experience improved network performance

With the larger FWA customer base, we ran an analysis of Speedtest data of users churning to and from T-Mobile’s 5G FWA service over the period Q2 2022 – Q3 3023, to understand if there were clear drivers for this churn. We found that the median download speed for the subset of users churning to T-Mobile, was consistently below the median of all users, for each ISP, highlighting the importance of ISPs ensuring consistent performance across their user base.

Targeting Churn – Performance Prior to Churning to T-Mobile's 5G FWA Service
Speedtest® Data – Custom Analysis | Q2 2022 – Q3 2023

Users moving to T-Mobile’s 5G FWA service, and those churning away from it, experienced an increase in median download performance. Those users joining T-Mobile’s FWA service over the period Q2 2022 – Q3 2023, recorded an increase in their median download speed of 13.04 Mbps. On the other hand, those users churning away from T-Mobile saw their median download performance increase by 85.53 Mbps. Users joining Spectrum, Optimum, Cox and XFINITY from T-Mobile’s 5G FWA service experienced median download speeds in excess of 100 Mbps faster, highlighting the significant performance advantages that cable and fiber providers maintain over FWA.

Targeting Churn – Performance for Customers Churning Away From T-Mobile’s 5G FWA Service
Speedtest® Data – Custom Analysis | Q2 2022 – Q3 2023

State and urban/rural analysis reveal 5G FWA performance gaps

While median performance has remained relatively stable for both operators over the past year, regional performance, and between urban and rural locations, varies significantly. The performance of 5G FWA services depends heavily on the spectrum bands available in each location, as well as the fact these FWA services do not rely on outdoor consumer premise equipment (CPE), with wireless signals having to navigate into the home. The deployment of additional C-band spectrum will help improve performance over time, however, users and ISPs who do not locate CPE externally, will have to continue to navigate the intricacies of available spectrum bands and CPE positioning within the home.

Rural locations predictably fared worse than urban locations for both T-Mobile and Verizon 5G FWA service, given differences in spectrum availability, and also distance from cell sites, although the difference was starker for Verizon’s FWA service, which recorded a median of 155.77 Mbps in urban locations during Q3 2023, but only 51.41 Mbps in rural locations. T-Mobile increased rural FWA performance, up from 82.20 Mbps in Q4 2022, to 91.96 Mbps in Q3 2023. Verizon on the other hand focussed more heavily on urban locations, with the 155.77 Mbps it achieved in Q3 2023 a sizeable increase on the 125.55 Mbps it recorded in Q4 2022.

Urban vs Rural 5G FWA performance
Speedtest® Data – Custom Analysis | Q3 2023

Setting a minimum threshold of 100 samples for Q3 2023, Speedtest data showed Verizon recorded a median 5G FWA download speed of 181.77 Mbps in Nebraska, followed by 160.56 Mbps in Colorado, and 150.24 Mbps in Kansas. At the other end of the scale, Verizon 5G FWA users in Mississippi recorded median download speeds of 31.54 Mbps, of 36.72 Mbps in Wyoming, and 46.92 Mbps in West Virginia. Upload performance followed a similar trend, with a high of 16.74 Mbps in Nebraska, and a low of 4.20 in Mississippi.

T-Mobile’s 5G FWA service saw median download performance hit a high of 189.58 Mbps in Hawaii during Q3 2023, and like Verizon was strong in Nebraska, with 150.53 Mbps, while Oregon followed with 145.11 Mbps. States with lower median download speeds for T-Mobile included Vermont with 63.31 Mbps, South Dakota with 65.38 Mbps, and like T-Mobile, West Virginia with 67.23 Mbps. Median upload performance for T-Mobile’s 5G FWA service also varied significantly, reaching 41.62 Mbps in Hawaii, but falling to 9.74 Mbps in North Dakota.

