Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
Our users on Tigo’s network saw the fastest average download speeds in Colombia, clocking in at 17.3 Mbps — 5.2 Mbps (42.9%) ahead of second-placed Claro. Tigo wins the Download Speed Experience award for the third time in a row and remains unbeatable since our January 2021 report. However, Claro whittled away Tigo’s lead, bringing it down from the 6.8 Mbps (61.3%) as seen in the previous report. The newcomer WOM takes third place, with a score of 11.5 Mbps.
Claro holds the 4G Coverage Experience award in a firm grasp and claims the award for the fifth time in a row, this time with a score of 6.5 points on a 10-point scale. Opensignal’s 4G Coverage Experience metric is a measure of how mobile subscribers experience 4G coverage on an operator’s network. It analyzes the locations where customers of a network operator received a 4G signal relative to the locations visited by users of all network operators.
Tigo wins all three of our experiential awards — Games Experience, Video Experience and Voice App Experience — for the second report in a row. The operator wins both the Video Experience and Voice Experience awards outright for the third time in a row. Movistar and WOM are in a statistical tie for second place for the Video Experience award and Claro is the runner-up in the two remaining experiential categories.
Tigo has been showing stunning progress in its 4G Availability scores in the previous reports. The operator hit the 80% mark in our July 2020 report, the 85% mark in our January 2021 report and then the 90% mark in the previous report. This time, Tigo wins the 4G Availability award again and its score increased by 1.9 percentage points. Our 4G users on Tigo were, on average, connected to 4G services on their network 92.9% of the time.
As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity. Our users on all established Colombian networks — Claro, Movistar and Tigo — experienced boosts in their average upload speeds, ranging from 0.8 to 1.3 Mbps. Tigo wins the Upload Speed Experience award for the third time in a row and widens its lead over second-placed Movistar to 2.4 Mbps (40.8%) up from the 2 Mbps (39.4%) seen in the previous report.
Our award table saw no changes since the last report — Tigo wins all but one of the awards outright. The only exception is 4G Coverage Experience, which Claro successfully defends and claims outright for the fifth time in a row. Tigo increased its lead over its competitors in Upload Speed Experience and 4G Availability categories, but its lead in Download Speed Experience over Claro declined. For the first time, we have directly compared the mobile network experience of our users on WOM, a new player in the Colombian mobile market, against the experience of users on other established Colombian networks.
WOM announced in August 2021 that it signed up one million subscribers since it launched in April 2021. The operator attracted new customers by offering plans, which undercut its competitors’ prices by 40%. With a new aggressive player in the market, managing subscriber churn will become an even greater challenge for the established mobile operators in Colombia. Maintaining high quality of mobile network experience will remain crucial to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
While Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC) has not yet scheduled an auction of 5G spectrum , in November the regulator announced plans for public consultation on increasing spectrum caps for the frequencies below 3 GHz — up to 50 MHz in the frequency range below 1 GHz and to 95 MHz in the 1710MHz-2690MHz range. The regulator is also considering applying an 80 MHz spectrum cap for the 3300MHz-3700MHz frequencies and intends to make all 400 MHz in this range available for 5G services. Earlier this year, in October, MinTIC renewed Claro and Movistar’s 1900 MHz spectrum licenses, while requiring the operators to update their technology and improve their coverage and quality of services.
In this report, we've analyzed the mobile network experience for Colombia's established national operators — Claro, Movistar and Tigo — and a new market entrant WOM, over a period of 90 days beginning September 1 and ending November 29, 2021, to see how they fared.
| Mobile Experience Awards Colombia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
January 2022,
Colombia Report
|
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
Video Experience
| ||||
Games Experience
| ||||
Voice App Experience
| ||||
Download Speed Experience
| ||||
Upload Speed Experience
| ||||
4G Availability
| ||||
4G Coverage Experience
| ||||
|
Mobile Experience Awards Winners
|
January 2022,
Colombia
|
|---|---|
|
Video Experience
|
T
Tigo
|
|
Games Experience
|
T
Tigo
|
|
Voice App Experience
|
T
Tigo
|
|
Download Speed Experience
|
T
Tigo
|
|
Upload Speed Experience
|
T
Tigo
|
|
4G Availability
|
T
Tigo
|
|
4G Coverage Experience
|
C
Claro
|
Tigo wins the Video Experience award for the third time in a row, with a score of 60.6 points — 7.3-7.9 points ahead of WOM and Movistar, which were in a statistical tie for second place. The winner was the only operator to place in the Good (65<75) category.
