Tag: download speeds

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Mobile Syrup

Opensignal report says Telus, Bell offer best download speeds on 5G

Aerial view of mobile phone cell tower to illustrate lack of broadband internet service in rural areas and need for investment

Opensignal has released its August 2022 Mobile Network Experience Report for Canada, offering an analysis of how the country’s carriers stack up to each other. The report includes data collected between April 1st and June 29th, 2022.

Key findings highlighted in the report include that Telus has the “most consistent” network in Canada. Opensignal says its measures of consistent quality quantify “how often users’ network experience was sufficient to support typical applications’ requirements.”

Telus also took home the awards for the best mobile network for gaming and for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — OTT voice typically refers to real-time communications that operate over the internet.

Telus and Bell also tied for the best 4G coverage experience with scores of 9.7/10 (Rogers trailed with a score of 8.8/10).

Speaking of Bell, it claimed top spot for download speed experience. Opensignal notes Telus previously dominated this category, but this time around, Bell saw the fastest overall download speed with an average of 69.5Mbps — about 2.4 percent faster than Telus.

Rogers nabbed the top spot for Upload speeds with an average 10.7Mbps, slightly ahead of Telus’ 10.3 and Bell’s 10.1Mbps.

Some of these metrics switch when looking at Opensignal’s 5G report. Bell and Telus still claim top download speeds on 5G, but Rogers offers better 5G reach and availability, according to Opensignal.

Availability measures the proportion of time that mobile customers spend with an active 5G connection — Rogers scored 13.3 percent compared to 11.9 for Bell and 11.4 for Telus. Reach measures how often users connected to 5G services in 100 locations they visited on average. Rogers scored 52/100, while Bell scored 49/100 and Telus 48/100.

Rogers, again, nabbed top spot for 5G upload speed.

You can view the full Opensignal Mobile Network Experience Report here, or the 5G Experience Report here.

Images credit: Opensignal, (2)

Header image credit: Shutterstock

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Mobile Syrup

5G access improves the NHL experience, analysis finds

For the first time, 5G is widely available during an NHL season, and research shows the network improves the mobile experience of those attending a game.

A recent study by Opensignal examined the 5G mobile experience of Canadians and Americans attending NHL games at arenas hosting 32 teams.

“Unlike the previous seasons, 5G is now becoming commonplace across both Canada and the U.S. and plays a key role in supporting the growing demand for data at sporting venues,” the analysis states.

The results show users at U.S. arenas saw faster 5G download speeds of 159.7Mbps, compared to the 132.1Mbps reported by Canadian users.

However, the study shows Canadian users experienced a better overall experience with video streaming experience, multiplayer mobile gaming and over-the-top voice services.

Either way, users with access to 5G had a “significantly better” experience than those who didn’t.

The study further found that download speeds differed depending on the carrier. Rogers scored the lowest at 94.3Mbps, and Bell and Telus had higher scores of 168.8Mbps and 184.7Mbps.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Opensignal

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Mobile Syrup

Starlink offers faster download speeds in majority of provinces: report

Starlink has hit a milestone in Canada.

According to a recent analysis by Ookla, Starlink’s median download speed for the fourth quarter of 2021 pulled in front of fixed broadband download speeds.

The data, collected from Speedtest, showed the SpaceX company’s download speeds hit a median of 106.64Mbps. Comparatively, fixed broadband had speeds of 96.39Mbps.

Ookla’s Q3 analysis showed Starlink was trailing behind with download speeds of 84.55Mbps compared to 90.67Mbps for fixed broadband.

Image credit: Ookla

Starlink’s download speeds pulled ahead of fixed broadband in seven of the country’s ten provinces during the recent quarter. Download speeds from both sources were comparable in New Brunswick, and fixed broadband was faster in Alberta and B.C. The analysis notes that the two Western provinces have better access to fiber-to-the-home, connecting fiber directly to residences and businesses.

The company’s median upload speed is still trailing at 12.82Mbps compared to 21.66Mbps for fixed broadband. Starlink’s latency is also much higher at 55ms compared to 11 ms.

But the report notes Canada shouldn’t ignore the satellite operator.

“Starlink should be considered a viable option compared to fixed broadband in Canada, especially for rural consumers or those without access to fast fixed broadband options like fiber,” the report states.

Source: Ookla

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Mobile Syrup

Bell and Telus offering the fastest fiber services in several provinces and cities: analysis

Bell offers Prince Edward Island residents upload speeds 12 times faster compared to the combined speeds of other broadband providers in the area, according to data collected from Speedtest Intelligence in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Speedtest is a tool by Ookla that tests fixed broadband and mobile performance data worldwide.

The recent analysis examines fiber connectivity across Canada, focusing on Bell and Telus, given they serve different parts of the country. Their speeds are compared to the average speeds of other companies that serve the area.

Bell also offered faster median download speeds compared to the market average in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Québec. Telus offered faster services in Alberta and British Columbia.

Bell also led with upload speeds compared to other fixed broadband offerings in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI, and Québec. Telus led in upload speeds for Alberta and British Columbia.

Image credit: Speedtest

Bell and Telus don’t provide service in Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Yukon, impacting services in each province.

For example, the average download speed in Saskatchewan is 68.43Mbps, and the upload speed is 17.04Mbps. This is much slower than the speeds in New Brunswick. Serviced by Bell, the download speed is roughly 160Mbps, and upload is around 120Mbps.

“Infrastructure improvements like laying fiber are very expensive as they often require providers to dig up city streets to physically lay new lines. This often means that fiber deployments are limited to areas with high population density where providers are more likely to recoup costs.”

The analysis shows laying down fiber is worth the cost. In Halifax, for example, fiber upload speeds by Bell are 11.4 times faster than other fixed broadband options. Bell also offered faster upload speed in London, Montréal, Québec City and Toronto. Telus offered faster upload speeds in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, compared to other options.

Source: Speedtest