Connectivity intelligence company Ookla has provided some new insights into the current state of 5G networks around the world. Its latest "State of Global Connectivity" report said that global median 5G download speeds increased by 20% in the third quarter of 2023. The company recorded a global median 5G download speed of 203.04Mbps in the third quarter of 2023, a significant improvement from the 168.27Mbps in the third quarter of 2022.
In addition, the download speed of the top 10% of global 5G download speed users increased by 9%, from 525.54Mbps (Q3 2022) to 573.12Mbps (Q3 2023).
This time, however, the number one country changed from South Korea to the United Arab Emirates, with Malaysia, India and the Dominican Republic also making "significant progress". The top ten countries also include Malaysia, Qatar, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Macau, Singapore and India.
The current leader, the United Arab Emirates, saw a 14% increase in median 5G download speeds. Its data jumped from 511.68Mbps in the third quarter of 2022 to 592.01Mbps in the third quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, South Korea, which ranked second, had a median 5G download speed of 507.59Mbps in the third quarter.
Ookla said one of the key factors in the UAE's success is "intense market competition driven by Etisalat and du", which has led to improved 5G coverage across the country. This increasing competition is one of the reasons why the UAE retained its top spot in the second quarter of 2023, with a median download speed of 557.63Mbps.
The company noted that half of the top 10 countries in 2022 will be from the Middle East, while the Asia-Pacific region now accounts for the same share. Although 5G can provide peak data transmission rates of up to 20Gbps, its actual "speed has not reached gigabit level, mainly due to network economics."
"For example, symmetrical download and upload speeds and ultra-low latency have not yet been achieved, in part because the vast majority of 5G networks are not 'true 5G' because they are deployed in non-standalone (NSA) mode, meaning they rely on the 4GLTE network core," Ookla said.
On the other hand, median 5G upload speeds only increased 1% compared to last year's data. The report also talks about performance improvements in wired fixed connections globally. Fixed broadband connections, while not as fast as 5G, offer similar improvements.
In the third quarter of 2023, the global median fixed network speed was 83.95Mbps, which was 19% higher than the 70.30Mbps in the third quarter of 2022. The United Arab Emirates also leads the way here, with a median download speed of 247.63Mbps. Ookla said that despite the continuous development of basic broadband technology, WiFi often becomes a bottleneck that reduces customer experience.
Research shows that in markets where advanced cable and fiber-optic connections are replacing traditional broadband technologies such as DSL or coaxial cable, Wi-Fi performance may lag behind Ethernet. Wi-Fi speeds are typically 30-40% of Ethernet speeds, indicating the need to accelerate the adoption of more advanced Wi-Fi technologies and optimize the home network environment.