Investigating the Gaming Experience in Indonesia

Posted on June 23, 2020July 11, 2022 by María F. Valenzuela Gómez

Gaming is a fast-growing industry in Indonesia with millions of daily players. However, latency, a key metric for a high-quality gaming experience, is not equal across the country. And while most games are played on mobile devices, the fixed broadband networks that support console and PC games often show a much lower latency in many areas. Today we’re examining latency on both fixed broadband and mobile at the country, province and city level in Indonesia to see where players are most likely to have smooth gameplay with less lag.

Latency (or ping) is the reaction time of a connection and it is measured in milliseconds. For the best gaming experience, users should expect their latency to be 59 ms or less. Latency when gaming can vary, depending on the servers connected to, and connecting to a server within a gamer’s own region is preferred. Speedtest tests to the closest, lowest-latency server — often within the same population center as the user.

Telkom offered lowest latency in Q1 2020

During Q1 2020, Indonesia’s mean latency on fixed broadband was 20 ms. On mobile, mean latency was 42 ms. At the country level, fixed broadband providers in Indonesia showed a range of latency between 16 ms and 35 ms during Q1 2020. Telkom had the lowest latency on fixed broadband at 16 ms. MyRepublic followed closely with 17 ms. Biznet and First Media had the highest latency at 24 ms and 35 ms, respectively.

Telkomsel and 3 had the lowest latency on mobile at 36 ms. Mean mobile latency on IM3 Ooredoo, XL and Smartfren ranged between 36 ms and 48 ms during this period.

Internet performance stayed consistent during the pandemic

Internet speed also matters when gaming. We’ve been using data from Speedtest Intelligence® to track internet speeds at a global level during the pandemic, and Indonesia’s mobile and fixed broadband speeds have largely been consistent with pre-pandemic performance.

The volume of users taking a Speedtest increased dramatically on both fixed and mobile between the weeks of March 9 and April 13, 2020 as people adjusted to new internet usage patterns during the pandemic. Test volume started decreasing after the week of April 13.

Bandung had lowest latency on fixed broadband, Bekasi on mobile

Looking at fixed and mobile latency in the five largest cities in Indonesia during Q1 2020, we found slight variation in fixed broadband latency and a wider spread on mobile.

Bandung, a city in West Java, showed the lowest fixed broadband latency of the group at 15 ms during Q1 2020. Surabaya and Bekasi had the highest latency at 22 ms. The biggest improvement on fixed broadband latency was seen in Medan, which showed a decrease in fixed broadband latency from 32 ms in Q1 2019 to 20 ms in Q1 2020.

The city of Bekasi, located west of Jakarta, had the lowest mobile latency at 32 ms during Q1 2020, followed closely by Bandung.

We saw significant improvements on mobile latency in all five cities when comparing Q1 2019 to Q1 2020. Most notably, mobile latency in Medan improved from 72 ms in Q1 2019 to 51 ms in Q1 2020.

East and Central Kalimantan had lowest fixed broadband latency

An analysis of latency on fixed broadband in Indonesia’s 34 provinces during Q1 2020 revealed that all provinces had mean latencies within the acceptable range for online gaming. Latency on fixed broadband ranged from 16 ms in East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan to 38 ms in Gorontalo.

Banten had lowest mobile latency during Q1 2020

Mean latency on mobile showed a much wider range among Indonesia’s provinces in Q1 2020 than we saw on fixed broadband. Mobile latency during this period ranged from a low of 33 ms in Banten to a high of 116 ms in North Maluku.

Internet performance looks to be strong and improving in many parts of Indonesia, which is essential to a good gaming experience. We look forward to seeing if the lagging provinces catch up in the near future. To learn more about how other Asian countries’ internet performance compares to Indonesia, visit the Speedtest Global Index^TM.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on July 16, 2020 to correct an error in the latency by provider section.

Meneliti Pengalaman Bermain Game di Indonesia

Industri game adalah salah satu bidang yang berkembang pesat di Indonesia dengan jutaan pemain setiap harinya. Namun, latensi, patokan utama untuk pengalaman bermain game berkualitas tinggi, belum tersebar secara merata di negara ini. Meskipun sebagian besar game dimainkan pada perangkat seluler, jaringan broadband tetap yang mendukung game konsol dan PC sering menunjukkan latensi yang jauh lebih rendah di banyak wilayah. Kini, kami sedang memeriksa latensi pada broadband tetap dan seluler di tingkat negara, provinsi, dan kota di Indonesia untuk melihat di wilayah mana pemain dapat bermain dengan lancar dengan hanya mengalami sedikit jeda.

