Opensignal: 5G experience report in the GCC region

Opensignal collects user experience data in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to track the development of 5G networks.

Compared with the last test, the user experience in the region has improved significantly from April 1 to June 29, 2022. Bahrain's measured 5G download speed increased by 26.8%, from 187Mbps to 237Mbps; 5G upload speed increased by 25.4%, from 15.3Mbps to 19.1Mbps. Oman's 5G video experience and 5G gaming experience improved most significantly, increasing by 8.3% and 18.9% respectively. Oman and Kuwait had the largest increase in 5G availability, up 1.8 and 2.9 percentage points respectively.

The UAE had the highest 5G download speed, with an average measured speed of 333.3 Mbps, followed by Qatar and Kuwait. The UAE and Qatar tied for first place in 5G download peak speed, with statistical scores of 792.9-866.3 Mbps, and 5G upload speed scores of 26.7-28.5 Mbps.

Analyzing the user experience when connected to a 5G network, all Gulf countries scored 5G video experience as very good (65-75) or excellent (75 or above).

The situation is different for 5G gaming experience, which is affected by different types of mobile network conditions, including latency, packet loss and jitter, with the UAE and Bahrain performing best in this regard, with scores of 74.4-75.7.

Users are experiencing an incredible increase in 5G speeds compared to older 4G technology. Across the six markets, average download speeds on the new 5G networks were 5.6 to 10 times faster than older 4G. Similarly, the 5G video experience has been greatly improved, with mobile video streaming experiences improving by 22.6%-46.2%. These stark differences highlight the importance of helping users connect to 5G as much as possible to enjoy a better experience.