Hello Colombia! Redefining Mobile Quality Assessment with MedUX Crowdsourcing
This article is part of a monographic series on the first Quality of User Experience Report for mobile internet services by the CRC in Colombia. Check out the first article in the series as well: Hello Colombia! Measuring Mobile Quality with MedUX.
At MedUX, we are pleased to share the progress of our project in Colombia in collaboration with the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC). Since the inception of this effort in 2023, we remain committed to monitoring and improving mobile service quality in the country through our crowdsourcing solution. This initiative aims to provide insights into the quality of service at the national, regional, and municipal levels, reflecting the real user experience in Colombia. The recent results published by the CRC highlight the importance and effectiveness of this methodology in significantly increasing the number of collected samples as well as geographical coverage.
In the first report published by the CRC, based on data collected through our solution, information is provided on the performance of mobile services from the four main operators in the country between the second quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. This data collection methodology has been key in representing the user experience across the country. Covering over 900 municipalities in the 32 departments, including all 32 capital cities and their localities, we have achieved unprecedented visibility into mobile service performance in areas where monitoring was previously lacking.
The measurements, conducted on real commercial services, provide an objective view of how mobile networks perform from the user’s perspective and evaluate indicators such as upload speed, download speed, latency, jitter, and packet loss. This not only enables the regulator to make informed decisions but also facilitates its role as a supervisory entity by incorporating the evaluation of mandatory compliance indicators to support quality assurance activities.
Likewise, mobile telecommunications operators can use this information as a starting point to improve their networks and digital services.
Methodology for Evaluating Mobile Internet Service Quality in Colombia
Our solution leverages active measurement techniques and integrations with third-party applications deployed extensively throughout the Colombian territory, ensuring unique coverage and representativeness. Through millions of samples collected directly from users' devices and with the support of major operators, we provide a comprehensive view of mobile service quality in Colombia.
How we Do It
The measurement process underpinning our analysis combines two fundamental elements: measurement clients and dedicated servers. This approach enables the evaluation of performance along a specific path, starting from the mobile operator's network, passing through the interconnection point with other networks, and ending at the selected measurement server.
To ensure accurate and representative results, we integrate the following key tools:
- Integration with Third-Party Applications: Our agents are designed to modularly integrate with third-party applications without affecting the user experience. This technology is compatible with the most widely used operating systems, adapting to the specific characteristics of each platform and device.
- Active Measurements: Automatic or scheduled execution can be performed at specific time intervals, including multiple tests in sequence. The active measurement process, which provides the underlying data, relies on both the measurement client that initiates the testing process and the measurement servers, which serve as the final testing point for client measurements. This allows the capture of key metrics such as upload and download speeds, latency, stability (jitter), and packet loss in practical scenarios.
- Tests Against Dedicated Servers: Measurements are conducted using servers strategically configured to simulate real-world usage conditions. As a result, the metrics measure performance along a specific path—from the mobile operator’s network, through the interconnection point between the operator’s mobile network and the network where the chosen measurement server is located.
- Data Validation: The collected results undergo rigorous validation processes to ensure the consistency and reliability of the information.
This comprehensive approach enables us to provide a deep and representative analysis of mobile network performance in Colombia.
Key Findings on Mobile Service Quality in Colombia
Among the notable insights from the first CRC report in Colombia, key trends were observed at the national, municipal, and capital city levels:
National Level
- Download Speed: In the first quarter of 2024, CLARO recorded the highest average download speed with 13.4 Mbps, followed by TIGO (10.9 Mbps), MOVISTAR (10.0 Mbps), and WOM (9.8 Mbps).
- Upload Speed: According to the CRC report, the upload speed curves indicate no significant difference among operators. On 4G networks, all operators exhibit a convergent trend towards 9.2 Mbps, reflecting uniform competitiveness in this indicator.
- Latency and Jitter: According to the CRC, no significant differences were observed in latency or jitter values among operators at the national level. This demonstrates a convergence in the quality of these indicators across CLARO, TIGO, MOVISTAR, and WOM.
Performance in Municipalities and Capital Cities
It is important to note that, according to the regulations, the methodology applied only considers municipalities where the operator has at least 4,000 adjusted mobile service users. 