We’ll continue to monitor the progress of FWA in the U.S., and the competitive response from cable, DSL, fiber and even satellite providers, as the battle for users intensifies. To find out more about Speedtest Intelligence data and insights, please contact us 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
5G

About the Author

Mark Giles

Ookla Research™ Articles
| June 10, 2020

The State of Mobile and Fixed Broadband Performance in Oman

Global Speeds

The Sultanate of Oman has seen significant increases in their internet speeds and mobile network performance at the country level since Q1 2019. Its 11 governorates, however, vary greatly when examining different aspects of internet performance. This article will explore Oman’s mobile and fixed broadband speeds for Q1 2019 and Q1 2020 as well as providing details on 4G Availability and 5G deployments.

Oman saw a significant increase in fixed broadband speeds

As of April 2020, the Speedtest Global Index ranks Oman 84th in the world for fixed broadband and 45th for mobile performance. This represents a five-spot improvement in their fixed broadband ranking since March 2020, while their mobile ranking dropped by seven spots.
ookla_oman_mobile_fixed_speeds_chart_0602-2

Data from Speedtest Intelligence® reveals a strong year-over-year increase in performance on fixed broadband when comparing Oman’s internet speeds from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020. The mean download speed on fixed broadband during Q1 2020 was 32.85 Mbps, a 58.9% increase over Q1 2019. The fastest provider on fixed broadband was Awasr, with a mean Speed ScoreTM of 39.96, followed by Ooredoo at 16.43 and Omatel at 14.74.

On mobile, Oman showed an increase of 11.0% in mean download speed from 34.71 Mbps in Q1 2019 to 38.52 Mbps in Q1 2020. The fastest provider in this category was Omantel with a Speed Score of 38.26 on modern chipsets at the country level during Q1 2020. Ooredoo was second at 32.28.

In another recent report analyzing internet performance during the global pandemic, we found that Oman recently experienced a 23.0% increase in mean download speed on fixed broadband when comparing the weeks of June 1, 2020 and March 2, 2020. On mobile, the country showed a 18.0% decrease in mean download speeds during the same period.

Musandam was fastest on fixed broadband in Q1 2020

Looking at the governorate level, we found that internet performance varied widely in Q1 2020 on fixed broadband and only somewhat on mobile. All governorates experienced a significant increase in fixed broadband speeds and a smaller increase in mobile speeds when comparing Q1 2019 to Q1 2020.
ookla_oman_fixed-speeds_0620-2

The fastest governorate on fixed broadband was Musandam with a mean download speed of 69.53 Mbps during Q1 2020, a 155.1% increase over Q1 2019 and an 111.7% improvement compared to the country’s average during the same period. With the exception of the governorates of Muscat and Al Buraymi, the majority of governorates had slower mean download speeds on fixed broadband than the country’s average of 32.85 Mbps during Q1 2020. The three governorates with the slowest mean download speeds over fixed broadband were Ash Sharqiyah South, Ash Sharqiyah North and Al Batinah North with 10.05 Mbps, 12.19 Mbps and 13.01 Mbps, respectively. Ash Sharqiyah South’s mean download speed on fixed broadband was 85.5% slower than that of Musandam.

Dhofar had fastest speeds on mobile during Q1 2020

ookla_oman_mobile-speeds_0620-2

Analyzing mean download speeds in Oman’s governorates, we saw a smaller difference in nominal speeds between the fastest and slowest governorates on mobile than we saw on fixed broadband.

Oman’s fastest governorate for mobile download speed in Q1 2020 was Dhofar with a mean of 44.84 Mbps, a 32.7% increase over Q1 2019. Dhofar was also 16.4% faster than Oman’s national average of 38.52 Mbps on mobile and 67.5% faster than last-place Al Wusta Governorate during Q1 2020.

4G Availability varied in each governorate from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020

ookla_oman_4G-availability_0620-2

Unlike fixed broadband and mobile performance, 4G Availability did not uniformly increase in all Omani governorates when comparing Q1 2019 to Q1 2020. Muscat Governorate had the highest 4G Availability with 86.5% of tested locations showing access to 4G during Q1 2020, higher than the country’s average of 81.2%. Al Wusta had the lowest 4G Availability at 67.2% during this period.

