As the year draws to a close and 5G becomes available across most major cities and towns, Ookla examined whether upgrading to 5G is currently worthwhile.
Ookla Speedtest provides a widely used tool for analyzing network performance and offers the company real-world insight into how the global rollout of the latest mobile technology is progressing.
For its Q3 2021 analysis, Ookla compared test results from the non-5G iPhone 11 with those from 5G-enabled iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 devices. This comparison served as the primary indicator of performance differences between the newer 5G networks and previous-generation mobile networks in each market.
Median 5G download speed improvements observed by country were as follows:
- Australia: 4x faster (Median 5G download speed = 258.82 Mbps)
- Bahrain: 0.85x faster (102.93 Mbps)
- Canada: 3x faster (163.34 Mbps)
- China: 10x faster (278.22 Mbps)
- France: 3x faster (151.21 Mbps)
- Japan: 2x faster (95.82 Mbps)
- Saudi Arabia: 5x faster (379.37 Mbps)
- South Africa: 2x faster (73.44 Mbps)
- South Korea: 3x faster (193.34 Mbps)
- UAE: 4x faster (485.59 Mbps)
- UK: 5x faster (138.57 Mbps)
- US: 3x faster (85.10 Mbps)
In some markets such as Bahrain, Japan, and South Africa, the observed performance gains are modest—ranging from 0.85x to 2x—making it harder for residents to justify higher costs for 5G devices and plans at this stage.
Many countries show more substantial improvements. In Australia, Canada, France, South Korea, the UAE, and the US, median 5G speeds are roughly three to four times faster than previous-generation results, which may make upgrading more attractive for consumers in those regions.
A smaller number of countries—China, Saudi Arabia, and the UK—demonstrate particularly large gains, with median 5G speeds improving five- to tenfold. In those locations, people whose primary locations are covered by 5G are likely to find upgrading worthwhile.
In related news, Ookla announced the acquisition of network intelligence firm RootMetrics. The move combines crowd-sourced measurement, controlled testing, and consumer perception into a broader network assessment capability.
Ookla CEO and co-founder Doug Suttles commented: “Ookla plus RootMetrics fully enables the network assessment trifecta of crowd measurement, controlled testing, and consumer perception—with a sustainable business model that should thrive through the privacy revolution.”
Expect more in-depth analysis from Ookla going forward as the company expands its network intelligence offerings.
(Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash)
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