India falls further in mobile speed rankings, improvements in fixed broadband Ookla

India’s rankings fell three places in median mobile speeds, according to Ookla’s Speedtest global index. India was ranked 115th in May this year, but dropped to 118th in June. It is worth noting that in April and May, India’s mobile broadband speeds improved. But in the month of June 2022, the average mobile download speed in India decreased from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps, according to the data.

While India’s poor performance in mobile broadband speeds continues, it has improved in fixed broadband speeds. India jumped three places in the global ranking for overall average fixed broadband speeds. It is now at number 72 on the list for June, compared to number 75 in May. Fixed median download speeds in India saw a slight increase from 47.86 Mbps in May to 48.11 Mbps in June.

Globally, Norway continues to rank number one for overall global median mobile speeds. In fixed broadband speeds, Chile has regained its number one position from Singapore, which landed in the number two spot. Papua New Guinea and Gabon saw the highest growth in mobile download speeds and fixed broadband speeds, respectively, in June 2022.

India’s mobile broadband rankings have remained at the bottom despite the launch of 4G and its wide acceptance. India’s 5G spectrum auction is expected to start on July 26 with players like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel expected to take part. Adani Data Networks is also a new entrant in the 5G race.

The launch of 5G is expected to improve India’s ranking in Ookla’s global speed test. Doug Suttles, CEO and co-founder of Ookla, had previously told indianexpress.com that the 5G era should be stable for Indian mobile operators and also for the regulator. “With three large-scale operators, it is unlikely that we will return to the price wars that occurred during the early 4G technology cycle, which is important to ensure adequate investment in networks,” he added.