A new report by OpenSignal has reviewed mobile and wifi speeds and has discovered that smartphone users now experience faster average download speeds using a mobile network than using wifi.
Ten years ago, wifi was faster than mobile almost all of the time but things have changed. 4G networks have launched and smartphone ownership is widespread. Mobile video consumption has exploded. Smartphones have become a mainstream way to watch TV, to such an extent that Netflix is trialling mobile-only tariff plans. Despite this, the perception that mobile networks are inferior to wifi has persisted.
OpenSignal surveyed mobile networks and wifi connections in 80 countries and found that mobile networks already outpace wifi connections in 33 countries, from Algeria and Australia, to United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
The report calls on operators to re-evaluate and reposition mobile and wifi.
- Operators must become smarter with Wifi offload strategies.
- Relying only on wifi for indoor experience will not be viable.
- Devices will connect to Wifi and mobile at once.
Source: The Register – incudes a link to the full report.