Saudi mobile operators offered higher internet speed in Q4 2018

Saudi mobile operators provided an average download speed of 28.7 Mbps in Q4 2018, a rise of 4.7 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), according to the Communications and Information Technology Commission’s (CITC) Meqyas quarterly report.

The average upload speed also edged up 0.7 percent QoQ to 13.5Mbps in the same period.

For fixed-line upload speeds, Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) delivered users with the highest upload performance over fiber connections at 97.5 percent, compared to 95.8 percent in Q3 2018.

Etihad Etisalat Co.’s (Mobily) upload performance on fiber connections improved from 89.3 percent from 95.4 percent. STC’s ADSL performance saw a decline for the second consecutive quarter to 82.5 percent from 90.2 percent. 

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“Full HD streaming of YouTube videos was successful across the majority of tests conducted for all service providers and technologies, with a maximum of 89 percent for STC’s fiber service,” the telecom regulator said.

Mobily’s fiber service stood at 88 percent. STC's ADSL service reached 86 percent.

“Each of these represents a significant increase from Q3’s performance, between an 8 percent and 12 percent shift from HD videos in Q3 to Full HD in Q4,” CITC added.