Communications and Information Technology Commission Releases "Miqyas" Report for the First Quarter of 2019

The Communications and Information Technology Commission has released the "Miqyas" report indicators for the first quarter of 2019, through a report that monitors the overall level of internet service quality provided in the Kingdom, highlighting the companies that showed the most improvement in service delivery.

The Commission explained that the report showed an increase in the overall average performance of mobile internet speeds in the Kingdom during the first quarter of 2019, with the average download speed reaching 32.2 Mbps, an increase of approximately 12.2% compared to the fourth quarter of last year, 2018, while the average upload speed reached 13.1 Mbps.

According to measurements taken by internet users in the Kingdom through the "Miqyas" system on 4G networks, Saudi Telecom Company (STC) achieved the highest average performance at 38.0 Mbps, an increase of 8.0%, while Saudi Telecom Mobile Company (Zain) and Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) achieved the best improvement rates, at 19.0% and 18.5% respectively, with average speeds of 29.4 and 30.7 Mbps.

In terms of YouTube video streaming quality, the "Miqyas" report showed that the highest proportion of YouTube content streamed in the Kingdom over mobile internet networks is streamed in Full HD resolution, with variation among service providers — a point the report highlights in order to enhance competitiveness among companies to raise quality, thereby achieving beneficiary satisfaction and benefit. The report showed that measurements by Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) users on 4G networks achieved the highest proportion of YouTube streaming in Full HD, at 71%, followed by Saudi Telecom Company (STC) at 68%, and then Saudi Telecom Mobile Company (Zain) at 52%.

It is worth noting that the Commission launched the "Miqyas" initiative to monitor the quality of the internet usage experience in the Kingdom in 2017, inviting interested internet users across all regions of the Kingdom to participate and engage in taking measurements, which will have a profound impact on identifying possible areas for improvement and enhancing the quality of the internet services provided to them.

For more information: (www.meqyas.sa).