India recorded a notable decline in mean fixed broadband speed in March, while mobile download speed dropped slightly by 1.68 Mbps, according to Ookla's Speedtest Global Index. Ookla said when networks are under usage strain -- as they are in this unprecedented time of lockdown in India amid coronavirus pandemic -- it is natural that they see some level of a slowdown.
As of March, the index ranks India at 130th position for mobile, two spots down compared to the previous month. India's position also dropped by two spots on fixed broadband and is now ranked 71 globally in that category, Ookla said in a statement.
"In India, there was a slight dip in mean mobile download speed, from 11.83 Mbps in February to 10.15 Mbps in March 2020. Similarly, mean download speeds on fixed broadband have decreased from 39.65 Mbps in February to 35.98 Mbps in March," it said.
For India, the mean fixed broadband speed has been declining since the beginning of 2020 - from 41.48 Mbps in January to 35.98 Mbps in March, reflecting a drop by 5.5 Mbps, it added. "When networks are under usage strain, like they are in this unprecedented time of lockdown in India due to COVID-19, it is natural that they experience some level of slowdown.
"It is important to note that while the internet itself should handle elevated usage, there may be impacts to speed as people continue to move their daily activities increasingly online. While the core of the internet remains stable, some ISP (iternet service provider) networks may struggle to keep up," Ookla CEO Doug Suttles said.
The firm is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of internet networks across the globe. According to Ookla's March Speedtest Global Index, UAE is in the first position for mobile broadband speed with a mean download of 83.52 Mbps. Singapore still holds the top spot for fixed broadband speed with a mean download of 197.26 Mbps.
Ookla's Speedtest Global Index compares internet speed data at the country level from around the world, each month. Data for the Speedtest Global Index comes from the over ten million consumer-initiated tests taken daily by people, seeking to understand the performance and quality of their internet connection, the statement said, adding that as of the March 2020 update, the index also includes data on latency and jitter for all included countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 24, had announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented move to try to halt the spread of coronavirus. As on Thursday, the pandemic had claimed 166 lives in the country and number of COVID-19 cases increased to 5,734 in India.
While the lockdown meant that telcos' new subscriber additions for March have taken a massive hit as stores remained shut for days and weeks, operators have put their might behind ensuring that essential connectivity services in the country continue uninterrupted to enable customers to connect with others and work from home.
Operators have also announced an extension of prepaid validity for low-income feature phone subscribers as also varying amounts of talktime credit to help such users stay connected during the lockdown to contain coronavirus pandemic.
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