Muscat — Oman has recorded a major leap in mobile and broadband performance, climbing five places to rank 18th in the Speedtest Global Index for 2025, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data.
The country’s all-technology median download speed more than doubled, rising to 121.84 Mbps between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the same period in 2025. Over the same timeframe, median 5G download speeds increased from 191.03 Mbps to 259.94 Mbps, reflecting sustained network upgrades and wider nationwide coverage.
The global rankings continue to be led by Gulf markets, with the UAE topping the index, followed by Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Bulgaria, Brazil, South Korea, Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Singapore complete the top ten, highlighting the strong presence of both GCC and Asian markets in high-speed connectivity.
Oman’s improvement has been driven by regulatory reform and rising competition. Measures introduced by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, including infrastructure sharing and a phased sunset of 3G networks, paved the way for Vodafone’s entry as a third mobile operator in 2022. Alongside mid- and low-band spectrum allocation, these steps accelerated 5G rollout, lifting population coverage to 91 percent by 2024.
“A cornerstone of the TRA’s strategy to improve network performance and spectral efficiency was the mandated retirement of legacy 3G infrastructure,” Ookla noted. “By decommissioning 3G, operators can refarm valuable low-band spectrum for 4G and 5G use, delivering far greater data capacity per MHz.”
Between 2021 and 2025, operator investment expanded Oman’s 5G site count to 6,671 by mid-2025. Omantel and Ooredoo continue to lead in 5G performance, supported by larger mid-band spectrum holdings and ongoing capital deployment. Ookla data shows their median 5G download speeds reached 323.41 Mbps and 321.67 Mbps respectively in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Oman has also strengthened its international connectivity. During Red Sea cable cuts in September 2025, traffic was rerouted through more than 20 subsea cables and terrestrial links, limiting disruption and avoiding the wider service impact seen in neighbouring markets.
The combined effect of regulation, competition and infrastructure investment has reshaped Oman’s mobile landscape, elevating network performance and strengthening the country’s position in global connectivity rankings.
