Global Wireless Solutions’ test of the top mobile carriers in host city Rio de Janeiro reveals the best networks and spots for mobile connectivity
JULY 27, 2016 – LONDON, UK — Today, leading independent network benchmarking firm Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. (GWS) reveals the top mobile connectivity providers in Rio in preparation for the city’s upcoming sporting events. With the games set to be the most connected to date, the city’s 500,000 expected visitors will be able to share their experiences with friends and family in real-time, provided they choose the right mobile operator, and stick to the best connected areas in the city. Unfortunately for them, the site of one of the city’s top tourist attractions, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, offers inconsistent connectivity across all major mobile providers. Even the best network (TIM) only gives users an 89 per cent chance of successfully uploading images and video.
Who takes home the gold medal
Rio’s largest mobile network providers (Claro, Oi, TIM and Vivo) were put to the test by GWS engineers who carried out high-level performance benchmarking while visiting Rio’s top tourist attractions and sports venues.
To rank Rio’s top mobile providers, GWS applied its recently launched OneScore™, a single metric that allows people to accurately compare the overall performance of mobile networks, based on both in-depth data testing and an understanding of how consumers are actually using their mobile devices. Overall, TIM has the highest OneScore™ ranking for visitors to Rio this summer, having the top data reliability and speed at visitor hotspots Maracanã, Christ the Redeemer, and Barra.
GWS’ in-depth network tests, benchmarked mobile internet performance across operators looking at typical usage scenarios including music and video streaming, social media browsing and posting and video calling; the following key findings:
- TIM scored top for speed at Barra, achieving the highest OneScore™ ranking for mobile internet upload and download speeds; showing that TIM is the best bet for a high speed experience at this top sporting location
- The best connected locations in Rio are Copacabana beach and the Sambadrome, with all four networks scoring high for both speed and availability, so posting an event selfie and calling your friends back home on FaceTime will be a tropical breeze
- On average, at the majority of locations hosting sporting events carriers nearly achieve 100 percent LTE across all sites. For tourist-specific locations, carriers TIM and Claro maintain the highest percentages of LTE services, offering the best 4G experience
The worst connection speeds were seen on the train up to the Christ the Redeemer statue and at the site itself. Those planning on live streaming their ascent should be warned that they will encounter challenges.
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Mobile Operator Ranking: Overall Data Performance |
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| CARRIER | Maracanã | Lapa | Christ the Redeemer | Copacabana beach | Barra |
| TIM | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | 1st Place |
| Claro | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | Tied for 1st | 2nd Place |
| Oi | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place |
| Vivo | Tied for 1st | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
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Overall Winner: |
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While mobile data coverage is widespread, reliability is an issue
Network coverage and reliability are crucial for visitors who want to stay abreast of the panoply of event results and stay connected with loved ones. According to a recent GWS survey of 2,000 UK mobile phone users, while 60 per cent rated good network coverage as being the most important area of network performance, respondents also listed reliability concerns such as fast data speed, good data reliability and fast data uploads as also being important.
According to the GSMA, Brazil has a mobile broadband coverage level of more than 90 per cent of the population. Yet, GWS’ test has shown that network reliability still seems to be an issue across mobile operators. While visitors are likely to be able to easily upload videos and selfies of themselves enjoying the wonders of Copacabana Beach or the Sambadrome regardless of the network they use (100% task success rate across all carriers), the same cannot be said by those venturing up to the Christ the Redeemer statue. TIM users will have a top success rate of 89 per cent, and those on the Vivo network have only a 38 per cent chance of being successful sharing their visit to the Christ statue live.
Dr. Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, commented:
“This summer, Rio’s mobile networks will be under the spotlight, with an unprecedented surge in the number of users and devices they will have to support. Therefore, it is critical that mobile operators take the necessary steps to support the increase in demand from fans, sightseers, and those who are lucky enough to be in Rio.
“While operators may be taking extra precautions like installing additional cell sites to help increase network capacity, just building out the networks to support the influx in users doesn’t guarantee a great experience. In the end, what’s the point of being at an event and seeing a signal on your phone if you can’t share what’s going on? These are meant to be the fastest games ever – not just for the athletes, but also for mobile data speeds, and users will expect to be able to upload photos and videos in real-time. Our testing showed that when it came to the tasks consumers really look for – downloading event information and results to uploading a selfie, TIM came to win.”
Methodology and notes to editors
GWS conducted this series of tests in order to evaluate mobile network performance at Rio across popular tourist locations ahead of the Rio games. Just over 23,800 task tests were conducted in order to evaluate network performance of Tier 1 Brazilian carriers (TIM, Clara, Oi and Vivo) throughout Maracana, Lapa, Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana, Barra, Sugarloaf Mountain Cable Car, Botanical Gardens, Cinelandia, Flamengo Park, Lagoa de Freitas, Sambadrome, Sao Cristovao Fair and Urca on June 6 – 13, 2016. The tests were conducted using the GWS Mobile Diagnostic App running on Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones.
About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Its proprietary OneScore network ranking combines high-level network testing data with real world network usage scenarios to make the results of testing relatable and easy to understand. Working with some of the world’s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardised, high-quality network data and engineering analysis through a suite of benchmarking products, services, and diagnostic apps that includes drive, venue, and in-building testing.
Firmly rooted in a deep understanding of network engineering, GWS provides best-in-class, turnkey solutions to help customers better understand overall network performance as today’s wireless networks grow and evolve. Founded in 1996, GWS is headquartered in Dulles, VA. At last count, GWS has driven nearly 10 million data collection miles for its customers. For more information, visit www.gwsolutions.com and follow us on Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc.
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