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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.
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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
The fastest experience is with Ooredoo
For the second report in a row, Ooredoo wins all four speed awards outright — Download Speed Experience, Upload Speed Experience, 5G Download Speed and 5G Upload Speed. Since the last report, the overall average download speeds seen by our Ooredoo and Vodafone users have risen by 1.7Mbps (3%) and 1.9Mbps (4.9%), respectively, causing Ooredoo’s lead to moderate down to a still remarkable 18.3Mbps. In contrast, Ooredoo’s lead for 5G Download Speed has jumped from 111.7Mbps to 127.6Mbps, as the average 5G download speeds enjoyed by our Ooredoo users have risen by 27.1Mbps versus the rise of 11.3Mbps seen by Vodafone users.
Vodafone stays on top for Availability
As our Vodafone users continue to spend the greatest proportion of their time with a 3G or better connection, Vodafone wins the Availability award outright for the second time in a row. It does so with a score of 99.1% and an unchanged lead of 0.5 percentage points over Ooredoo. However, Vodafone has gone from winning the 5G Availability award outright to sharing it with Ooredoo. The two operators now share the award with statistically tied scores of 12.6-13.6% — in contrast to the last report when Vodafone won with a score of 16.8% and a lead of 2.3 percentage points.
Ooredoo users have the best experience when streaming mobile video — both on-demand and in real-time
Ooredoo wins both awards for on-demand video experience outright for the second time in a row. It also picks up both of the new awards for our users’ experience when streaming mobile video in real-time — Live Video Experience and 5G Live Video Experience. These quantify the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network based on the relationship between technical parameters and the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. These parameters include picture quality, video loading time, stall rate, and live playback offset — the lag between an event happening in real-time and it being seen by the viewer.
The best multiplayer gaming experience is with Ooredoo
Ooredoo is the outright winner of the overall Games Experience award for the second time in a row. In addition, it has gone from sharing the 5G Games Experience award with Vodafone to winning it outright. Ooredoo wins Games Experience with a score of 68 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead of 2.5 points over Vodafone’s 65.5 points. Ooredoo now wins 5G Games Experience with 75.1 points, ahead of Vodafone with 71.3 points.
Ooredoo wins both new coverage experience awards
Ooredoo wins both Coverage Experience and 5G Coverage Experience outright, making it the first Qatari operator to win them in a mobile network experience report. These awards measure the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. Coverage Experience is the geographic coverage of populated areas from users on 2G, 3G, 4G, & 5G connections. 5G Coverage Experience is the geographic coverage of populated areas from 5G users on 5G connections only. Ooredoo wins Coverage Experience with a score of 8.9 points on a 10-point scale and a lead of 0.3 points over Vodafone’s 8.6 points. For 5G Coverage Experience, Ooredoo comes top with a score of 5.1 points, compared to Vodafone’s 4.6 points.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
In this analysis, Ooredoo continues to dominate the award table. This time, it wins all the overall experience and 5G experience awards, both new coverage experience awards and the Consistent Quality Award. The only awards that it does not win outright are 5G Availability, which it shares with Vodafone due to their statistically tied scores, and Availability — as Vodafone wins it outright.
In June 2023, Ericsson and Ooredoo renewed their partnership for another five years to advance 5G connectivity in Qatar. Ericsson will provide Ooredoo with 5G RAN solutions and services, which the vendor says will enable faster speeds, allow Ooredoo to explore new 5G use cases, along with artificial intelligence and machine learning for optimising network performance, while also leveraging the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
In the following month, Ooredoo in partnership with Nokia showcased a successful data call in 5G standalone access (SA) mode and enabled support for Voice over New Radio (VoNR), allowing VoNR 5G devices to make high-quality voice and video calls over an SA network. 5G SA technology, enhances the user experience for applications demanding low latency and remote real-time management.
Back in May 2023, Vodafone announced that had upgraded its network in 2022 in partnership with Cisco, allowing it to provide enhanced 5G services. The upgrade included a Cisco Ultra 5G Core along with features to enhance automation and security, leading to increases in capacity and revenue.
We include for the first time Live Video Experience and 5G Live Video Experience — these new metrics quantify the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. This is also the first report on the Qatari mobile network experience to include the Coverage Experience and 5G Coverage Experience awards. The Consistent Quality award replaces the Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality awards, which featured in previous reports.
