Colombia
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.
Colombia
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
Claro keeps its Coverage Experience award in a firm grip
Claro remains the clear winner for Coverage Experience, its score of 8.2 points on a 10-point scale is over double that of the closest competitor, Movistar, which places second with a score of four points. Tigo and WOM are even further behind with their respective scores of 3.7 points and 2.3 points.
Colombian users have the best experience streaming video on WOM’s network
WOM defends its win for Video Experience with a score of 50.9 points on a 100-point scale, although Claro is hot on WOM’s heels with its score of 49.1 points. WOM and Claro both rate as Fair (48-58) for Video Experience, while Movistar and Tigo rate as Poor (under 48). WOM also wins the newly introduced Live Video Experience award with a score of 40.1 points on a 100-point scale, again slightly ahead of second-placed Claro. Live Video Experience quantifies live video streaming used for current events, such as live sports, game streams, music concerts, or news.
Tigo once again claims both speed awards
Tigo continues to dominate the speed awards, taking home both Download Speed Experience and Upload Speed Experience. Tigo has won both awards outright in almost every report since January 2021 — WOM took home Download Speed Experience in the January 2023 report. Tigo wins Download Speed Experience this time around with a score of 13.9Mbps, although Claro is not far behind, separated by just 0.7Mbps. Upload Speed Experience is a similar story, Tigo’s 7.9Mbps placing it 0.3Mbps (4.2%) above second-placed Claro.
The most consistent experience is with WOM
WOM retains the Consistent Quality award, keeping hold of it with its score of 48.2%. Tigo moves into second place, 13.7 percentage points below the lead; Movistar and Claro finish in third and fourth place. WOM’s lead over second place has shrunk between reports due to its score decreasing by three percentage points.
Tigo comes top for Games Experience
Tigo has wrestled the Games Experience award away from previous winner, WOM. Tigo places first with a score of 50.8 points on a 100-point scale while WOM occupies second place with a score of 50.1 points. WOM slips off of the top-spot due to a 2.7-point decrease in score, coupled with Tigo’s score rising by one point.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
In Opensignal’s previous report on the mobile network experience in Colombia, WOM and Tigo were neck and neck in terms of number of awards won. This time, however, Tigo manages to edge out the competition, winning five awards outright — retaining both speed awards, both availability awards and snatching Games Experience away from WOM.
WOM picks up Live Video Experience on the award’s introduction to Colombian mobile network reports. WOM also keeps hold of Video Experience and Consistent Quality, bringing its tally up to three outright victories. Claro keeps a tight grip of its sole win — Coverage Experience — Movistar once again leaves empty handed, with no first place finishes.
A 5G spectrum auction was held by Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (Ministerio de Tecnologias de la Informacion y las Comunicaciones, MinTIC) in December 2023. Four bidders attended — Claro, WOM, Union Temporal Colombia Movil-Telefonica (a network-sharing joint venture between Tigo and Movistar) and Sociedad Futura Telecall Colombia (a Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator) — spending a collective COP1.37 trillion (USD352.73 million). Each bidder secured 80MHz of spectrum in the 3.5GHz range, with Claro purchasing an additional block of 4G-suitable 2.5GHz spectrum. The four bidders will be able to run technical tests as of January 2024, and commercially deploy 5G services in February 2024.
In this report we examine the mobile network experience of the four main mobile network operators in Colombia — Claro, Movistar, Tigo and WOM — over a period of 90 days starting on September 01, 2023 and ending on November 29, 2023, to see how they fared.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
WOM wins the Video Experience award outright with a score of 50.9 points on a 100-point scale and a lead of 1.9 points over second-placed Claro. Movistar comes third with a score of 47.1 points and Tigo is not far behind with its score of 45.8 points.
Between reports, Claro's score has increased by 0.7 points while WOM's score has decreased by two points, closing the gap between the two operators — Tigo's score has also fallen, by 1.5 points. Movistar's score did not change by a statistically significant amount since the previous report.