|
Video Experience
Additional Metrics |
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 0-100 points | ||||
|
4G Video Experience
| 55.6 (± 0.42) | 59.3 (± 0.60) | 63.5 (± 0.45) | 61.6 (± 0.98) |
|
3G Video Experience
| 31.4 (± 0.93) | 33.2 (± 1.36) | 38.5 (± 1.70) | 31.4 (± 2.66) |
| 4G Video Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
56 (± 0.42) |
|
M
Movistar
|
59 (± 0.60) |
|
T
Tigo
|
64 (± 0.45) |
|
W
WOM
|
62 (± 0.98) |
| 3G Video Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
31 (± 0.93) |
|
M
Movistar
|
33 (± 1.36) |
|
T
Tigo
|
39 (± 1.70) |
|
W
WOM
|
31 (± 2.66) |
Opensignal’s Video Experience metric quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using an ITU-based approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In the previous report, Tigo successfully broke out of a statistical tie it was in with Claro and claimed the Games Experience award outright. This time, Tigo defended this award, with a score of 47.3 points. Claro placed second again, 6.3 points behind the winner, but 1.4 points ahead of WOM.
|
Games Experience
Additional Metrics |
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 0-100 points | ||||
|
4G Games Experience
| 51.0 (± 0.38) | 43.2 (± 0.49) | 52.9 (± 0.53) | 51.5 (± 1.31) |
|
3G Games Experience
| 33.4 (± 0.12) | 32.5 (± 0.21) | 33.4 (± 0.29) | 31.8 (± 0.38) |
| 4G Games Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
51 (± 0.38) |
|
M
Movistar
|
43 (± 0.49) |
|
T
Tigo
|
53 (± 0.53) |
|
W
WOM
|
52 (± 1.31) |
| 3G Games Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
33 (± 0.12) |
|
M
Movistar
|
33 (± 0.21) |
|
T
Tigo
|
33 (± 0.29) |
|
W
WOM
|
32 (± 0.38) |
Opensignal’s Games Experience metric is a measure of how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how the multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter to determine the impact on gameplay and the overall multiplayer gaming experience.
Tigo completes our experiential awards triplet by claiming our Voice App Experience award outright. The operator finishes first in this category for the third consecutive time, with a score of 76.3 points — 4.3 points ahead of second-placed Claro. Tigo was the only operator that rated Acceptable (74<80) for Voice App Experience — however, when looking at our 4G Voice App Experience metric,, users on all operators in Colombia enjoyed an Acceptable voice app experience on their 4G connections. An Acceptable rating means that users were generally able to comprehend without repetition, but some of them experienced perceptible call quality impairments such as clicking sounds or distortion of short duration.
|
Voice App Experience
Additional Metrics |
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in 0-100 points | ||||
|
4G Voice App Experience
| 75.0 (± 0.18) | 74.6 (± 0.29) | 77.9 (± 0.23) | 77.4 (± 0.53) |
|
3G Voice App Experience
| 64.2 (± 0.38) | 62.6 (± 0.69) | 64.8 (± 0.79) | 52.2 (± 1.32) |
| 4G Voice App Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
75 (± 0.18) |
|
M
Movistar
|
75 (± 0.29) |
|
T
Tigo
|
78 (± 0.23) |
|
W
WOM
|
77 (± 0.53) |
| 3G Voice App Experience | in 0-100 points |
|
C
Claro
|
64 (± 0.38) |
|
M
Movistar
|
63 (± 0.69) |
|
T
Tigo
|
65 (± 0.79) |
|
W
WOM
|
52 (± 1.32) |
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
This is the third consecutive report in which Tigo has triumphed in the Download Speed Experience category, this time with a score of 17.3 Mbps — a decline of 0.6 Mbps (3.3%) compared with the previous report. As our users on second-placed Claro saw an increase in their average download speeds of one Mbps, the runner-up narrowed the gap between it and the winner from 6.8 (61.3%) to 5.2 Mbps (42.9%). Newcomer WOM takes third place, with a score of 11.5 Mbps. Movistar’s score of 10 Mbps was statistically unchanged from the last report.
|
Download Speed Experience
Additional Metrics |
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in Mbps | ||||
|
4G Download Speed
| 15.0 (± 0.14) | 12.3 (± 0.15) | 18.7 (± 0.19) | 14.5 (± 0.29) |
|
3G Download Speed
| 4.4 (± 0.09) | 3.4 (± 0.08) | 6.4 (± 0.25) | 3.6 (± 0.18) |
| 4G Download Speed | in Mbps |
|
C
Claro
|
15 (± 0.14) |
|
M
Movistar
|
12 (± 0.15) |
|
T
Tigo
|
19 (± 0.19) |
|
W
WOM
|
15 (± 0.29) |
| 3G Download Speed | in Mbps |
|
C
Claro
|
4 (± 0.09) |
|
M
Movistar
|
3 (± 0.08) |
|
T
Tigo
|
6 (± 0.25) |
|
W
WOM
|
4 (± 0.18) |
In terms of 4G download speeds, our users on Tigo experienced the fastest average download speeds of 18.7 Mbps. Movistar and Tigo users saw declines in average 4G download speeds, of 0.5 and 2.1 Mbps respectively, while Claro users observed an increase of 1 Mbps. In addition, our users on WOM networks enjoyed average 4G download speeds of 14.5 Mbps, which led to a statistical tie with Claro for second place. These changes resulted in Tigo’s lead over second-placed competitors decrease from 6.9 to around four Mbps.
