Bell retains top position in Ookla's Q4 2023 report, leading in mobile & fixed broadband speeds, 5G performance, with minor shifts in rankings. (IT World Canada)
In the latest Speedtest report by Ookla for the fourth quarter of 2023, Bell has maintained its position as the top-performing provider in Canada. The report highlighted Bell's leading performance across various categories, including mobile and fixed broadband download speeds, fixed broadband upload speed, and 5G mobile performance, outpacing competitors Rogers and Telus.
Bell secured the top spot in both mobile and fixed broadband download speeds, achieving impressive rates of 121.33 Mbps and 307.77 Mbps, respectively. This positioned the company ahead of Rogers and Telus in these crucial speed metrics. Despite minor adjustments, the overall trend indicated an improvement in both mobile and fixed broadband download speeds compared to the previous quarter.
Regarding upload speeds, the report noted a general enhancement in median upload speeds for both fixed and mobile connections since the last quarter. While the rankings largely remained consistent, Bell experienced a decline in mobile upload speed. In this category, Rogers and Telus took the lead with speeds of 15.10 Mbps and 11.96 Mbps, respectively. Notably, Rogers fell behind Bell and Telus in fixed broadband upload speed, experiencing a significant drop of more than 150 Mbps.
In terms of 5G mobile performance, the rankings mirrored those of the previous quarter, with Bell leading, followed by Telus and Rogers. All three carriers demonstrated an increase in performance, maintaining a consistent trajectory.
The report also evaluated the carriers' consistency, measuring the percentage of samples meeting minimum speed thresholds for download and upload. All carriers displayed comparable performance, maintaining their positions from the previous year.
Videotron, a Quebec-based carrier, surpassed Cogeco in both consistency and video score, reflecting a superior video experience.
On a regional level, Newfoundland and Labrador saw a noteworthy improvement in mobile regional speeds, claiming the top spot after being surpassed by other provinces in the last report. Additionally, Saskatchewan outperformed Quebec and Nova Scotia in mobile regional speeds during the quarter.
The fixed broadband regional speeds saw minimal changes, with British Columbia leading the way. There were minor shifts among Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
The fastest mobile speeds were consistently observed in St. John’s, Halifax, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Vancouver. Similarly, the cities with the fastest fixed broadband speeds, including Fredericton, Edmonton, St. John’s, London, and Ottawa, maintained their positions from the previous quarter.