Most of the governorates saw a decrease in their 4G Availability between Q1 2019 and Q1 2020. Musandam, Al Buraymi, Ash Sharqiyah North, Ad Dhahirah and Al Wusta were the only governorates that experienced increases in 4G Availability in Q1 2020 when compared to Q1 2019.

5G is concentrated in North Oman

On the Ookla 5G MapTM, we see 5G deployments from both Omantel and Ooredoo concentrated in the north end of the country, close to the Gulf of Oman. We also see multiple deployments in cities like Muscat, Barka and Sohar.
ookla_oman_5G-map_0620-01

Speedtest® is uniquely able to measure the full throughput of a 5G connection because our test dynamically scales the number of connections between the testing client and server to fully saturate the network connection. During Q1 2020, we saw that the fastest 10% of users experienced speeds up to 765.37 Mbps over 5G in Oman during Q1 2020.

We will continue to follow Oman’s internet speeds, mobile performance and 5G deployments. Ready to explore fixed broadband and mobile network providers’ performance in Oman or any other market? Contact our team to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence.

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

Global Speeds

About the Author

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| September 19, 2016

We Flew a Speedtest Banner Over a Football Game to See if Stadium Internet is Getting Faster…

Global Speeds

…and it is

Anyone who has attended a football game in a packed stadium can attest to the fact that the internet there is slow. Not just moves a little sluggishly slow, but tweets won’t publish and mobile internet browsing is non-existent slow. This happens in part because when large groups of people try to access the internet from the same location at once, mobile networks get overcrowded and that causes speeds to decline.

Slow internet makes for a frustrating fan experience for those who want to check out the starting wide receiver’s stats, share their most recent selfie you would ever take one) or check in with friends watching the game at home. It also makes it harder for teams to interact with fans throughout the game. All in all, it’s a crummy experience for everyone.

As football fans and people who think a lot about internet speeds, the Speedtest team started wondering how fast stadium internet actually is and about the influencing factors. So we decided to dig deeper into the topic by taking a closer look at the stadium in our own backyard — CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks.

The Experiment

Over the years, we’ve noticed that people frequently test their internet at crowded events like football games. Having seen this in our data, and knowing that poor speeds in crowded places are a common complaint about mobile networks, we decided to run a little experiment.

On August 25th, we hired a pilot to fly a 30×100 foot banner over CenturyLink Field for the Seattle Seahawks home preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. The banner read “Take a Speedtest” to encourage tailgaters and game attendees to test their internet connection around and in the stadium using our Speedtest app.

stadium fireworks

After the game, we tallied up the Speedtest results from inside the stadium and the immediately surrounding area (e.g. stadium parking lots) and started analyzing.

What We Learned

We collected results from all four major carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless — at the game. While Sprint walked away with the highest average download and upload speeds (29.95 Mbps and 10.19 Mbps respectively), the number of tests taken using Sprint did not reach a statistically significant number. This low test number makes it hard to say whether Sprint’s network truly was the fastest at this particular game, or just an outlier.

Verizon Wireless achieved the fastest average download and upload speeds (20.19 Mbps and 9.55 Mbps respectively) at the game with a significant number of tests. T-Mobile and AT&T were next with lower upload speeds and the highest latencies overall, meaning fans on those carriers likely had an even harder time sharing and receiving information.

We looked at 12 other CenturyLink events over the previous months to expand our test pool, including several concerts and Seattle Sounders games. Again, all four major carriers were represented in the data. Across all 12 events, Sprint maintained the highest average download speed at 23.03 Mbps. Interestingly, Sprint also was the carrier with the most tests taken on their network during the 12 event period. This difference is likely because Sprint is a COPA America events sponsor around the US and runs a fan booth at CenturyLink Field where employees and customers are encouraged to take a Speedtest. Despite Sprint’s larger test volume, Verizon claimed highest average upload speed with 10.47 Mbps.

