Barometer of mobile Internet connections in Sri Lanka

• Subscribers of Mobitel enjoyed best mobile Internet performances in Sri Lanka in 2023

The subscribers of Mobitel enjoyed the best mobile Internet performances in Sri Lanka during 2023, according to a study by specialist nPerf a French company.

The nPerf Score takes into account the measured speeds, the latency and the QoE tests (streaming and browsing).  All tests were carried out in the nPerf Internet Speed Test app, available on Android and iOS.

“In our comprehensive analysis spanning from1 January to 31 December 2023, Mobitel (7 Mb/s) has been identified as providing the fastest mobile download speeds in Sri Lanka,” nPerf said.

Download speed: Indicates the amount of data your connection can receive in one second from the nPerf server. The highest the measured value, the best is the speed of your connection.

Mobitel has achieved the best latency (130 ms). 

The latency describes how responsive your connection is. Lower latency translates to more immediate interaction with content. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms). 

Mobitel has offered the fastest upload speed (3 Mb/s). 

Upload speed: Indicates the amount of data your connection can send in one second to the nPerf server. The highest the measured value, the best is the speed of your connection.

Streaming test: Mobitel provided the best streaming mobile video experience in Sri Lanka (59 %). The goal of the streaming test is to measure the quality of video viewing on the most popular streaming platform around the world: YouTube. 

Scores between 50% and 75% are adequate for YouTube streaming.

The nPerf test evaluates YouTube streaming quality by conducting assessments at three different resolutions: 360p (standard definition), 720p (high definition), and 1080p (full high definition). The overall rating is derived from an average of these three tests, ensuring a comprehensive measure of streaming performance across varying levels of video quality.

Browsing test: Mobitel emerged as the leading provider for web browsing with an efficiency rate of 23 %, equivalent to an average page load time of 7.4 seconds.

To thrive in Sri Lanka’s evolving telecom landscape, ISPs might continue investing in the network. For Mobitel, maintaining its lead will require ongoing investments in technology and customer service. Dialog can leverage its solid base to improve latency issues and further enhance user experience. Airtel and Hutch, with targeted enhancements in speed, latency, and content delivery, can strengthen their market positions and challenge the leaders more effectively.

This study, conducted by nPerf, a French company with over a decade of experience in measuring Internet connections, is based on user-generated data from the nPerf mobile app. The app, available on iOS and Android, utilises a global network of dedicated servers to accurately measure Internet connection speeds.

The nPerf study is based on thousands of tests carried out exclusively by the operators’ end-customers, making it one of the largest “crowd sourced” studies in the country. These tests reflect the real experience of the general public in Sri Lanka on the various Internet networks.