Latensi (disebut juga ping) adalah waktu reaksi koneksi yang diukur dalam milidetik. Untuk mendapatkan pengalaman bermain game terbaik, pengguna setidaknya perlu mengharapkan latensi sebesar 59 ms atau kurang. Latensi saat bermain game dapat bervariasi, tergantung pada server yang terhubung. Selain itu, menghubungkan ke server di dalam wilayah pemain game sendiri lebih disukai. Speedtest menguji ke server terdekat dengan latensi terendah—sering kali dalam pusat populasi yang sama dengan pengguna.

Telkom menunjukkan latensi terendah di Q1 2020

Selama Q1 2020, latensi rata-rata Indonesia pada broadband tetap adalah 20 ms. Sedangkan pada broadband seluler, latensi rata-rata adalah 42 ms. Pada tingkat negara, penyedia layanan broadband tetap di Indonesia menunjukkan latensi dalam kisaran antara 16 ms hingga 35 ms selama Q1 2020. Telkom memiliki latensi terendah sebesar 16 ms pada broadband tetap. Kemudian disusul oleh MyRepublic dengan 17 ms. Biznet dan First Media memiliki latensi tertinggi, masing-masing sebesar 24 ms dan 35 ms.

Telkomsel dan 3 memiliki latensi terendah pada ponsel di 36 ms. Selama periode ini, latensi rata-rata IM3 Ooredoo, XL, dan Smartfren berkisar antara 36 ms hingga 48 ms.

Kinerja internet tetap konsisten selama pandemi

Kecepatan internet juga menjadi hal yang sangat penting saat bermain game. Kami telah menggunakan data dari Speedtest Intelligence® untuk melacak kecepatan internet di tingkat global selama pandemi. Hasilnya, kecepatan broadband seluler dan tetap di Indonesia sebagian besar konsisten dengan kinerja pra-pandemi.

Volume pengguna yang menggunakan Speedtest pada broadband seluler dan tetap meningkat drastis antara minggu 9 Maret hingga 13 April 2020 ketika banyak orang menyesuaikan diri dengan pola penggunaan internet baru selama pandemi. Volume pengujian mulai menurun setelah minggu 13 April.

Bandung memiliki latensi terendah pada broadband tetap, sedangkan Bekasi pada broadband seluler

Berkaca pada latensi tetap dan seluler di lima kota terbesar di Indonesia selama Q1 2020, kami menemukan sedikit variasi pada latensi broadband tetap dan variasi yang lebih luas pada latensi seluler.

Bandung, sebuah kota di Jawa Barat, menunjukkan latensi broadband tetap terendah dalam kelompoknya sebesar 15 ms pada Q1 2020. Surabaya dan Bekasi memiliki latensi tertinggi sebesar 22 ms. Peningkatan terbesar dalam hal latensi broadband tetap terlihat di Medan, yang menunjukkan penurunan latensi broadband tetap dari 32 ms pada Q1 2019 menjadi 20 ms pada Q1 2020.

Kota Bekasi, yang terletak di sebelah barat Jakarta, memiliki latensi seluler terendah sebesar 32 ms selama Q1 2020, diikuti oleh Bandung.

Saat membandingkan Q1 2019 hingga Q1 2020, kami melihat peningkatan latensi seluler signifikan di kelima kota tersebut. Paling mencolok, latensi seluler di Medan meningkat dari 72 ms pada Q1 2019 menjadi 51 ms pada Q1 2020.

Kalimantan Timur dan Kalimantan Tengah memiliki latensi broadband tetap terendah

Analisis latensi pada broadband tetap di 34 provinsi di Indonesia selama Q1 2020 menunjukkan bahwa semua provinsi memiliki latensi rata-rata dalam kisaran yang dapat diterima untuk bermain game online. Latensi broadband tetap berkisar antara 16 ms di Kalimantan Timur dan Kalimantan Tengah hingga 38 ms di Gorontalo.