This means that the total number of municipalities considered for each operator varies depending on their market presence. For example, CLARO covers 899 municipalities under these criteria, while TIGO, MOVISTAR, and WOM are evaluated in 161, 157, and 79 municipalities, respectively.
These performances highlight specific areas of technological leadership and service quality:
Maximum Download Speed:
- Operator: CLARO
- Location: Barranquilla
- Speed: 22.15 Mbps
Maximum Upload Speed
- Operator: MOVISTAR
- Location: Bucaramanga
- Speed: 16.07 Mbps
Minimum Latency:
- Operator: WOM
- Location: Bogotá
- Latency: 16.3 ms
Minimum jitter:
- Operator: WOM
- Location: Armenia
- Jitter: 6.1 ms
Minimum Packet Loss:
- Operator: TIGO
- Location: Barranquilla
- Packet Loss: 1.18%
Disaggregation by Localities in Bogotá
One of the analyses presented in the report focuses on download and upload speeds in different localities of Bogotá. In the first quarter of 2024, users of TIGO and CLARO experienced notable download speeds in several areas of Bogotá, such as Chapinero, where TIGO reached up to 23.5 Mbps. However, upload speeds saw a widespread decline, dropping from a peak of 16.8 Mbps in the third quarter of 2023 to 13.2 Mbps in 2024, reflecting a 21% decrease.
Performance in Rural or Sparsely Populated Areas
In municipalities with fewer than 4,000 adjusted mobile lines with 4G coverage, TIGO stood out for having the highest download speeds, ranging from 6 Mbps to 4.8 Mbps. In terms of upload speed, CLARO led with 1.7 Mbps in March 2024. This highlights the ongoing challenges in these less populated areas to match the performance seen in other urban municipalities.
Regarding jitter and packet loss, the report reveals that CLARO and WOM exhibited more stable performance in terms of jitter, with CLARO recording the lowest values of 18.8 ms in March 2024. As for packet loss, TIGO and MOVISTAR had the lowest loss percentages, with a minimum value of 3.2% in March 2024.
Trends and Challenges for Operators
The report highlights that operators in Colombia are achieving strong competitiveness in urban areas, showing progress in mobile service quality. Each operator has specific strengths that contribute to improving the user experience, such as consistent download speeds, low latencies, and stable connections in many key localities.
Although challenges persist in rural areas, these represent a significant opportunity to continue strengthening infrastructure and extending the benefits of connectivity to all regions of the country. The results emphasize the importance of continuing to innovate and optimize networks to ensure high-quality service nationwide.
Conclusions
The data presented by the CRC and collected with the help of MedUX and the collaboration of many Colombian citizens offer a comprehensive view of mobile service quality in Colombia. The results, covering everything from major cities to localities or neighborhoods with fewer inhabitants, are key for operators, regulators, and consumers to better understand the actual performance of mobile networks. This report highlights both the progress made and the challenges that still exist in terms of coverage, speed, and latency, particularly in rural areas.
MedUX, through its solutions for regulators and telecommunications operators, plays a key role in strengthening the quality of experience and service in the telecommunications sector. We are proud to contribute to the development of a stronger telecommunications ecosystem in Colombia and to be part of the results obtained from the report through MedUX Crowdsourcing, reaffirming our commitment to innovation and excellence in user experience.
Let’s keep moving forward together to offer Colombians better mobile service quality!
Don’t forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates and news.
Follow us on:
About MedUX
MedUX is the leading Quality of Experience (QoE) company, providing comprehensive and innovative solutions for measuring the performance of fixed, mobile, and TV telecommunications networks for telecom operators, governments, and digital enterprises. With a focus on delivering grand scale, end-to-end network, and service visibility, MedUX leverages real-time customer perspective data and advanced analytics to ensure quality and regulatory compliance, while also offering valuable insights for optimizing networks and improving customer experiences. With a presence in over 25 countries across Europe, America, Africa, and the Middle East, and monitoring over 60 operators worldwide, MedUX’s patented technology and expertise make it a trusted partner for improving the digital experiences of customers everywhere.