Telstra still leads by mobile download speeds

Telstra still dominates the Australian mobile market in terms of 4G download speeds, but Vodafone has caught up to the incumbent in terms of 4G availability, research from OpenSignal shows.

During network tests conducted by OpenSignal users between February and April, Telstra recorded an LTE download speed of 23.6 Mbps, compared to 19.2 Mbps for Optus and 18.5 Mbps for Vodafone.

Across both 3G and 4G networks, Telstra again came out ahead with an average speed of 17.1 Mbps. By comparison, Optus recorded overall download speeds of 12.9 Mpbs and Vodafone managed 12.8 Mbps.

Overall Australian mobile speeds are well ahead of global average, with the nation ranking in the top 10 in terms of 4G speeds.

Vodafone and Telstra were statistically tied in terms of 4G availability at 76%, suggesting that the billions Vodafone has poured into improving its network speeds and coverage are bearing fruit. Optus wasn’t far behind at 73.4%.

OpenSignal defines 4G availability as the percentage of time 4G subscribers are able to connect to LTE networks. The company says this is a more accurate indicator than either geographic or population coverage by measuring the actual user experience as customers move indoors or from place to place.

But by limiting the collection of results from 4G customers, this metric potentially obscures the physical coverage area of networks being analysed.

Image courtesy of darth41 under CC