Banten memiliki latensi seluler terendah selama Q1 2020

Latensi seluler rata-rata menunjukkan kisaran yang jauh lebih luas di antara provinsi-provinsi Indonesia pada Q1 2020 dibanding yang kami lihat pada broadband tetap. Latensi seluler selama periode ini berkisar antara 33 ms di Banten (terendah) hingga 116 ms di Maluku Utara (tertinggi).

Kinerja internet terlihat sangat baik dan meningkat di berbagai daerah di Indonesia. Hal ini penting untuk pengalaman bermain game yang baik. Kami berharap dapat melihat provinsi yang tertinggal mampu mengejar dalam waktu dekat. Untuk mempelajari lebih lanjut tentang kinerja internet negara-negara Asia lainnya dibandingkan dengan Indonesia, kunjungi Indeks Global Speedtest^TM.

Catatan editor: Artikel ini diperbarui pada 16 Juli 2020 untuk memperbaiki kesalahan dalam latensi oleh bagian penyedia.

Ookla Video Analytics Reveals the State of Global Video Experience

Posted on December 6, 2021July 11, 2022 by Josh Fomon

Video is essential to today’s internet across the world. We use it to watch shows and movies, stream live events and even keep up to date on our favorite cats on social media. Ookla® launched video testing in the Speedtest® app for iOS and Android earlier this year so consumers can measure the quality of their video experience. Already, millions of video tests have been initiated by consumers. Today we’re sharing some of that data to provide insight into video experience around the world, specifically, we’ve analyzed adaptive start time and highest overall video resolution over all mobile technologies, 5G and fixed broadband in select countries during Q3 2021.

Switzerland had the fastest adaptive start time for all mobile technologies, South Africa fastest for 5G

Video streaming services use adaptive bitrate technology

All modern video streaming platforms use adaptive bitrate technology to automatically adjust video quality based on network conditions and device capabilities in order to display the highest quality video that a device can support, while minimizing buffering and slow video start time. Speedtest Video Analytics provides deep insights and competitive benchmarking for device and network video streaming capabilities.

Adaptive start time — the time it takes for adaptive bitrate playback to initiate — allows us to see how quickly videos are loading. A 2012 study found that users will leave a video if it doesn’t begin playing within two seconds. We have to imagine in 2021, that timeframe is being squeezed even further. Our analysis shows how countries are performing against this important benchmark.

Speedtest Intelligence® reveals that Switzerland had the fastest median adaptive start time for all mobile technologies combined among the countries we analyzed at 1.02 seconds during Q3 2021. South Korea and Norway were close behind at 1.07 seconds and 1.10 seconds, respectively. Five more countries achieved a median adaptive start time at or under 1.25 seconds during Q3 2021, including Hong Kong (SAR) and Croatia (1.17 seconds), Portugal (1.24 seconds), and Kuwait and Mexico (1.25 seconds). All but three of the remaining countries we surveyed achieved a median adaptive start time between 1.25 seconds and 2.00 seconds during Q3 2021 except Colombia (2.11 seconds), Saudi Arabia (2.12 seconds) and India (2.13 seconds).

Most 5G-capable video tests showed blazing fast adaptive start times

We’ve seen median 5G download speeds zoom ahead of traditional mobile technologies, even reaching median download speeds 10 times faster than on 4G LTE. It’s no surprise Video Analytics revealed adaptive start time was often much faster on 5G than on all mobile technologies combined. Five countries achieved median adaptive start times faster than 1.00 second during Q3 2021: South Africa (0.73 seconds), Switzerland (0.79 seconds), Norway (0.82 seconds), Hong Kong (0.86 seconds) and South Korea (0.90 seconds). Video Analytics shows the only countries with a median 5G adaptive start time slower than 1.25 seconds were the United States (1.27 seconds), Brazil (1.42 seconds) and Saudi Arabia (1.94 seconds).

Five countries’ adaptive start time improved more than 0.25 seconds on 5G compared to all technologies combined during Q3 2021: the Philippines (-0.62 seconds), South Africa (-0.53 seconds), Brazil (-0.39 seconds), Hong Kong (-0.31 seconds) and Norway (-0.29 seconds). However, several countries showed a less than 0.20 second improvement when comparing adaptive start rate on 5G to that on all technologies combined during Q3 2021: the U.S. (-0.14 seconds), Bahrain (-0.16 seconds), South Korea and Saudi Arabia (-0.17 seconds), and the United Kingdom (U.K.) and France (-0.18 seconds).

