LONDON, U.K. – While Canada enjoys one of the fastest average 4G download speeds across OECD member states, the country lags behind other OECD members in terms of 5G download speeds, according to new analysis from U.K.-based mobile analytics company Opensignal.
The firm’s new report looks at the impact of spectrum bandwidth on the 5G mobile network experience for Opensignal’s Canadian smartphone users compared to that of users in other OECD markets. Based on its analysis, Opensignal says an inferior 5G experience in Canada can be partly explained by the use of smaller 5G spectrum bandwidths, along with a relatively lower use of the 3.5 GHz band for 5G connections compared to other OECD countries.
Innovation Canada held its 3.5 GHz spectrum auction in June 2021, assigning only 200 MHz of spectrum in the 3.45-3.65 GHz frequency range. Two weeks ago, the department launched the auction for 3.8 GHz spectrum.
“With an average 5G spectrum capacity of 47.1 MHz — less than the majority of OECD member states — Canada’s 5G Download Speed clocks in at 146.4 Mbps,” reads Opensignal’s report, adding this is significantly below average 5G download speeds in markets such as South Korea, Denmark and Israel, where Opensignal’s 5G users connect to 5G services using much larger average 5G spectrum bandwidths.
In addition, Canada has one of the lowest ratios between 5G download speed and 4G download speed (called “the 4G to 5G uplift for download speed experience” in the report) among 32 OECD countries studied, of 2.4 times. This puts Canada on par with Poland and above only the Netherlands, two countries that were delayed with the assignment of the 3.5 GHz band to mobile services, the report notes. Poland completed its 3.5 GHz spectrum auction only last month, and the Netherlands is still facing issues with freeing up the 3.5 GHz band from satellite services.
Canada’s lower 4G to 5G uplift is partly explained by the country having one of the lowest uses of the 3.5 GHz band for 5G connectivity in the OECD, according to Opensignal. Only 27.7 per cent of Opensignal 5G readings in Canada are on the 3.5 GHz band. Canadian operators primarily rely on the 1700/2100 MHz band for 5G connectivity. Israel, South Korea, New Zealand and Chile are markets where the 3.5 GHz band is used nearly exclusively for 5G.
Looking at the impact of more 5G spectrum bandwidth on average 5G download speeds, Opensignal finds average 5G spectrum bandwidth exceeding 100 MHz results in the fastest 5G download speed for Canadian operators. However, Opensignal recorded only 1.8 per cent of 5G readings using more than 100 MHz in Canada. More than half of 5G readings in Canada see the use of 50 MHz or less spectrum bandwidth, according to Opensignal. In comparison, 23 out of 32 OECD members observe more than 10 per cent of 5G readings using more than 100 MHz spectrum bandwidth — with Austria or Sweden being the leaders, with above 30 per cent of 5G readings using more than 100 MHz of spectrum.
Chart borrowed from Opensignal’s report.