CenturyLink is an ISP themselves and their namesake stadium now provides free CenturyLink Wi-Fi to game attendees. Additionally, Verizon customers get exclusive access to Verizon’s free in-field Wi-Fi. In looking at Wi-Fi tests taken before and during the game, most were conducted over CenturyLink’s network. The network’s wireless performance was 5.14 Mbps download and 10.21 Mbps upload at the game. Looking again at the 12 events at CenturyLink Field, the Wi-Fi averaged 5.17 Mbps download and 9.68 Mbps upload. The top recorded download speed on CenturyLink’s Wi-Fi across all events was 17.54 Mbps.

The highest average download speeds took place outside CenturyLink Field. So if you want to download that Vuvuzela app, your best bet is to do it before you enter the stadium or somewhere else beforehand. More interested in uploading that picture of garlic fries to Instagram? Surprisingly, stay in your seat! Upload speeds tended to be higher within the stadium stands than outside.

The internet in stadiums is getting faster. We looked at four notable US football stadiums — the Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, and the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium — and saw that speeds are improving across the board.

Stadiums are getting faster for a couple reasons. First, they’re investing more heavily in technology infrastructure to enhance the in-stadium experience and engagement opportunities for fans. Take San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, which was built with 70 miles of Wi-Fi cabling (400 miles total) and 1 Wi-Fi access point for every 100 seats in the bowl for a total of 1,200 access points in the stadium. These infrastructure developments make it easier for fans to access mobile internet at the game from any carrier.

Mobile carriers are also investing in their networks around the stadiums. It wasn’t too long ago that carriers rolled up en masse to the stadium on game day with mobile antenna trucks to help enable mobile internet for their customers. Now, carriers are investing in embedded infrastructure at stadiums and sports arenas.

Verizon is fast at work getting Houston’s NRG Stadium ready to host the 2017 Super Bowl, citing the importance after fans at Super Bowl 50 used nearly 7 terabytes of data. On the college circuit, AT&T installed a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at Oregon State University’s Reser Stadium to help fans get online. Carriers still have their ups and downs, but continued network investments such as these keep pushing general mobile internet speed trends in a positive direction.

This faster internet benefits everyone by increasing accessibility to existing content and communication mediums as well as opening up new avenues for connection. For instance, faster internet at Levi’s Stadium has led to a smartphone and tablet stadium app that provides digital content like instant replays and directions to bathrooms with the shortest lines. Stadium vendors can also sell concessions via the app and then deliver the items directly to a fan’s seat, helping merchants sell items at the game and decreasing the amount of time fans have to wait in line. As internet speeds continue to improve, it only stands to reason that more solutions to streamline experiences for fans and open up new opportunities for businesses will emerge.

#CrowdSpeed

Next time you’re at a game, concert, festival, or other event share your Speedtest results to social media with #CrowdSpeed. With your help, we are one step closer to better understanding — and improving — internet performance everywhere.

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

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| February 10, 2022

How Leading Operators Prepare for High-Profile Stadium Events Like Sunday’s Big Game

Global Speeds

Football fans are excited to cheer on their team at the Big Game in Los Angeles this weekend. They will also undoubtedly stream and share the experience with friends, family, and coworkers from their mobile devices. Operators are ready, having invested heavily to make the mobile experience as seamless as possible. Competitive insights from Ookla® Wind® help ensure their network is ready to show off their latest 5G spectrum, and deliver blazing fast speeds to the crowd. While we can’t share the results of game day live walk tests and real-time network benchmarking, we have a glimpse into what goes into optimizing for an event of this scale.

Wind has a long history of benchmarking the most challenging large stadium events

Network operators spend weeks and even months preparing for large stadium events because an outage, dead zone, or network congestion could become a high-profile publicity disaster. That’s why for the past nine years, the Wind team has helped network operators prepare and optimize their networks with multi-week preparatory engagements, including benchmark and optimization venue testing, live day-of RF command center support, and real-time analysis dashboards to make sure everything goes just right and any unforeseen problems are caught early and fixed.

