Japan

In Japan the 5G experience continues to be far superior to older 4G technology. But it’s not only the average experience which is better with 5G, but also the consistency of the mobile experience. At busy times of the day when there are more users awake and more usage of the networks, Opensignal’s latest analysis shows the quality of the 4G experience falls much more than the 5G experience and is more likely to cause users problems.

In this latest Opensignal analysis on Japan, we have analyzed the 5G mobile experience in busy high-traffic areas of Japan —  across its international airports and on Tokyo’s Yamanote line, which connects some of the busiest train stations in the world. Our users on the Yamanote line and in these major airports were able to connect to 5G services for a higher amount of time than Tokyo or Yokohama city averages. However, differences in 5G Download Speeds were not as significant when we compared these high-traffic areas with city or Japan-wide averages.

In this new analysis, Opensignal has observed substantially lower signal strength experienced by our users in Japan when connected to 5G, compared with other East Asian markets — Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. As we have seen in Europe and the U.S. lower signal power levels often mean a worse 5G experience for users.

With the autumn smartphone upgrade cycle about to start, with the recent launch of new Samsung foldable models such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip3 and the new iPhone, as well as models from other brands, many mobile users will be considering purchasing their first 5G phone. Opensignal has again looked at the 5G experience to see how it compares globally and how 5G holds up against the older 4G mobile experience which will be used by most upgraders with 4G-only phones.

Business users were the first adopters of mobile phones in the 1980s and early 1990s. More recently, over the last decade the typical mobile user has been a consumer with the arrival of the modern smartphone. But mobile services have remained extremely important to business and more and more businesses have relied on mobile service to operate, especially during the many challenges of the last year.