Top 10 countries with the fastest mobile internet in 2024: Where does India stand globally?

In addition, to other digital devices, smartphones/mobile phones continue to play an ever more important role in our connected lives, with mobile internet penetration growing faster.

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At the end of 2023, 58% of the world’s population used mobile internet, equating to 4.7 billion users—an increase of 2.1 billion since 2015, GSMA reported.

Consequently, the median speed of mobile internet connection is also witnessing an increase, with DataReportal highlighting that a typical mobile user enjoys download speeds of 55.8 Mbps, with that figure jumping by almost 30 per cent since this time last year, globally.

Interestingly, users in 17 nations experience median mobile download rates of more than 100 Mbps, even though certain countries still deal with “laggy” connections, resulting in a ‘digital divide.’

Top 10 countries with the highest median mobile internet speed in 2024

Notably, the world’s fastest internet speeds are concentrated in the Middle East and Asia, with above-average mobile download speeds in the United States and the rest of the Americas.

With the fastest mobile download speeds in the world, the UAE ranks first, with internet speeds in the nation’s capital having increased by almost 100 times and is expected to grow three times in the upcoming years.

Since 2012, the country has emerged as an internet powerhouse, with increased investment in digital infrastructure.

Talking about the largest economy in the world, mobile download speeds in the United States led it to rank 13th overall, trailing numerous high-income countries.

Speedtest Global Index ranked countries as per the highest median mobile internet speed as of November 2024; enlisted below are the top 10 countries with the fastest mobile internet speeds.

Source: Speedtest Global Index (as of November 2024)

How does India fare on the Speedtest Global Index?

India has over 900 million internet users, making it the world’s second-biggest online market, after China. Despite the enormous number and steady rise in accessibility, internet penetration in the nation was just over 50%, which is lower than the global average, according to Statista.

India’s position on the Speedtest Global Index as of November 2024. (snapshot)

According to the index, India has moved a place higher, ranking 25th globally, with a download speed of 100.78 Mbps, an upload speed of 9.08 Mbps, and a latency of 30 ms.