In this report we examine the mobile network experience of the two main mobile network operators in Qatar — Ooredoo and Vodafone — over a period of 90 days starting on July 1, 2023 and ending on September 28, 2023, to see how they fared.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
Ooredoo wins the overall on-demand Video Experience award for the ninth time in a row. This time it scores 59.1 points on a 100-point scale, 8.3 points ahead of Vodafone’s 50.8 points. Ooredoo’s winning margin is down from the lead of 11.2 points it commanded last time around as its score fell by 1.7 points while Vodafone’s rose by 1.2 points. Both operators continue to place in the categories as they did last time — Good (58-68) for Ooredoo and Fair (48-58) for Vodafone.
A Good rating for Video Experience means that our Ooredoo users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling. Vodafone’s Fair rating means that our users on its network are able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and substantial stalling.
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
Ooredoo is the first Qatari operator to win Opensignal’s new Live Video Experience award. It does so with a score of 55.2 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead of 10.4 points over Vodafone’s 44.8 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. The metric extends the existing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach used for Opensignal's on-demand Video Experience metric, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including live playback offset, picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. To calculate live video experience, we are directly measuring live video streams from end-user devices and using this extension of ITU's approach to quantify the overall live 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.
National Analysis
This is the second report in a row in which Ooredoo wins the overall Games Experience award outright. It comes top this time around with a score of 68 points on a 100-point scale, giving it a lead of 2.5 points over Vodafone’s 65.5 points.
Both operators place in the Fair (65-75) category. This means that users find the experience to be ‘average’. In most cases the game is responsive to the actions of the player with most users feeling like they have control over the game. The majority of players notice a delay between their actions and the outcomes in the game.
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
Ooredoo wins the overall Download Speed Experience Award outright for the ninth consecutive time. On this occasion, it wins with a score of 58.7Mbps, 18.3Mbps ahead of Vodafone’s 40.4Mbps. Since the last report, the overall average download speeds seen by our Ooredoo and Vodafone users have risen by 1.7Mbps (3%) and 1.9Mbps (4.9%), 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
As with Download Speed Experience, this is the ninth report in a row in which Ooredoo has won the Upload Speed Experience award outright. This time around, our Ooredoo users observe average overall upload speeds of 15.6Mbps — 5.8Mbps (58.6%) faster than Vodafone users. Vodafone remains firmly in second place with a score of 9.8Mbps.
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).
5G Experience
National Analysis
Ooredoo remains the winner of the 5G Video Experience, making this the third report in a row in which it is the sole victor. Ooredoo wins with a score of 66.8 points on a 100-point scale, while Vodafone is 7.2 points behind with 59.6 points. Vodafone’s score has increased by 1.9 points from the previous report, while Ooredoo’s is statistically unchanged. As a result, Vodafone joins Ooredoo in the Good (58-68) category.
This means that our users on both Qatari operators are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling when connected to 5G.
Definitions
5G Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world video streams when they were connected to 5G. 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 5G Video Experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the video experience observed by our users on each operator’s 5G network 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.
National Analysis
Ooredoo is the first Qatari operator to win Opensignal’s new 5G Live Video Experience award. It does so with a score of 61.3 points on a 100-point scale, an impressive 8.6 points ahead of Vodafone’s 52.7 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of real-time video streamed to mobile devices by measuring video streams over an operator's network. The metric extends the existing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach used for Opensignal's on-demand Video Experience metric, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including live playback offset, picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived live video experience as reported by real people. To calculate live video experience, we are directly measuring live video streams from end-user devices and using this extension of ITU's approach to quantify the overall live 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.
5G Live Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world live video streams when they were connected to 5G.
National Analysis
In the last report, Ooredoo and Vodafone shared the 5G Games Experience award due to a statistical tie. This time around, Ooredoo is the outright winner with 75.1 points, 3.8 points ahead of Vodafone’s 71.3 points.
Ooredoo earns a Good (75-85) rating, while Vodafone places in the Fair (65-75) category for the multiplayer mobile gaming experience of our users when connected to 5G.
This means that most of our Ooredoo users deem the 5G experience acceptable. The gameplay experience is generally controllable and the user receives immediate feedback between their actions and the outcomes in the game. Most users do not experience a delay between their actions and the game.
Vodafone’s Fair rating indicates that users find the 5G experience to be ‘average’. In most cases the game is responsive to the actions of the player with most users feeling like they have control over the game. The majority of players notice a delay between their actions and the outcomes in the game.
Definitions
5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator's 5G network. It analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience was affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter. 5G Games Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
5G 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 5G Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games.