Adaptive start time is not always faster on fixed broadband

Speedtest Intelligence showed a narrower range for adaptive start time on fixed broadband than on 5G with every country on our list achieving between 0.67 and 1.85 seconds during Q3 2021. Ten countries on our list achieved a median adaptive start time faster than 1.00 second during Q3 2021: South Korea (0.67 seconds), Norway (0.74 seconds), Hong Kong (0.75 seconds), Switzerland (0.76 seconds), the U.K. (0.79 seconds), France (0.86 seconds), the U.S. (0.87 seconds), Spain (0.88 seconds), Portugal (0.89 seconds) and Italy (0.98 seconds).

Twenty out of the 24 countries we surveyed had a median fixed broadband adaptive start time faster than 1.50 seconds during Q3 2021. Colombia (1.50 seconds), Egypt (1.59 seconds), Turkey (1.64 seconds) and Saudi Arabia (1.85 seconds) were the only countries with a median adaptive start time slower than 1.50 seconds on fixed broadband during Q3 2021.

South Korea video tests reached 4K resolutions at the highest proportion on mobile and fixed broadband

Video resolution is incredibly important in the experience of streaming video and the higher the resolution, the more definition and clarity we are able to see. These days, the difference between an SD and 4K experience is gigantic. Resolution is measured in the numbers of pixels in a 16:9 ratio, with 2160 pixel height representing a 4K picture. Video Analytics measures the resolution rates, which represent the portion of samples that reach a particular resolution. In this analysis, we evaluated the resolution rates for 4K, typically the highest resolution users will need.

Using Speedtest Intelligence, we found South Korea and Switzerland had the highest overall successful resolution rates for all mobile technologies combined during Q3 2021, reaching 4K resolutions 80.4% and 80.3% of the time, respectively. Croatia (79.7%), Kuwait (77.4%) and Norway (75.4%) were the only other countries on our list that achieved 4K video resolution more than 75.0% of the time. Only seven countries on our list did not reach a 4K resolution at least 50% of the time on all mobile technologies combined: the Philippines (38.4%), India (41.1%), Indonesia (44.8%), Colombia (45.3%), Mexico (46.3%), Russia (49.7%) and Egypt (49.9%).

5G led to higher video resolution, but 4K mobile devices still remain rare

5G provided a higher resolution for mobile devices during Q3 2021 than all technologies combined. Every country we surveyed reached a 4K resolution over 80.0% of the time over 5G. In fact, six out of the 14 countries we surveyed for 5G achieved a 4K resolution more than 90.0% of the time, including South Korea (95.9%), Norway (94.5%), Kuwait (94.0%), South Africa (93.6%), Switzerland (92.6%) and France (91.5%). On the lower end of our list, only Italy (81.9%), Brazil (83.9%) and the U.S. (83.9%) achieved 4K resolutions less than 85.0% of the time.

While this is great news for the future of mobile devices, 4K resolutions in mobile devices still aren’t common: Sony is the only popular device manufacturer producing 4K mobile devices. In the meantime, users who can connect to 5G through either a hot spot or fixed wireless access (FWA) will reap the benefits of being able to stream on 4K devices like computers, televisions or tablets.

South Korean fixed broadband delivers ultra-high definition resolutions

Speedtest Intelligence reveals South Korea had the highest fixed broadband 4K resolution rate among countries surveyed at 92.2% during Q3 2021. Other countries that achieved 4K resolution rates above 85.0% on fixed broadband during Q3 2021 included: Switzerland (89.4%), Hong Kong (87.6%), Norway (87.1%) and the U.S. (86.7%). Every other country in our analysis achieved 4K resolution rates between 65.0% and 85.0%, except Egypt (49.5%), Indonesia (52.5%), the Philippines (64.2%) and Turkey (64.3%).

Video Analytics gives you the information you need about your video playback

We’re excited to share more about video performance and quality of experience using Video Analytics in the coming months. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Video Analytics and how it can help you benchmark and improve your network, please join our upcoming webinar, December 9 by clicking here.