Tigo secures both of our speed awards for the third time in a row — and wins the Upload Speed Experience award with a score of 8.4 Mbps. Our users on all established Colombian networks — Claro, Movistar and Tigo — enjoyed increases in their average upload speeds. Thanks to a speed boost of 1.2 Mbps (17.2%), Tigo increased its lead over runner-up Movistar to 2.4 Mbps (40.8%) up from the 2 Mbps (39.4%) seen in the previous report. However, our users on Claro saw the highest increase in their average upload speeds of 1.3 Mbps (28.1%), which helped the operator to decrease the gap separating it from second-placed Movistar from 0.6 to 0.2 Mbps. In its first appearance in our Upload Speed Experience category, WOM lagged behind its competitors with a score of 4.9 Mbps.
|
Upload Speed Experience
Additional Metrics |
C
Claro
|
M
Movistar
|
T
Tigo
|
W
WOM
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in Mbps | ||||
|
4G Upload Speed
| 7.3 (± 0.07) | 7.7 (± 0.10) | 9.3 (± 0.10) | 6.4 (± 0.16) |
|
3G Upload Speed
| 1.6 (± 0.05) | 0.9 (± 0.04) | 1.9 (± 0.11) | 1.0 (± 0.09) |
| 4G Upload Speed | in Mbps |
|
C
Claro
|
7 (± 0.07) |
|
M
Movistar
|
8 (± 0.10) |
|
T
Tigo
|
9 (± 0.10) |
|
W
WOM
|
6 (± 0.16) |
| 3G Upload Speed | in Mbps |
|
C
Claro
|
2 (± 0.05) |
|
M
Movistar
|
1 (± 0.04) |
|
T
Tigo
|
2 (± 0.11) |
|
W
WOM
|
1 (± 0.09) |
Looking at 4G Upload Speed, our users on all established Colombian networks experienced boosts in their average upload speeds, ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 Mbps. Tigo saw the fastest average 4G upload speeds of 9.3 Mbps, 1.6 Mbps ahead of Movistar. Again, our users on Claro’s network saw the highest boost in their upload speeds, of 1.5 Mbps (26%), bringing the gap between it and Movistar down from 1.2 to 0.4 Mbps.
In the previous report, Tigo became the first operator in Colombia to hit the 90% milestone in 4G Availability. This time it improved its score by 1.9 percentage points and defends its hold on the 4G Availability award once again. Our 4G users on Tigo were, on average, connected to 4G services on their network 92.9% of the time. Movistar pulled ahead of Claro, thanks to an increase in its score of 1.1 percentage points, combined with Claro’s score declining by 3.3 percentage points — and Movistar is in a statistical tie for second place with the new market entrant, WOM, As a result of these changes, Tigo’s lead increased from 10.3 to around 12.9 percentage points.
Opensignal’s 4G Availability metric shows the average proportion of time that our users spend with a 4G connection on each operator's network.
Claro holds the 4G Coverage Experience in a firm grasp, winning it for the fifth report in a row, this time with a score of 6.5 points on a 10-point scale. Both Claro and Movistar saw modest increases in their scores by 0.1 points — however, Tigo’s score rose by 0.4 points. As a result, Tigo overtakes Movistar for second place and is now 1.4 points behind the leader. WOM trailed behind with a score of 3.1 points — however, the operator only launched in April 2021 and is still in the process of rolling-out its network.
4G Coverage Experience measures how mobile subscribers experience 4G coverage on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-10, it analyzes the locations where customers of a network operator received a 4G signal relative to the locations visited by users of all network operators.
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
Opensignal is the mobile analytics company committed to improving mobile connectivity across the globe. We are the independent authority for understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
Get in touch for more information on our analytics solutions and industry reports.
Opensignal Limited retains ownership of this report including all intellectual property rights, data, content, graphs & analysis. Reports produced by Opensignal Limited may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed, published for any commercial purpose (including use in advertisements or other promotional content) without prior written consent. Journalists are encouraged to quote information included in Opensignal reports provided they include clear source attribution. For more information, contact [email protected].
