The Countries with the Fastest Mobile Internet in the World

In today’s digitally driven world, connectivity is essential, and the speed and reliability of mobile internet have become vital in our daily lives. Whether it’s streaming HD videos, conducting business on the go, or simply staying in touch with loved ones, access to fast and dependable mobile internet has become a necessity.

With the rapid advancement of technology and infrastructure, mobile internet speeds vary significantly from country to country. Some nations have embraced innovation and investment, resulting in super-fast connection speeds that redefine the way we interact with the digital realm.

The Speedtest Global Index measures the latest mobile internet speed of 190 countries across the world. Using their latest data recorded in February 2024, we’ve researched the countries that have the fastest internet speeds, investigating which mobile providers are performing best in each nation.

Qatar currently has the fastest mobile internet in the world, with median download speeds of 286.42 Mbps. Upload speeds are 27.97 Mbps (megabits per second) with a latency of 19 ms (milliseconds).

Qatar uses 4G and 5G networks, with mobile provider Ooredoo being the first company to launch 5G in the country. Ooredoo is one of only two mobile providers in Qatar, the other being Vodafone. Ooredoo has its headquarters in Doha and is one of the largest mobile telecommunications companies in the world, with over 121 million customers. The business operates in 10 countries, mainly across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The UAE has the second fastest mobile internet in the world, with median download speeds of 284.21 Mbps, upload speeds of 26.63 Mbps, and latency of 19 ms.

The UAE has two major network providers – du, based in Dubai, and Etisalat (also known as e&), based in Abu Dhabi. Etisalat has been shown by Opensignal to have the fastest speeds with the most consistency. It is the oldest network provider in the UAE, having been in operation since 1976. It’s the 18^th largest network operator in the world by number of subscribers. The other major UAE network provider, du, has been operating since 2007. It was the first telco operator to offer 5G in the UAE, back in 2019.

Kuwait currently has the third fastest mobile internet, with median download speeds of 216.96 Mps, upload speeds of 23.73 Mps and a latency of 18 ms.

Kuwait has a number of major mobile providers. The three major operators are stc, Zain, and Ooredoo Kuwait. According to Opensignal’s latest mobile experience report, Ooredoo is the most consistent, Zain has the best coverage, and stc ranks highest for 5G availability.

Zain is the longest-running telecommunications provider, having been in operation since 1983. It’s based in Kuwait and operates across seven countries in the Middle East, with 52 million active customers.

South Korea has the fourth fastest mobile speeds in the world. The median download speed is 173.95 Mbps, with upload speeds of 18.75 Mbps, and the latency is 27 ms.

South Korea has three mobile operators – KT, SKT, and LGT. South Korea uses a network that runs on CDMA (code division multiple access) instead of GSM (global system for mobiles). This means it uses unique identifiers that have been programmed into each device to transmit and receive data. GSM is the more common technology, which uses SIM cards to authenticate each device. CDMA is praised due to its better coverage and quality, however, GSM is preferred due to its convenience for travelling and data roaming. GSM has been the standard in Europe since 1987.

According to the latest mobile experience report, SKT has the fastest overall experience and most consistent experience, but KT has the best 5G availability. SKT is the largest wireless carrier in South Korea, with over 27 million subscribers.

Denmark has the fifth fastest mobile internet speeds in the world. Median download speeds in Denmark are at 157.94 Mbps, with upload speeds at 20.77 Mbps, and latency of 18 ms.

Denmark has a number of mobile providers. According to Opensignal, TDC offers the best coverage, Telenor offers the most consistent quality, Telia has the best download speed experience, and 3 has the best 5G upload speed. TDC is the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, with its headquarters situated in the country’s capital.

China has the sixth fastest mobile internet speeds in the world, with median download speeds at 144.85 Mbps, upload speeds at 27.25 Mbps and a latency of 30 ms.

The three main mobile providers in China are China Telecom, Unicom, and Mobile. According to ChinaESim, China Mobile is the largest operator in the world, with 920 million subscribers. It has around 60% of the market share in China – Unicom has 20% and Telecom also has 20%. All three operators are state-owned and controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.

Norway has the seventh fastest internet speeds in the world. Median download speeds in Norway are at 141.40 Mbs, median upload speeds are 19.93 and the latency is at 25 ms.

There are three main mobile providers in Norway: Telenor, Telia, and Ice. Opensignal’s latest mobile experience report rates Telenor as offering the fastest download speeds, Telia as offering the best 5G experience, and Ice for the best availability. Telenor is based in Norway close to Oslo and is a majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company.  It operates worldwide but focuses primarily on countries across Scandinavia and Asia.

Iceland has the eight fastest mobile internet speeds, with median download speeds at 136.91 Mbps, upload speeds of 17.90 Mbps, and latency at 18 ms.

Iceland has three main mobile providers, with Siminn being the largest carrier with a market share of 34.5%. Vodafone and Nova also have a large market share in the country. Siminn offers some of the best coverage across the entire country, reaching 99% of Iceland’s population.

The Netherlands offers the ninth fastest mobile internet speeds in the world, with median download speeds of 134.15 Mbps, upload speeds of 19.14 Mbps, and latency at 21 ms.

The Netherlands has many mobile operators – this makes competition high, meaning deals are usually good to entice customers. KPN is perhaps the biggest mobile provider in the country, with 33 million subscribers across the Netherlands and other countries in Europe.

According to Opensignal’s mobile network experience report, KPN has the best 5G download speed and offers the most consistent quality. T-Mobile is another popular provider, offering the fastest upload speeds in the Netherlands, and matching KPN for 5G availability. It isn’t just the broadband that makes living in the Netherlands attractive. Why not check out our living in The netherlands guide for expats?

Saudi Arabia has the tenth fastest mobile internet in the world. Median download speeds here are at 125.19 Mbps, with upload speeds of 15.10 Mbps and latency at 27 ms.

The three main mobile providers that operate in Saudi Arabia are stc, Zain, and Mobily. Opensignal reports that stc offers the fastest average speeds across download, upload, and 5G, and also provides the best 5G coverage. stc was founded in Riyadh in 1998 and is now the leading provider in Saudi Arabia, with over 45 million subscribers.

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