More Consumers are “Always On” Your Network, Here’s What They Need From You

Posted on July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 by Isla McKetta

We know the COVID-19 pandemic changed mobile user behavior, but new research commissioned by Ookla® shows just how much more consumers came to rely on their mobile connections. Ookla conducted a survey of five thousand mobile phone users from a diversity of demographic groups across Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States to learn more about how they use their devices and how they view their mobile operators. Computer Weekly recently shared a look at what this looked like in the U.K. For this article, we’ve paired this information with Speedtest® data on consumer sentiment in all three countries to get a full picture of what consumers expect from their mobile operators today.

Key takeaways:

The percentage of consumers who describe themselves as always online grew from 30% to 69%.
Fewer than two-thirds of respondents are satisfied with customer service with “always on” customers at least twice as likely to report issues with customer service.
“Always on” consumers have different support needs, prioritizing a more well-rounded customer service experience.
Nearly half (47.4%) of customers who have had customer service issues in the past 18 months are likely to want to switch to another operator.

Increasing numbers of mobile customers are “always on”

The number of mobile customers who described themselves as always online grew from 30% in November 2019 to 69% in November 2021. Whereas consumers used to put down their phones for a variety of reasons, “always on” users are online for a variety of economic reasons (accessing customers and generating business, traffic information and remote working, social media, and information sharing) and lifestyle reasons (parenting and caregiving, health and fitness, and gaming). It’s no surprise then, that these valuable customers need reliable networks to keep up with the demands of their mobile internet use.

Between 2019 and 2021 we saw a drop in users who were only “always on” for only economic reasons from 16% to 7%. Meanwhile, users who were “always on” for lifestyle reasons grew from 3% to 32%. The largest increases were in users who were “always on” for economic and lifestyle reasons.

Fewer than two-thirds of respondents satisfied with customer service

The 2020 American Customer Satisfaction Index found the telecom industry lags significantly in customer satisfaction. While customer service could be a key component of improving customer satisfaction, our survey revealed that fewer than two-thirds of respondents were satisfied with the customer service they received. Wait time had the lowest proportion of satisfied respondents (51%) while clarity of communication and multiple options for contact had the highest (62%). In addition, an operator-by-operator analysis showed that between 10% and 25% of customers of each operator had to submit a formal complaint. This obviously leaves significant room for improvement.

“Always on” users have different support needs

With more customers categorizing themselves online all the time, it’s increasingly important that their network be available whenever they need it. It is also vital that they get the kind of customer support they need when they encounter a problem.

We asked respondents to rank the top three components of customer satisfaction that make for good customer service. While customers who are not “always on” are looking for well trained staff, a quick resolution, and clear communication, “always on” users are looking for a more well-rounded customer service experience. “Always on” users also prioritize short wait times, clear paths to resolution, multiple methods of communication, and that they feel valued as a customer.

This means operators with a robust support network that customers can comprehend and access in the ways that they prefer to communicate will win the customer service race — and consequently, customer retention. Our clients have seen this already with Spatialbuzz™, which allows mobile operators to identify, prioritize, and diagnose customer dissatisfaction areas in real time with quick, actionable resolutions.

“Always on” customers experience more problems with customer service

“Always on” respondents in all three countries were at least twice as likely to report issues with customer service. The difference was especially pronounced in the U.K. where “always on” users were more than three times as likely to report customer service issues than their counterparts. This, plus the growth in the number of “always on” customers, poses a difficulty for mobile operators whose customer support programs have not evolved to meet these changing needs. If operators want to retain these key customers, there is work to be done.

Users who contact customer service are still likely to churn

The fact that customer service is a key factor in customer retention is no surprise, still our survey revealed that nearly half (47.4%) of customers who have had customer service issues in the past 18 months are likely to want to switch to another operator. The data tells us that even when issues are resolved, customers are often not satisfied with how they have been dealt with and still consider switching.

Respondents in the U.S. were the most likely to consider switching (24-37%, depending on operator). Customers in the U.K. were open to switching (25%, 29%, 29%, and 32%, depending on operator) and those in Switzerland were slightly less likely to consider switching (25, 27%, and 32%, depending on operator).

As important as adequate customer service is, it’s clear that mobile operators need to meet customers’ needs before they have to resort to customer service. Providing a high level of network performance is important to this as is checking in with consumer sentiment, especially as consumers’ habits shift toward being “always on.”

Solving customer issues is not enough to retain your customer base. Those issues need to be resolved with care through clear communication and expertise in a timely manner. To learn more about Consumer Sentiment^TM data or how Spatialbuzz could help you connect with in-need customers faster and more efficiently, contact us.