More users are logging on to existing 5G networks, and we’re also at the stage in the evolution of 5G where countries that have historically had slower speeds are starting to offer 5G. Median upload speed over 5G also slowed to 21.08 Mbps (from 29.52 Mbps) during the same period. Over the past year from Q3 2020 to Q3 2021, the median global 5G download speed fell to 166.13 Mbps, down from 206.22 Mbps in Q3 2020. It’s common to see new mobile access technologies slow down as adoption scales, particularly early on in the tech cycle. We also looked at countries that don’t yet have 5G to understand where consumers are seeing improvements in 4G access.

We examined Speedtest Intelligence® data from Q3 2021 Speedtest® results to see how 5G speeds have changed, where download speeds are the fastest at the country and capital level, where 5G deployments have increased and what worldwide 5G Availability looked like in Q3 2021. However, not everyone shares equally in these possibilities as many countries do not have access to 5G and even those that do, do not experience the same level of performance from their 5G connections. 5G continues to offer new and exciting ways of rethinking everything from streaming video to performing remote surgery.

Speedtest ookla 5g map