OpenSignal: Mobile network speeds beat Wi-Fi in 33 countries

Mobile data speeds are faster on average than Wi-Fi in 33 countries, according to a new study from OpenSignal. The mobile experience in many developed nations is handily beating Wi-Fi speeds, and the divergence between the two technologies should become even greater as 5G services come to the fore. OpenSignal’s study reviewed Wi-Fi and cellular data speeds in 33 countries from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, and it uncovered vast differences in some countries where Wi-Fi lags considerably behind cellular. Wi-Fi isn’t a complete slouch across the globe, however. Countries that boast high home broadband speeds, such as the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea, still represent a significant edge for Wi-Fi over cellular data, according to OpenSignal. The findings suggest that the mobile industry needs to rethink its approach to Wi-Fi and change some of its design decisions to reflect the current landscape, according to OpenSignal. While Wi-Fi was indisputably faster than cellular almost all of the time a decade ago when the first iPhone and other smartphones entered the scene, 3G mobile networks were relatively rudimentary compared to today’s performance levels. Wi-Fi also used to have a pricing edge over cellular data and greater capacity, but those benefits have shifted dramatically during the last 10 years.