Claro and WOM place in the Fair (48-58) category, while Movistar and Tigo place one category lower, in Poor (under 48). A Fair rating means that our users are, on average, 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
WOM wins the Live Video Experience award outright with a score of 40.1 points on a 100-point scale, 0.7 points ahead of runner-up Claro. Movistar and Tigo fill out third and fourth place, scoring 36.4 points and 35.4 points, respectively.
Operators’ Live Video Experience scores are determined using a range of measures that impact users’ perceived live streaming viewing experience, including picture quality, video loading time, and stall rate, but also live playback offset — the time difference between real-time and the current playback position a viewer sees.
Unlike Video Experience, which represents on-demand video streams, Live Video Experience quantifies live video streaming used for current events. For example when users watch live sports, game streams, music concerts, or news where the event is happening at that moment in time.
All operators place in the Fair (33-43) category for Live Video Experience, meaning that our users are, on average, able to stream video at least at 480p with significant loading times, little stalling and a substantial live offset.
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
Tigo moves into first place for Games Experience, overtaking previous winner WOM to win with a score of 50.8 points on a 100-point scale. WOM is in second place with a score of 50.1 points, Claro comes third with a score of 47.7 points and Movistar places last with 42.8 points.
WOM slips off of the podium due to a 2.7-point decrease in score, coupled with Tigo’s score rising by one point — Claro’s score also decreased, by one point, and Movistar's score hasn't changed a significant amount since the previous report.
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
Tigo wins the Download Speed Experience award outright for the second time in a row, this time with a score of 13.9Mbps and a lead of 0.7Mbps (5.1%) over Claro, which places in second with its score of 13.2Mbps. WOM comes third with a score of 11.4Mbps and Movistar comes fourth with a score of 10.4Mbps.
Claro's and Movistar’s scores have risen, by 1Mbps and 0.6Mbps, respectively — Tigo’s and WOM's scores have fallen by 0.2-1.6Mbps.
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
Tigo wins the Upload Speed Experience award outright for the seventh consecutive time, scoring 7.9Mbps. Claro is close behind, placing second with its score of 7.6Mbps. Movistar comes third with a score of 7.5Mbps, just 0.4Mbps below Tigo in the top spot — WOM comes fourth with a score of 6.3Mbps. Tigo’s lead has shrunk from 1Mbps in the previous report, down to 0.3Mbps.
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
National Analysis
Claro keeps hold of the Coverage Experience award, winning it outright for the second consecutive time — this time with a score of 8.2 points on a 10-point scale, over twice the score of Movistar, which places in second with its score of four points. Tigo and WOM come third and fourth with respective scores of 3.7 points and 2.3 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.
National Analysis
Tigo wins the Availability award outright with a score of 98.7% and a lead of 0.5 percentage points over WOM, which places in second with its score of 98.2%. Claro comes third with a score of 96.2% and Movistar finishes out the rankings with a score of 96.1%. This is the fourth consecutive report that Tigo has won the Availability award, and it is the only Colombian operator to do so since the awards introduction in July 2022.
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.
National Analysis
Tigo is the outright winner of the 4G Availability award for a seventh time in a row. Tigo’s score of 95.9% is five percentage points above second-placed Claro’s 90.9% and 6.9 percentage points ahead of WOM, which places third — Movistar brings up the rear with its score of 85%.
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.
4G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 4G device and a 4G subscription — but have never connected to 5G — had a 4G connection.
Consistency
National Analysis
WOM retains the Consistent Quality award outright with a score of 48.2% and a lead of 13.7 percentage points over runner-up Tigo — Movistar and Claro finish in third and fourth place. WOM’s lead over second place has decreased since the previous report, from 16.7 percentage points down to 13.7 percentage points, due to its score decreasing by three percentage points. Users on Movistar saw a smaller drop in score, 0.3 percentage points, while Claro’s and Tigo’s scores have risen by 2.2 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.
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