National Analysis
Ooredoo’s winning streak for 5G Download Speed remains outbroken. The operator first won it outright in April 2022 report and hasn’t let go of it since — making it the only Qatari operator to ever win this award. This time around, our Ooredoo users observe average 5G download speeds of 398.6Mbps, up 27.1Mbps (7.3%) from the previous report — and 127.6Mbps (47.1%) faster than the 271.1Mbps observed by Vodafone users. Vodafone’s score has risen by 11.3Mbps.
Definitions
5G Download Speed shows the average download speed experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Download Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
National Analysis
Ooredoo wins the 5G Upload Speed award outright for the second report in a row. It wins this time around with a score of 34.4Mbps, giving it a lead of 11.3Mbps over Vodafone.
Definitions
5G Upload Speed measures the average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Upload Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Coverage
Ooredoo
Vodafone
National Analysis
Ooredoo is the first Qatari operator to win Opensignal’s new Coverage Experience award. It does so with a score of 8.9 points on a 10-point scale and a lead of 0.3 points over Vodafone’s 8.6 points.
Definitions
The Opensignal Coverage Experience metric measures the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. The metric represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
Traditional coverage metrics typically estimate either a percentage of land area covered, or a percentage of population covered; often neither will be an accurate measurement of the true user expectation and experience. In many markets there are areas where neither population density nor geographic area reflect the importance of coverage to users. For example, in a large mountain range most users will not expect coverage in the wilderness, but poor coverage in the relatively small area of a ski resort is critical for the enjoyment of a holiday. Estimates based purely on population give undue significance to coverage in the most densely populated areas.
Coverage Experience measures geographic coverage of populated areas and therefore more accurately reflects the coverage expectations and experience of typical users. It can give a result that is somewhat different to traditional estimates based on either geographic or population measures. The metric uses a scale from 0 to 10.
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.
National Analysis
Ooredoo wins the new 5G Coverage Experience award with a score of 5.1 points on a 10-point scale, giving it a lead of of 0.5 points over Vodafone’s score of 4.6 points.
Definitions
The Opensignal Coverage Experience metric measures the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel. The metric represents the experience users receive as they travel around areas where they would reasonably expect to find coverage.
Traditional coverage metrics typically estimate either a percentage of land area covered, or a percentage of population covered; often neither will be an accurate measurement of the true user expectation and experience. In many markets there are areas where neither population density nor geographic area reflect the importance of coverage to users. For example, in a large mountain range most users will not expect coverage in the wilderness, but poor coverage in the relatively small area of a ski resort is critical for the enjoyment of a holiday. Estimates based purely on population give undue significance to coverage in the most densely populated areas.
Coverage Experience measures geographic coverage of populated areas and therefore more accurately reflects the coverage expectations and experience of typical users. It can give a result that is somewhat different to traditional estimates based on either geographic or population measures. The metric uses a scale from 0 to 10.
5G Coverage Experience shows the proportion of places Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 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.
National Analysis
Our Vodafone users continue to spend the greatest proportion of time with a 3G connection or better. Vodafone wins the Availability award outright for the second time in a row — and this is the only award that Vodafone wins solely in this report. Vodafone triumphs with a score of 99.1%, 0.5 percentage points ahead of Ooredoo’s 98.6%. Both operators’ scores are statistically unchanged from the previous report.
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.
National Analysis
Ooredoo and Vodafone share the 5G Availability award with statistically tied scores of 12.6-13.6% — the proportion of time that our 5G users spend with an active 5G connection. This is a change from the previous report, when Vodafone won the award outright.
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.
5G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 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
Ooredoo wins the Consistent Quality award outright with a score of 64.8%, while Vodafone is 9.8 percentage points behind with a score of 55.9%. The Consistent Quality award replaces the Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality awards — both of which were won by Ooredoo in the previous report.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures if the network is sufficient to support common mobile application requirements at a level that is ‘good enough’ for users to maintain (or complete) various typical tasks on their devices.
We combine different experience indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet discard, and time to first byte to calculate Consistent Quality. These components are evaluated against thresholds recommended by various more demanding common applications used for a range of common tasks.
To calculate the metric value, the proportion of tests that pass the requirements of Consistent Quality is multiplied by the test success ratio, which is the proportion of completed tests to all tests conducted. Tests that pass indicate that activities such as video calling, uploading an image to social media, or using smart home applications will be possible without noticeable lag or slowdown.
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