Brunei Darussalam’s 4G speeds are much faster compared most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, according to a report published by UK-based wireless coverage mapping specialist OpenSignal.
The report titled ‘The State of LTE’ stated that the 4G speed in the Sultanate was measured at 17.48Mbps which ranked Brunei 57th among 88 countries surveyed while its 4G availability is 73.66 per cent, ranking the nation 46th.
In the category of terms of 4G availability in the Asean region, Brunei came third after Singapore and Malaysia while in 4G speed comparison, the Sultanate is at second place after Singapore.
Singapore topped the list with an average speed of 44.32Mbps, followed by the Netherlands (42.12Mbps), Norway (41.2Mbps) and South Korea (40.44Mbps). As for 4G availability, South Korea came first, followed by Japan, Norway and Hong Kong.
OpenSignal’s latest global report was published after analysing 50 billion measurements collected in the fourth quarter of 2017 to compare 4G performance in 88 countries. The report also found that there was no sizeable increase in 4G speed among top performing countries and it hit a plateau of 45Mbps across the board.
“For more than a year now, the fastest countries in the world seem to be stuck in a holding pattern, getting close but not surpassing the 50Mbps threshold for average 4G speed,” the report read. It, however, added that 4G availability continues to expand globally at a steady pace.
Consumers in five countries – South Korea, Japan, Norway, Hong Kong and the US – now have access to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) connection more than 90 per cent of the time. Just three months ago, only two countries had LTE access.
Meanwhile, in last year’s Akamai State of the Internet Report, Brunei’s overall average speed stood at 7.4Mbps, with Telekom Brunei Berhad’s (TelBru) own average speeds gauging significantly higher than this due to its Fibre-to-the-Home infrastructure that can comparatively withstand higher capacities.
The Akamai report is known globally as expert benchmarks for global Internet speeds and other attributes with their measurements based on tests conducted between users to the local in-country Akamai servers within the control of the operator. Since undergoing transformation in 2013, the company has heavily invested in technology and manpower to meet fibre optic coverage for the entire country as part of its commitment to Brunei Vision 2035.
Last year, TelBru successfully surpassed its 45,000 connectivity target that covers high-density and emerging areas ranging from commercial locations to those residing in the country’s various national housing schemes.
As part of the company’s efforts for the remainder of the year, TelBru is continuously making provisions towards roll outs in the country’s rural areas.
Source: https://borneobulletin.com.bn/brunei-scores-high-in-4g-speed-availability/