Spain
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Spain
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
Movistar has the fastest speed experience in Spain
Once again, Movistar is the outright winner of the Download Speed Experience and Upload Speed Experience awards. This time it wins with a score of 34.5 Mbps for users’ average download speeds and a lead of 3 Mbps over second placed Orange’s 31.5 Mbps. Yoigo and Vodafone were further behind with scores of 25.3 and 22.8 Mbps, respectively. On Upload Speed Experience, Movistar’s score of 11.1 Mbps was 1.3 Mbps (13.4%) faster than Vodafone’s 9.8 Mbps.
Movistar wins both Consistency awards
Looking at the percentage of users’ tests that met the thresholds for both demanding applications such as watching HD video and lower performance applications like web browsing, Movistar had the highest scores, making it the outright winner of both the Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality awards. It wins the former with a score of 83.5% and a margin of 10.3 percentage points, as second-placed Orange scored 73.2%. Movistar wins Core Consistent Quality with a score of 94%, putting it at least two percentage points ahead of its rivals.
Spanish users had their best video streaming experience on Movistar’s network
Movistar is the sole winner of the Video Experience award. Its score of 57 points on a 100 point scale, gives it a lead of over four points as Orange and Yoigo statistically tie for second place with scores in the 52.2-52.6 point range.
Vodafone and Movistar share the Games Experience and Voice App Experience awards
Our Spanish users had their best overall experience when playing multiplayer mobile games or using over the top voice apps over cellular connections on Movistar and Vodafone’s networks. In both categories the two operators are joint winners because of statistically tied scores — 64.1-64.6 points for Games Experience and around 78 points for Voice App Experience. In addition, our Orange and Yoigo users did not see any statistically differences in their experience in Games Experience and Voice App Experience and therefore share last place in both categories.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
Looking at the awards table, Movistar has a veritable dragon’s hoard of trophies to its name. The operator wins three out of five Overall Experience awards outright — Video Experience, Download Speed Experience and Upload Speed Experience — while sharing the remaining two awards with Vodafone. Also, Movistar is part of a four-way tie for Availability and the outright winner of both Consistency awards.
Vodafone is the operator with the second most impressive haul of awards — as it shares the Games Experience and Voice App Experience awards with Movistar.
In July, Orange and Masmovil (Yoigo’s parent company) signed a binding agreement to combine their operations in Spain and they expect to close the deal in the second half of 2023 at the latest, taking into account the fact that the transaction is subject to approval from antitrust authorities. According to a statement from Orange, the resulting efficiency gains will allow the combined company to accelerate investments in 5G and fiber to the home (FTTH).
In this report, we've analyzed our data gathered in the 90 day period beginning on March 1 and ending on May 29, 2022, to see how Spain’s four national operators — Movistar, Orange, Vodafone and Yoigo — measure up.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
Movistar wins the Video Experience award outright, with a score of 57 points on a 100 point scale. This means that our users in Spain had their best overall average experience when streaming video on smartphones over cellular connections on Movistar’s network. Orange and Yoigo are in joint second place due to a statistical tie, over four points behind Movistar, with scores of 52.2-52.6 points. Vodafone is in last place with 49.2 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU 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 — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
When it comes to playing mobile multiplayer games over cellular connections our Movistar and Vodafone users had the best available experience, given their statistically tied scores of 64.1-64.6 points on a 100 point scale. Meanwhile, Orange and Yogio are tied for last place with scores in the 60-61.7 point range.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
As is the case with Games Experience, Movistar and Vodafone are joint winners of the Voice App Experience award. The two operators win with statistically tied scores in the 78-78.2 point range. Orange and Yoigo aren’t far behind, given their tied scores of 76.6-77.1 points.
All four operators placed in the Acceptable (74-80) category. This means that some users were satisfied. Perceptible call quality impairments were experienced by some users. Clicking sounds of short duration or distortion were heard, and/or the volume may not have been sufficiently loud. Listeners were generally able to comprehend without repetition.
Definitions
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 the 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.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Our Movistar users observed the fastest average download speeds of 34.5 Mbps, across all generations of mobile technology. This was 3 Mbps (9.6%) faster than they observed on second placed Orange’s network, given its score of 31.5 Mbps. Yoigo and Vodafone are in third and fourth place, with scores of 25.3 and 22.8 Mbps, respectively.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
Movistar is the outright winner of the Upload Speed Experience award with a score of 11.1 Mbps — or 1.3 Mbps (13.4%) faster than second placed Vodafone’s score of 9.8 Mbps. Orange is in third place with 9.1 Mbps, while Yoigo brings up the rear with 7.8 Mbps. Upload speeds are becoming increasingly important as social media encourages users to create and upload their own content, rather than just consuming that produced by others.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. 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.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Coverage
Movistar
Orange
Vodafone
Yoigo
National Analysis
No operator distinguished itself from the rest of the pack in terms of the proportion of time that our users spent connected to 3G, 4G or 5G. Because of a four-way statistical tie, all four operators are joint winners of the Availability award with scores in a very narrow 98-98.2% range. The higher Availability is, the less time users on average spent without a mobile signal or having to rely on 2G services.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
Consistency
National Analysis
Movistar is the sole winner of the Excellent Consistent Quality award. It wins with a score of 83.5% and a lead of 10.3 percentage points over second placed Orange’s 73.2%. Yoigo is in third place with 71.9%, while Vodafone is further behind with 62.5%.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Excellent Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds to watch HD video, complete group video conference calls and play games.
National Analysis
Movistar also wins the second Consistency award — Core Consistent Quality — doing so with a score of 94%. Orange is in second place with 92%, two percentage points behind the winner, while Yoigo and Vodafone are in third and fourth place, with scores of 89.9% and 85%, respectively.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Core Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds for lower performance applications including SD video, voice calls and web browsing.
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience