Opensignal: Pre-dawn Smartphone usage affects Download Speeds in Ramadan

 

• Internet user activity peaks in five countries during Ramadan from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

• Saudi Arabia is the country with the highest number of pre-dawn internet users during Ramadan

• The OpenSignal report reveals the impact of changing behavior during Ramadan on mobile experiences

 

 

Jeddah:   A recent technical report confirmed that the activity of Internet users’ changes during the month of Ramadan in Muslim-majority countries, as activity peaks between 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. before suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and dawn prayers (Fajr), and slows down before Iftar time after 12 noon till 3 p.m.

 

According to the Opensignal report, Saudi Arabia was found with the most significant variation in the average download speed of data on 4G Internet networks during Ramadan, as the pre-dawn activity of internet users increased, which resulted in a 25% decrease in data download speed over the previous month. (read the full report here:

https://www.opensignal.com/2023/03/14/how-ramadan-affects-mobile-network-experience).

 

OpenSignal conducted an analysis to determine the impact of changes in people's behaviour during Ramadan on mobile Internet experiences in five Muslim-majority countries: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

 

When comparing the difference in network experiences between Ramadan and the month before it, the company discovered that these countries experienced more changes during Ramadan than other countries, as data download speed decreased by more than 15% during the pre-dawn period due to increased network congestion.

 

Pre-dawn Internet usage grew in Muslim-majority Saudi Arabia (93%) and Pakistan (96%), which led to a decrease in the average download speed of data by 25% and 21.3% respectively, compared to the previous month, the report indicated.

 

Owing to their last meal before the start of fasting, a large number of people remain awake increasing network traffic, which slows down the download speed.

 

The report revealed a similar change in data download in Egypt with a 90% Muslim population and Indonesia (87%) where it decreased by 18.5% and 16.7% respectively. Even in Malaysia with 64% of the population, the speed was found to have decreased by 15.7% from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

 

The report concludes that during Ramadan, the lifestyles of many people change dramatically, and changes in the mobile experience in Muslim-majority countries indicate that a large percentage of people change their daily routine during this month, as Muslims prefer to spend Ramadan in Worship and carry out his religious responsibilities.