BackOpinion | Broadband enters faster lane, but mobile internet struggles to keep pace in 2019
India continues to be a uniquely challenging market for network development
PremiumFast internet connections are a prerequisite for a fast-growing economy, and India is no exception. As we look back at 2019, there are several notable takeaways from the Indian telecom market that we see in our data, based on real-time network intelligence from consumers using Speedtest.
Broadband speeds are improving
Introduction of new fibre-to-the-home services helped improve average fixed broadband download speeds in India, which rose by 16.5% during Q2-Q3 2019 and reached an average of 34.07 mbps in September.
During the same time, Bangladesh saw a similar rate of improvement, but a lower September average download speed of 24.02 mbps. In Pakistan, average download speed stayed relatively flat between 8.54-9.14 mbps.
Compared to last year, India’s global ranking based on average fixed broadband download speeds has slipped from 63rd to 70th position as of October 2019. The growth in the broadband sector in 2019 bodes well for continued improvement in the New Year and beyond.
MOBILE INTERNET LOSES MOMENTUM
India’s mobile internet ranking has fallen from 112 to 130 year-on-year, as of October 2019. However, mobile download speeds were observed to be relatively flat despite these ranking changes, fluctuating between 10.63 mbps and 11.18 mbps during April-September 2019.
The potential for improvement in India’s mobile internet speed in the coming decade is massive. The global emergence of 5G certainly presents an opportunity, but one that is likely far off. For now, the focus on expanding and optimizing existing networks (particularly 4G) will be critical for advancement.
India continues to be a uniquely challenging market for network development.
There are several factors for this. One of the key challenges telecom operators in India face is catering to a large population and diverse geographic area with growing yet limited infrastructure.
The Indian landmass, with its diverse topographical features and difficult terrains, poses a challenge by rendering many parts of the country incredibly difficult for network infrastructure to reach. Creating and maintaining a sophisticated network system in such conditions is a daunting task.
Besides landmass challenges, India’s huge population is also an important factor.
The large (and growing) number of people using a network at any given time is a core reason for network congestion and slower internet speeds. India’s high population density affects network speed directly.
THE BRIGHT SPOT: 4G AVAILABILITY IS HIGH
India’s 4G availability, the percentage of an operator’s known locations where a device has access to long-term evolution (LTE) service, was relatively high at 87.9% across all major operators in Q2-Q3 2019. During the same period, Pakistan’s 4G availability was at 58.9% and Bangladesh’s was at 58.7%.
General availability, the percentage of an operator’s known locations where a device has access to any kind of service, was also quite high (in the 98-99% range) for India’s largest mobile operators in most of the country’s 15 largest cities.
India’s positive 4Gavailability trend is expected to expand as operators continue building out LTE capable networks. However, there are still threats to progress.
When large networks are over-saturated, the potential for a decline in speed and data availability increases. As 4G availability increases, so do the number of consumers owning 4G-capable handsets and, as a result, the networks are straining to keep up with the increasing number of users. The capacity and infrastructure of available networks speak volumes to a user’s experience overall.
We will be watching the Indian telecom market closely as we enter this next chapter and look forward to sharing insights as developments surface.
Doug Suttles is co-founder and CEO of Ookla.
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