Zain: Kuwait's fastest network wins five global awards from Ookla Speedtest

20/04/2025 04:48 AST

Zain has added another illustrious chapter to its success story, reaffirming its leadership in Kuwait's telecom and ICT sector, becoming the first and only company in the country to win five global awards in a single year from Ookla Speedtest - the world's leading platform for network intelligence, testing, and analytics. These awards recognize Zain's performance for the third and fourth quarters of 2024.

Zain secured the titles of Fastest Mobile Network, Best 5G Gaming Experience, Best 5G Video Experience, Best Mobile Network and Fastest Fixed Internet, after achieving the highest scores in Ookla's analyses, based on hundreds of thousands of consumer-initiated tests across Kuwait. These tests covered all major telecom networks nationwide during the evaluation period, with Zain emerging as the clear leader in every category - cementing its position at the top across multiple performance fronts.

This achievement highlights Zain's leadership and commitment to investing in cutting-edge technologies, empowering the digital lifestyles of the largest customer base in Kuwait. It builds on the success story Zain began when it became the first operator to commercially launch 5G in Kuwait in 2019. Zain remains steadfast in investing heavily in its digital infrastructure to deliver the latest solutions and services that meet the aspirations of its customers.

On this occasion, Nawaf Al-Gharabally, CEO of Zain Kuwait, stated: "We are proud to write a new chapter in Zain's ongoing success story. This unprecedented achievement reaffirms what we always claim: Zain is Kuwait's fastest and leading network. We have once again proven our market leadership, strengthening our top position in a fiercely competitive and operationally demanding market."

He added: "This accomplishment is the result of the dedication and creativity of our national workforce, whom we are immensely proud of. It is also a direct translation of our new 4WARD strategy - 'Progress with Purpose' - through which we look to maximize our full potential as a customer-centric, future-proof and impactful leading regional TechCo. These awards also serve as a clear endorsement from our customers, as they are primarily based on user-initiated tests, making this recognition all the more meaningful."

Al-Gharabally continued: "This success goes beyond operational and technical excellence. Our continued investment in employee development and human capital is a key pillar in realizing our vision and maintaining our leadership. Our unwavering focus on enhancing the customer experience and placing them at the heart of everything we do has directly contributed to strengthening our brand position, and it is recognitions like these that reflect our efforts."

He further noted: "At Zain, we see ourselves as a responsible organization, enthusiastically contributing to Kuwait's vision of building a robust digital infrastructure and advancing the nation's developmental goals. We affirm our full technical, operational, and commercial readiness to launch the next generation of 5G (5.5G). The coming phase requires total readiness, and we view this achievement as a steppingstone toward this major transformation."

Stephen Bye, President and CEO of Ookla, a division of Ziff Davis, commented: "We are proud to recognize Zain for winning the Speedtest Award for 'Fastest Mobile Network,' 'Best 5G Gaming Experience,' 'Best 5G Video Experience,' 'Best Mobile Network,' and 'Fastest Fixed Internet' in Kuwait for Q3 and Q4 of 2024. This recognition is a testament to Zain's industry leadership performance, as validated by Ookla's trusted methodology."

Ookla is a global leader in connectivity intelligence, providing consumers, businesses, and organizations with data-driven insights to improve network performance and connected experiences. Ookla helps its clients efficiently solve their biggest connectivity challenges and drive innovation forward.

Ookla is a division of Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD), a vertically focused digital media and Internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands across technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and martech sectors. Ookla's world-renowned brands include Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau, RootMetrics, and more.

For the full details of Ookla's methodology, visit: Speedtest.net/awards.

Fastest mobile network
Ookla compared over 700,000 consumer-initiated speed tests in Kuwait via its leading Speedtest platform, widely recognized globally, through iOS and Android apps, covering all major networks in the country during the award period. Zain outperformed all other networks with a Speed Score of 273.37, featuring a median download speed of 263.71 Mbps and a median upload speed of 27.11 Mbps. The final result was calculated based on several scientific benchmarks, with a focus on download and median speeds - the metrics that matter most to consumers daily.

