The 2018 broadband speed test results were collected by M-Lab, a partnership between New America’s Open Technology Institute, Google Open Source Research, Princeton University’s PlanetLab and other supporting partners, over a period of 12 months up to 29 May 2018, and the results were compiled by United Kingdom triple play telecoms service provider, Cable (Source:\u00a0 Cable<\/a>).<\/p>\n
The download speeds recorded are those available to a device via a router, and so represent actual (or realistic) speeds experienced by the user \u2013 via Wi-Fi, Ethernet connection, or other means. For each country, download speed tests had to be recorded from at least 100 unique Internet Protocol addresses. Additionally, test results were excluded if, among other things, the speed test exercises were unduly long or short, if little data was actually transferred, or if a connection between the server and client was not properly established (Source:\u00a0 Cable<\/a>).<\/p>\n
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- present the 2018 results<\/li>\n
- briefly compare the 2018 results with those recorded in 2018; and<\/li>\n
- highlight, based on the 2018 download speed results, the estimated time to download a 5 GB file.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/List-of-Caribbean-countries-.png?resize=560%2C212\")
Table 1: List of Caribbean countries included in the Cable (UK) global broadband speed results<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Test results<\/h3>\n
For the Caribbean countries examined, typical download speeds ranged from a low of 2.42\u00a0Mbps in Haiti, to 17.08\u00a0Mbps in Barbados in 2018., as reflected in Figure 1. Across the region, the average download speed was 6.66\u00a0Mbps.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Mean-Download-Speed-in-select-Caribbean-Countries-between-2017-and-2018.png?resize=640%2C423\")
Figure 1: Actual download speeds recorded in 25 Caribbean countries for the periods June 2016 to May 2017, and June 2017 to May 2018 (Source: Cable)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Since the previous reporting period, June 2016 to May 2017, broadband download speeds, generally, have increased, from a regional average of 4.39\u00a0Mbps. It should be noted that three countries, Cuba, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, are considered new entries, as no results were recorded for them in 2017.<\/p>\n
The greatest increase in download speeds were recorded in: Barbados, up 10.46 Mbps, and Aruba, at 10.15\u00a0Mbps. On the other hand, the smallest increase in download speeds were recorded in Suriname, which recorded an increase of 1.22 Mbps in 2018, and Guyana, which was up 1.75\u00a0Mbps since the 2017 results.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the spectrum, eight countries recorded lower download speeds in 2018 than in 2017. The greatest difference was recorded in: the Dominican Republic (1.81 Mbps); the Cayman Islands (1.66 Mbps); and Jamaica (1.65 Mbps).<\/p>\n
However, in our data-centric world, and to better highlight the practical impact of download speeds, Figure 2 shows the time to download a typical High Definition (HD) movie, which tends to have a file size of about 5\u00a0GB.\u00a0 Clearly, the faster the download speed, the shorter the time required to download a 5GB file.\u00a0 In the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Aruba and Barbados, the download is expected to be completed in under an hour.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ict-pulse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Time-To-Download-A-5GB-Movie-in-Select-Caribbean-Countries-in-2018.png?resize=640%2C547\")
Figure 2: Estimated time taken in 25 Caribbean countries to download a 5GB movie based on 2018 results (Source: Cable)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Some parting thoughts<\/h3>\n
The availability of download speed test results that includes most Caribbean countries, is welcomed, as it allows users, countries and the region as a whole to critically examine their broadband download speed independent of the hype \u2013 be it from policymakers or Internet service providers (ISPs). For example, although you may have purchased a ‘20 Mbps broadband Internet plan<\/em>‘, in fact what you have purchased is a plan that will provide download speeds up to 20\u00a0Mbps<\/em><\/strong>. Invariably, you will not be receiving download speeds anywhere close to that limit, and unless you have a dedicated connection where a specific speed is guaranteed, you will find that the download speed you experience varies greatly, based in time of day and the amount traffic\/congestion on the network.<\/p>\n
With regard to the download speeds recorded, generally, the region is showed an improvement since 2017. However, since this exercise is only in its second year, it will be interesting to see how individual Caribbean countries and the region as a whole performs in subsequent assessments.<\/p>\n
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Image credit: \u00a0Chris Oakley<\/a> (flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"