5G Is Here, But How It Performs Varies Widely Depending on Where You Live

5G holds the promise of speed gains and lower latency on mobile networks, but Ookla has found that even in the most advanced markets, not all consumers are having a great 5G experience.

Using Speedtest Intelligence data, Ookla looked at 5G network performance across a wide range of countries and discovered a “huge variance(Opens in a new window).” In the fastest 5G markets—such as the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Qatar—the top 10% of users enjoy speeds up to 1,266.49Mbps on average. However, the lowest 10% are struggling along with around 127Mbps. Ookla puts this down in part to the use of high-frequency spectrum, which has “relatively poorer propagation.”

(Credit: Ookla)

Worryingly, the median 5G download speed is falling in many countries. The problem network operators face is a growing number of users switching to 5G (good news), which puts a strain on the existing infrastructure and requires continued major investment to cope (bad news). The end result is 5G speeds dropping as network operators struggle with escalating costs due to the global economic situation and the limit that imposes on expansion.

The good news is, the US seems to be an outlier in this regard. Median 5G download speeds have been increasing due to investments from T-Mobile and Verizon and more 5G deployment in the C-band spectrum.

Ookla says the challenge for network providers going forward is keeping up with demand because, “as 5G scales in many of these early launch markets, the profile of 5G users is also changing from predominantly urban-based users, to more of a mix of urban, suburban, and rural users, which brings additional coverage and performance challenges.”

What Is 5G?

Disclosure: Ookla is owned by PCMag parent company, Ziff Davis.