As Kuwait's fastest mobile network, Zain enables its customers to download content faster, stream videos seamlessly, and browse the web without lag, anytime and anywhere on their smartphones. These ultra-high speeds ensure that customers can rely on their mobile network for a premium, stable connection on the go, enhancing their productivity and keeping them connected to what matters most.

Fastest fixed Internet
Ookla compared over two million consumer-initiated tests of fixed network speeds in Kuwait across its various Speedtest platforms, including tests conducted over smartphones connected to Wi-Fi networks. Zain outperformed all other networks with a Speed Score of 197.72, achieving top download speeds of 531.21 Mbps and top upload speeds of 85.18 Mbps. The final result was calculated based on several scientific benchmarks, with a focus on download and median speeds - essential factors for daily consumer use.

Fixed networks offer ultra-fast speeds and low latency, making them ideal for gaming enthusiasts. Zain's advanced network provides a variety of packages tailored to this customer segment, ensuring the best experience. The company also offers a wide range of gaming products, from high-end PCs to original accessories and more. By delivering Kuwait's fastest fixed Internet, Zain provides households with ultra-fast connectivity, ideal for remote work, streaming high-definition content, online gaming, and all daily digital needs. This superiority ensures Zain's customers enjoy smooth, reliable home internet, even during peak usage times.

Best 5G video experience
Ookla compared thousands of tests across its Speedtest platform on 5G networks, with Zain outperforming all other networks, scoring 85.77 in the video test. The final result was based on video streaming performance indicators, measuring several key performance metrics during high-resolution video playback.

Zain offers its customers the largest entertainment content library through its strategic partnerships with leading entertainment platforms in the Middle East and globally, providing thousands of hours of entertainment and sports content over Kuwait's largest network - ensuring the best viewing experience for users to enjoy their favorite content anytime and anywhere.

Zain's customers benefit from the best 5G video experience, enjoying ultra-HD streaming with instant playback and zero buffering. This video streaming quality means users can enjoy digital entertainment on the go with the same smoothness as home connections. With Zain's advanced 5G network, customers get an unprecedented entertainment experience, reflecting the outstanding capabilities of the infrastructure the company has heavily invested in.

Best 5G gaming experience
Ookla compared thousands of tests across its Speedtest platform on 5G networks, with Zain outperforming all other networks, scoring 84.99 in the gaming test. The final result was based on gaming performance indicators, including latency and jitter measurements from real-world game servers, alongside user-generated performance metrics.

Zain delivers the best 5G gaming experience for mobile gaming enthusiasts, thanks to its extremely high speeds and ultra-low latency. This means gamers can enjoy immersive, responsive gameplay with instant reaction times, even in competitive games requiring direct online interaction.

This achievement highlights Zain's deep understanding of the gaming community's needs, providing them with a competitive edge and seamless, uninterrupted gaming - making Zain the preferred choice for serious gamers.

Best mobile network
As the recipient of the Best Mobile Network award, Zain offers wide and reliable coverage backed by top speeds and consistent performance at all times. This level of service ensures customers enjoy an unparalleled mobile experience, with stable connectivity, excellent call quality, and the highest Internet speeds nationwide. Zain's customers benefit from a unique experience that combines speed, reliability, and continuity, anywhere across Kuwait.

 Nawaf Al-Gharabally: The next phase demands full readiness for the launch of 5.5G, and we view this achievement as a steppingstone toward this major transformation.

 Stephen Bye: This recognition is a testament to Zain's industry-leading performance, validated by Ookla's proven methodology.

Speedtest is the global go-to platform for consumers seeking network intelligence and telecom insights.

Zain achieved the highest scores in Q3 and Q4 2024 across all five categories.

Kuwait Times