HAVANA, Cuba. – The company Ookla, recognized for its internet speed testing service, has eliminated Cuba from its Global Speed Test Index. This decision can be seen in the official page of the company, where the Island has stopped appearing among the more than 100 countries analyzed in terms of internet speed, both in fixed and mobile broadband connections.
Since July 2024, Cuba is no longer listed in the rankingwhich has led the group of Cuban specialists Diktyonwhich monitors internet censorship and health in the country, to contact the company for more information.
According to the Cuban group, which contacted by CubaNetRaquel Sanz, Ookla’s communications manager, explained: “This change is due to the inclusion of the Precision Validity Score (PVS), a measure we are adopting to determine the inclusion of a country in the Speedtest Global Index. This criterion replaces the previously used sample threshold and aims to improve the robustness and stability of the index. The PVS evaluates whether there are enough samples to be confident that the reported value (that is, the median download speed) is within 5% of the true value. When internet speeds in Cuba cross that threshold, they will be reincorporated into the index.”
What Sanz mentions implies that the inclusion of a country in the Ookla index not only depends on having data available, but also on the quality and consistency of that data. For a country to be included, there must be enough speed tests to support a reliable result. If the situation in a country does not meet this criterion, it will remain outside the index, making it even more difficult to accurately assess its connectivity.
In Cuba, the speed of the internet varies considerably by location. In general, the areas of tourist interest and the Guantanamo Naval Base (territory that belongs to the US) enjoy higher connection speeds compared to the rest of the Island.
In June 2024, the last month in which Cuba appeared on Ookla’s list, the situation remained critical compared to previous months. At that time, the Island ranked last in connection speed, both mobile and fixed. Mobile connections registered an average download speed of 4.14 Mbps and upload speed of 4.31 Mbps, placing Cuba in 108th place out of 108 countries.
In fixed broadband, the figures were equally unfavorable, with download speeds of 2.73 Mbps and upload speeds of just 0.96 Mbps, which placed the Island in 159th place out of 159 countries and showed the persistent challenges in your internet infrastructure.
Starting in June 2024, Ookla implemented a change in its methodology: since then it began reporting internet speeds as an average of the last three months. When analyzing the quarterly average between April and June 2024, the mobile download speed in Cuba was 4.02 Mbps and the upload speed reached 4.13 Mbps.
Regarding fixed broadband, the averages were 2.79 Mbps for download and 0.96 Mbps for upload. These speeds are still insufficient to offer an internationally competitive browsing experience.