Wind data previews what fans can expect from mobile networks on Sunday

The Wind team has already walk-tested inside and outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles multiple times with our handset-based Android Wind app starting weeks ahead of the big game to benchmark operator performance. We can’t reveal which operator has the best setup, but we can share anonymized data to show how operators perform in various locations through the upper concourse, between the 400-level and 500-level sections, for 4G LTE and 5G RSRP by provider, overall signal strength (RSRP) and signal quality (RSRQ) by provider over time, download and upload throughputs over time, as well as more technical 4G LTE and 5G data for carrier aggregation and modulation data.

The GIF above shows 4G LTE signal strength (RSRP) for operators during our walk test with red showing a weak RSRP signal strength and green and blue showing stronger RSRP signals. As you can see, the anonymized data for Operator A shows strong 4G LTE signals throughout the stadium, with strong signals in the north and south of the of the stadium and four areas of red, weak RSRP signals abutting the VIP boxes on both the east and west sides of the stadium. Operator B has a similar map, though Operator B has narrow bands of strong signal and weak signal overlapping on the south side of the stadium. Operator C had strong signals in the north and east of the stadium, but lower 4G LTE signal strength in the southwest corner with few areas having RSRP signals over -80 dBm.

Strong 5G RSRP signal was harder to find in SoFi stadium during our walk test. Operator A had pervasive weaker signals throughout, though only a few areas of very low RSRP strength in the north and south of the maps. Operator B had concentrated areas of stronger 5G RSRP signal strength near the north and south wind tunnel openings of SoFi’s sleek stadium design, though much weaker signals in the east and west of the map, and some veritable 5G dead zones near for VIP ticket holders to the west. Operator C had a concentrated strong area in the south of the map opposite YouTube Theater, though overall had weaker signals.

When viewing the walk test results over time, the overall average data shows similar signal strength (RSRP) between providers, though Operator A averaged a slightly higher signal strength (RSRP) over 4G LTE and 5G than the other operators.

Signal quality (RSRQ) showed more parity between operators on both 4G LTE and 5G as you can see above.

In addition to RF KPIs, the Wind walk test uses Speedtest Powered™ to measure where download and upload speeds peak and slow down throughout the stadium over time, both before and during the game. The above chart shows each provider’s download and upload speeds over the course of the walk test before the game, with each provider achieving a maximum download speed of over 1.70 Gbps, and average download speeds clocking in at 322 Mbps for Operator C, 706 Mbps for Operator B, and a blazing fast 914 Mbps for Operator C. Operator C also achieved maximum download speeds over 2.70 Gbps and upload speeds over 200 Mbps — much faster than its competitors.

The Wind walk test performed during the game showed what congestion can do to a network and why consistent monitoring is so important. The above chart shows every operator’s average download and upload speeds roughly halved during our in-game walk test compared to the pre-game walk test. Operator C achieved an average download speed of 76 Mbps, Operator B at 282 Mbps, and Operator A still had the fastest average download speed at 579 Mbps.

Wind goes beyond basic signal RSRP and RSRQ data

Wind expands beyond basic signal strength (RSRP) and signal quality (RSRQ) RF data as well. For example, we can see the amount of time above that carrier aggregation is utilized on each network and how many component carriers were aggregated. Additionally, we can see the utilization of various modulation types, with higher modulation schemes like QAM256 delivering more bits per unit of spectrum. Carrier aggregation with a large number of carriers and high modulation schemes can dramatically boost data speeds. 

These charts indicate how modulation scheme varies with signal strength (RSRP) and signal quality (RSRQ). The darker the shaded colors, the more data points were collected. Since the darker shaded band is concentrated towards QPSK for 4G LTE, it is apparent that QPSK seems to be the most commonly used modulation scheme across all three operators. One would expect more prevalence of higher order modulations, which contributes to higher throughput, when the signal strength and quality get better (right side of the X-axis).

