If you want to know the current state of 5G networks around the world, connectivity intelligence company Ookla has some new insights. According to the latest ‘Global Connectivity’ report, the world’s median 5G download speed increased by 20% in Q3 2023.
The company recorded a global median 5G download speed of 203.04 Mbps in Q3 2023, a significant increase compared to 168.27 Mbps in Q3 2022. Additionally, users who witnessed the top 10% of global 5G download speeds saw an increase of 9%. , increased from 525.54 Mbps (Q3 2022) to 573.12 Mbps (Q3 2023).
But this time, the company said the top spot had shifted from South Korea to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Malaysia, India and the Dominican Republic making “significant progress”. The top 10 list also includes Malaysia, Qatar, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Macau, Singapore and India.
The current leader, the UAE, saw a 14% increase in median 5G download speeds. That number jumped from 511.68 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 592.01 Mbps in Q3 2023. Meanwhile, second place South Korea reached a median 5G download speed of 507.59 Mbps in the third quarter.
Okura said one of the key factors for the UAE’s success was “intense market competition driven by Etisalat and Dou”, resulting in improved 5G coverage across the country. This increased competition is one of the reasons why the UAE has achieved the top spot in the world rankings. The second quarter of 2023 will be similar, with median download speeds reaching 557.63 Mbps.
The company pointed out that half of the top 10 countries in 2022 will be Middle Eastern countries, and the Asia-Pacific region now accounts for the same proportion. 5G can offer peak data rates of up to 20 Gbps, but actual speeds “have yet to reach gigabit levels, primarily due to network economics.”
“For example, symmetrical downloads, upload speeds, and ultra-low latency are not being achieved. Part of the reason is that the majority of 5G networks are deployed in non-standalone (NSA) mode, making it difficult to achieve ‘true 5G.’ That’s not it. They rely on the 4G LTE network core,” he says.
Conversely, median 5G upload speeds increased by at least 1% when compared to last year’s data. The report also highlights performance improvements for fixed wired connections around the world. Fixed broadband connections saw a similar jump, albeit on a smaller scale compared to 5G.
Fixed networks grew by 19% to reach a global median of 83.95 Mbps in Q3 2023, up from 70.30 Mbps in Q3 2022. Once again, the United Arab Emirates came out on top, with a median download speed of 247.63 Mbps. Ookla said that despite advances in underlying broadband technology, WiFi often acts as a bottleneck that degrades the customer experience.
Our research shows that Wi-Fi performance can lag behind Ethernet in markets where advanced cable and fiber connections are replacing traditional broadband technologies (such as DSL and coaxial cable). Wi-Fi speeds are typically in the 30-40% range of Ethernet, indicating the need to accelerate the adoption of more advanced Wi-Fi technologies and optimize the home network environment.
Source: Okura
