Ookla, the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis today recognised Etisalat for being the fastest mobile network operator worldwide in 2020 providing its subscribers the most superior experience with the fastest mobile speeds from anywhere in the world.
This major achievement is a testimony of UAE’s leadership’s vision to transform the country to a digital first and knowledge based economy.
The ranking is based on analysis by Ookla of millions of tests actively initiated by customers across every network to check internet speeds using various applications on web and mobile platforms. The Speedtest Awards™ for top network providers are determined using a ‘Speed Score’ that incorporates a measure of each provider’s network speeds (download and upload) to rank network speed performance.
With a download speed of 115.89 mbps and an overall ranking in the ‘Speed Score’ at 98.78, Etisalat is the only operator globally to rank higher than 90 as per Ookla Speedtest data. Etisalat is also the winner of the Speedtest Awards for both fastest mobile network worldwide in Q1-Q2 and Q2-Q3 in 2020 and fastest fixed broadband network in Q3-Q4 2019.
Hatem Dowidar, Acting CEO, Etisalat Group, said, “This is a milestone achievement and a testament to our relentless efforts towards our strategy and vision to ‘Drive the digital future to empower societies’. Our corporate strategy has enabled us to consistently push boundaries, by responding swiftly to the global digital advancements and proactively deliver cutting-edge services and solutions to our customers. We will continue to focus on creating the world’s best and leading networks across our markets to deliver long-term value to all our stakeholders.
“Thanks to the vision of our wise leadership in the UAE in positioning the country among the most digitally advanced globally and inspiring us to realise our efforts by delivering world-class networks, infrastructure and innovative services. We are also grateful to the leaders for their continuous support and want to express our gratitude to all our loyal customers for their confidence in driving us to accomplish our goals of driving digital innovations for a better future.”
Doug Suttles, CEO and co-founder of Ookla said: “Today, I am honoured to recognise Etisalat UAE with the fastest mobile network in the world. This is a truly momentous accolade, and one that Etisalat absolutely deserves. Etisalat is at the top of the world in terms of network speed and is officially the world's fastest mobile network. In addition to being awarded as the fastest mobile operator, Etisalat is also recognised with the fastest fixed broadband network in the GCC and Arab region. This is a truly historic and proud moment for the country and Etisalat.
“With everything going digital and online the fast network will help transform the lives of Etisalat subscribers. This is another incredible achievement showcasing the company’s commitment to advancing the UAE and empowering its leadership with a strategic edge in taking one large step closer to realising the UAE Vision 2021 plan and national digital transformation strategy.”
The achievement is significant in current times when the pandemic caused global crisis highlighting the importance of a robust and up-to-date network. Etisalat’s individual efforts in building one of the most advanced networks greatly impacted the country’s overall performance — and as a result the UAE was ranked the fastest country in the world in January, March and July 2020 for average mobile download speed, as reported on the Speedtest Global Index™.
As per Ookla, global networks witnessed an exponential surge in network demand through the pandemic. During this period, it was essential to maintain network performance and quality to support business continuity and ensure consumers had access to essential services as well as continue to remotely work and study from home.
From the beginning Etisalat was always the first in the region to take a lead and launch previous generations of the network mainly 3G, 4G and 5G. As a previous winner of the Speedtest Award™ for fastest mobile network and fastest broadband network in the region for 2019 Etisalat amplified its efforts on improving the mobile network, supporting business continuity in a work-from-home environment, facilitating distance learning and providing entertainment to families at home.