The Wind team provides real-time insights and support

Traditionally, walk and drive testing can take 24-48 hours to process data, but Wind delivers instant results to help RF engineers make adjustments in real time to make everyone’s game day as great as possible. In a few days, Wind engineers will be part of network command centers with our team providing live, dynamic benchmarking reports using our Wind cloud-based analytics Live-Stream Report™ dashboard throughout the game. Our live competitive analyses will help operator RF engineers optimize their network by looking at real-time RF KPIs and Speedtest Powered data, and allow operators to see how other networks are performing during our live walk test. 

Wind Live-Stream Report™ at SoFi Stadium

Ookla® Wind® | January 30, 2022

The video above shows a short clip of the live Wind walk test from the semi-final game in Los Angeles on January 30, with green showing strong RSRP signal strength and red showing weaker RSRP on the map, and the refreshing blue and purple ribbon on the top left of Wind’s Android live edge reporting representing 4G LTE and 5G signal data, respectively. As you can see, the test shows moderate to low RSRP for this particular operator, with a jump in time around 10 seconds. At around 15 seconds, the video switches to the Speedtest Powered throughput data to show download and upload speeds on the network in real time. 

We’re as excited as anyone for Sunday’s big game. We’re even more excited to know that folks on networks that have prepared using Wind will be able to share their experience with everyone at home. If you’re interested in using Wind to prepare for a large, in-person event, please reach out.

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

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Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| February 17, 2021

ICYMI: Ookla Data and Research from January 2021

Global Speeds


Highlights from the Speedtest Global IndexTM

Global-Index-Tweet-Image-January-2021-2
These are the top stories from January 2021:

  • Spain climbed five ranks and reached ninth place on fixed broadband. This is the first time the country has reached the top ten.
  • On mobile, the United Arab Emirates is in first place for the fifth time in 13 months.
  • Greece climbed to 29th place, most likely due to an expanding 5G market.
  • Denmark reached fifth place for fixed broadband for the first time in the last year.

Articles worth a second look

Introducing Video Testing from Speedtest

Video streaming is a crucial part of the internet experience. Now you can directly measure your video’s quality using Speedtest for iOS.

Emerging 5G Market Keeps Canada in the Global Top 10 for Mobile Speeds

Canada’s 5G market may be less than a year old, but its expansion has provided provinces and cities across the country with speeds that far exceed those over 4G.

Advances in 5G Boosts Mobile Speeds in Taiwan

This comprehensive report on Taiwan’s mobile speeds shows the impact 5G has had on the market — and how speeds vary by operator and across the country.

Illustrating the Worldwide Growth of 5G (Poster Download)

This poster illustrates the impact of 5G on network performance worldwide using data from Speedtest Intelligence®. Download the free poster to see the full picture of the industry’s achievements.

New Year, Great Data: The Best Ookla Open Data Projects We’ve Seen So Far

Read more about the most exciting open data projects from Ookla For GoodTM that really show what this data can do.

“There’s a Problem With Your Connection” — The Most Significant Outages of Q4 2020

Did you experience an online service outage during Q4 2020? Find out what online service outages made headlines during the last three months of 2020.
Upcoming webinars

Upcoming webinars

Using Crowdsourced Data for Competitive Network Intelligence in Latin America

In the upcoming Ookla® webinar, offered in both Portuguese and Spanish, we share how mobile operators in Latin America can monitor and benchmark their competitors’ performance and also prioritize network optimization in the areas most important to their customers.

pr-cta1
Wednesday, February 24 at 11 a.m. BRT

es-cta1
Thursday, February 25 at 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST/PET/COT)

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

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| May 25, 2021

ICYMI: Ookla Data and Research from April 2021

Global Speeds

Highlights from the Speedtest Global Index™

Global-Index-Tweet-Image-April-2021

These are the top stories from April 2021:

  • Greece is up 11 places to 17th on mobile, their highest rank to date.
  • Increased 5G coverage in the United Kingdom was likely a factor in moving up 11 places on mobile to 21st place in April, a record high for the country.
  • South Korea blazed forward 10 spots to second place for fixed broadband.
  • Japan rose four spots to 20th for fixed broadband, the country’s highest rank since July 2020.

