Broadband Internet Speed in India Takes a Beating Due to Lockdown

Ookla reports that India’s download speeds slowed down due to more people moving their activities online.

Internet download speeds slowed down in March due to lockdown.

(Photo: The Quint)

India’s mean internet download speeds slowed down in March 2020 according to a report by Ookla. Ookla reports that India has dropped in global rankings, both in mobile and fixed broadband speed during March this year.

Fixed broadband mean download speed in India declined from 39.65 Mbps in February to 35.98 Mbps in March. These speeds have been declining since the beginning of 2020 – from 41.48 Mbps in January to 35.98 Mbps in March, a drop of 5.5 Mbps.

The report is a clear indicator that with so many people cooped up in their homes due to the lockdown, the networks are overused and under stress.

“When networks are under usage strain, like they are in this unprecedented time of lockdown in India due to COVID-19, it is natural they experience some level of slowdown.”

Doug Suttles, Ookla CEO

As of March, the Index ranks India at 130 for mobile, a couple of spots down compared to February 2020. The country’s ranking also dropped two spots in the fixed broadband arena, now ranked at 71 globally.

Suttles added that the speed will be impacted as people are moving all of their activities online.

“While the core of the internet remains stable, some ISP networks may struggle to keep up, the report pointed out. 

For the month of March, the Index puts UAE in the first position for mobile broadband speed with a mean download of 83.52 Mbps. Singapore still holds the top spot for fixed broadband speed with a mean download of 197.26 Mbps.