GSMA<\/a>, Brazil has a mobile broadband coverage level of more than 90 percent of the population. Yet, GWS\u2019 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 percent, and those on the Vivo network will only have a 38 percent chance of being successful sharing their visit to the Christ statue live.<\/p>\nDr. Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, commented:<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cThis summer, Rio\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile operators may be taking extra precautions like installing additional cell sites to help increase network capacity, just building out the network to support the influx in users doesn\u2019t guarantee a great experience. In the end, what\u2019s the point of being at an event and seeing a signal on your phone if you can\u2019t share what\u2019s going on? These are meant to be the fastest games ever \u2013 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 \u2013 downloading event information and results to uploading a selfie, TIM came to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Are the networks ready for the games? A US comparison<\/strong><\/p>\nAt a major sporting event in the US, GWS tested across tier 1 carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile) to determine network performance at a venue hosting more than 70,000 fans. The carriers were able to deliver average download throughputs of 7-10 Mbps on a fully loaded network, offering a comfortable mobile experience.<\/p>\n
However, it is not just large-scale sporting events that test the limits of networks, as high foot traffic tourist destinations also pose challenges for operators. At Disney World, GWS collected performance data across tier 1 carriers on a fully loaded network. Disney World, on average, sees daily foot traffic from 53,000 visitors, each accessing carrier networks to complete daily mobile tasks. Supporting this visitor count, Disney was able to achieve average download throughputs of 4-24 Mbps across all carriers, offering a comfortable mobile experience overall, with some areas throughout the park excelling more so than others.<\/p>\n
In comparison, during GWS\u2019s testing in Rio, average download throughputs were 4-9 Mbps across carriers TIM, Claro, Vivo and Oi. Unlike the above testing scenarios, the networks were not under heavy load and in constant use for voice calls, sending text messages and servicing social media activity. Once the expected 500,000 tourists actively use their smartphones in Rio during the games, the average throughputs of 4-9 Mbps will likely decrease unless the carriers took additional steps beyond GWS testing dates (June 6 \u2013 June 13) to accommodate the influx of activity. If not, the tourists could be in for a rude awakening when attempting to share their moments in Rio with those back at home.<\/p>\n
Methodology and notes to editors<\/strong><\/p>\nGWS conducted this series of tests in order to evaluate mobile network performance at Rio across popular tourist locations ahead of the Rio games. Just
\nover 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.<\/p>\n
About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\nGlobal Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Its proprietary OneScore\u2122 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\u2019s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardized, 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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<\/a> and follow us on Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc<\/a>.<\/p>\nMedia Contact:<\/strong><\/p>\nGlobal Wireless Solutions, Inc.<\/p>\n
pr@gwsolutions.com<\/a><\/p>\n703-661-7000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Global Wireless Solutions\u2019 test of the top four mobile carriers in host city Rio de Janeiro reveals the best networks and spots…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"_blank"},"categories":[22],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-8938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release","tag-wireless-performance-at-rio"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8938"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8938"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10456,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8938\/revisions\/10456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}