Other items worth a second look

Starlink: Bridging the Digital Divide or Shooting for the Stars

starlink-q2-2021
Elon Musk’s Starlink could be a game changer for many rural communities, but is it delivering high speeds? Read more to learn about how Starlink is shooting to be an internet superstar.

World Telecom Day Is a Reminder that a Better, Faster and More Accessible Internet Is Possible

world-telecom-day
Details on how Ookla® collaborates with providers, regulators and researchers to help create a better, faster and more accessible internet for everyone.

Choose Your National Park Adventure: The Best Places to Work Remotely or Digitally Disconnect

national-parks
Find out which national parks in Canada and the U.S. have the fastest mobile speeds, best 4G Availability and access to 5G.

How Ookla Ensures Accurate, Reliable Data: A Guide to Our Metrics and Methodology (Updated for 2021)

methodology-2021
Learn about the metrics Ookla uses to describe mobile and fixed broadband network performance and mobile coverage and how Ookla aggregates data.

5G Speeds in Australia are Almost Twice the Global Average

australia-5g-2021
The race for Australia’s fastest 5G provider is competitive. Learn why Australia’s 5G networks are some of the fastest in the world.

How Etisalat Went from Regional Leader to the World’s Fastest Mobile Network Operator in 2020 (Case Study)

etisalat-2021
Learn how Etisalat used Ookla Speedtest data to become the world’s fastest mobile network operator.

Prevalent and Fast Wi-Fi in Thailand Drives Improvements in Internet Speeds

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Discover new details about the influence of Wi-Fi in Thailand including provider- and province-level data on speeds and improvement.

Cryptocurrency Volatility Causes Coinbase and Other Trading Platforms to Struggle with Outages

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Find out what the Coinbase outage on May 19 looked like based on data from Downdetector®.

Ookla 5G Map™

5g-map
Over the past month, we saw 20,097 new 5G deployments across 106 countries. Click here to see the Ookla 5G Map in your area..

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

Ookla

Ookla Research™ Articles
| January 17, 2024

Enhancing Disaster Recovery and Network Resilience: Insights and Best Practices

Global Speeds

Ookla® recently hosted a webinar titled “Disaster Recovery: Restoring Connectivity and Ensuring Network Resiliency, a discussion on network preparedness in the face of disasters.” The discussion focused on how networks can prepare for disasters. A panel of industry experts from the GSMA, OECD, and The World Bank shared examples of real-world disaster recovery efforts. Below, we have summarized the key takeaways from the discussion.

Impact of Disasters on Networks

Pooja Rana from Ookla provided an example of how networks were affected during a disaster and how operators can facilitate a faster recovery. Specifically, she shared insight into the Maui wildfire that began in the city of Lahaina, located in Maui County, Hawaii, on August 8th, 2023. More information can be found here.

Graphic of threat scenarios that are abundant and increasing - Natural Disaster, Technological & Industrial Disasters, Human Made Disasters, Humanitarian Crises, Health Emergencies, Climate Change

Natural disasters can strike anywhere and are just one example of the potential threats affecting society. Other threats include technological and industrial disasters, human-made ones, humanitarian crises, health emergencies, and climate change. In areas like Maui, where the impact of climate change is particularly felt, additional natural disasters can significantly affect critical mobile networks, making disaster relief planning and management especially challenging. Crowdsourced data, such as that provided by Ookla, can be invaluable in disaster management, helping communities to move towards proactive prevention and preparedness rather than reactive responses. This data can also aid in disaster risk management and increase the effectiveness of relief efforts. 

