According to Opensignal, an internet analytics company, Airtel Xstream broadband has outperformed JioFiber in terms of download speeds and quality of service for fixed broadband users in India. The report, based on data collected from December 2022 to February 2023, reveals that Airtel Xstream broadband is now ahead of JioFiber in the Broadband Download Speed metric at the national level, with a difference of 10.3Mbps (30.4%). That means Airtel users experience an average download speed of 44.1Mbps, compared with 33.8Mbps for JioFiber users .
This test is representative of the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across a provider’s network. In the previous edition of the report, from July last year, Airtel logged an average of 42.7Mbps, then faster than Jio by 8Mbps . Airtel also leads in the Broadband Peak Download Speed score, which measures the highest speeds experienced by users on each network. Airtel’s peak speed reaches 213.6Mbps, while Jio’s peak speed is 155.3Mbps . In last year’s report, Airtel registered 219.4Mbps in this metric, then also much faster than Jio’s 155.5Mbps .
The report also compares the upload speeds and the quality of service of the two operators. Airtel has a slight edge over Jio in the Broadband Upload Speed metric, with an average speed of 33.3Mbps versus 26.8Mbps for Jio . These speeds are important for users who use cloud storage services or file sharing apps frequently. In terms of quality of service, both Airtel and Jio have similar scores in the Broadband Video Experience and Broadband Games Experience metrics, which assess how well users can stream videos or play multiplayer games on their fixed broadband connections . However, Airtel has a higher score in the Broadband Voice App Experience metric, which evaluates the quality of voice calls made using over-the-top (OTT) apps such as WhatsApp or Skype .
The report also highlights the role of regional ISPs in India’s fixed broadband market. Regional ISPs account for 20% of the market share, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data for October 2023 . These ISPs offer competitive prices and speeds to attract customers in specific areas. Some of them even surpass Airtel and Jio in terms of download speeds or quality of service in certain regions .
The report concludes that India’s fixed broadband market is evolving rapidly, with new technologies such as fiber and 5G offering faster and more reliable services to users. However, there is still room for improvement, as India ranks low in global comparisons of fixed broadband speeds and availability . The report suggests that ISPs need to invest more in expanding their network coverage and capacity to meet the growing demand for high-quality broadband services in India.