Network Resilience Prioritization

Inmaculada Cava-Ferreruela from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) discussed the topic of network resilience from the perspective of policymaking. Network resilience is high on the agenda of OECD countries. This is because communications networks underpin our digital economies and societies. Therefore, when these networks become unstable or fail, the consequences for businesses, citizens, and governments can be severe, depending on the extent of the disruption. While implementing these measures is the responsibility of network operators, the critical nature of communications services in our economies and societies leads governments to intervene to ensure that networks are resilient enough. In this context, the OECD is preparing a new report to help policymakers assess network resilience and develop policies and practices that promote its improvement. Following the OECD’s evidence-based policy-making approach, the report will bring together information on the definition of network resilience and its metrics, its implementation, including technical and organizational measures, and insights into policy initiatives to improve it.

Role of mobile in humanitarian response

Bryce Hartley from the GSMA discussed the role of the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter (HCC) in engaging the mobile industry for humanitarian responses, particularly in rapid-onset disasters. The three key principles of the HCC are coordination, scale, and partnerships. 

  • Coordination: The focus is on coordinating efforts across all phases of disaster management—preparedness, response, and recovery. The aim is to create awareness among stakeholders, including multilateral, governments, and private sector players, about available resources and needs to avoid duplication of efforts and leveraging resources collaboratively. Bryce provided an example of coordinating efforts in response to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, where critical supplies were efficiently provided to restore mobile networks.
  • Scale: The emphasis is on deploying mobile technology to scale disaster resilience efforts. Standardizing response processes ensures a more predictable and effective response for responders and affected populations. The idea is to streamline efforts and create a more robust and scalable system. 
  • Partnerships: The goal is to foster collaboration to achieve programmatic initiatives. Working together is seen as essential for successful outcomes. An example is the collaboration with the Digicel Group and the Civil Protection Agency of Haiti to develop a mobile-enabled early warning system.

Critical role of Internet connectivity

Sahiti Sarva from the Data Lab at the World Bank emphasized the role of internet connectivity and data associated with it in measuring the impact of and recovery from disasters. Internet infrastructure is critical in enabling citizens to access economic opportunities and relief during disasters. The loss of the internet has significant cascading impacts on access to aid and inhibits economic activity that uses the Internet (such as activity on social media). Therefore, international development organizations such as the World Bank have started using it in their analysis to observe economic recovery from disasters. For the Türkiye earthquake impact analysis, the Data Lab team used Meta Business Activity Trends and Ookla Speedtest connectivity data to observe economic recovery trends. In this case, the availability of the internet informs the Business Activity of Facebook, making the two indicators valuable when insights are combined. 

The Data Lab created a “Data Good,” comprising reproducible methods, code documentation, and insights to inform analyses like economic recovery from disasters. Unlike traditional reports or data analyses that provide single-use visualizations, data goods are designed for reuse in future projects. If new data sets become available, they can easily be added to the analysis to generate updated insights. This is particularly useful in disaster projects where new data comes in daily, and the situation on the ground changes fast. For instance, in the case of Turkey and Syria, the Data Lab was able to update their insights every week, thanks to weekly data made available from their partners like Ookla.

Data visualization for effective disaster response 

The Disaster Connectivity Maps (DCM) initiative involves collaboration between the GSMA, UN agencies (ITU and WFP), and Ookla. DCM is a tool used to identify communication gaps during disasters, aiding first responders in preparing and adapting their communication strategies. Insights from time series data help organizations learn from past crises, adapt for future preparedness, and incorporate lessons for more effective response efforts.

We asked the panel audience about the role of mobile in disaster resilience, and the word cloud answer highlighted the key roles of coordination, communication, emergency services, and backup plans.

During the discussion, the participants stressed that collaboration, preparedness, and data utilization are crucial to enhance disaster relief efforts and ensure network resilience. Policymakers, industry experts, and international organizations play vital roles in developing evidence-based policies to address the complexities of disasters. Ookla is committed to working with the broader mobile ecosystem to ensure that these objectives are achieved.

List of how Ookla data helps with understanding and preparing for disasters using Cell Analytics, Speedtest Intelligence, and Downdetector Enterprise.

Additional resources:

See the full webinar recording 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
Ookla for Good

About the Author

Sylwia Kechiche