It’s Better Don’t Go Internet At Sahur Hours, Slow Network!
Soon we will enter the month of Ramadan. OpenSignal has just released its report on mobile device usage trends during Ramadan. From the results of this report, it can be seen that the trend of internet usage is increasing at Sahur hours
In this Opensignal analysis, it can be seen that changes in behavior during the month of Ramadan affect the use of mobile devices in the five countries with the largest Muslim populations.
The Fajr prayer marks the start of the daily fast, and falls between 03.00 and 06.00. In that time, more people waking up earlier correlated with a change in average 4G download speed.
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During the month of Ramadan, the period from 03.00 to 06.00 hours shows a significant decrease in 4G Download Speed. This decrease is likely due to greater user activity and network congestion.
It was noted that there were two countries that experienced a decrease in the average download speed of 4G users above 20%, namely Pakistan (21.3%) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (25%). This decline is because more people wake up early to eat the pre-dawn meal.
If you look at the variations between Ramadan and the previous month, the average 4G download speed is generally lower in the evening and early morning or midnight to 9am, and faster during the day from 9am to noon.
This trend was most pronounced in the pre-dawn period, around 3 – 6am, with Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all seeing declines of more than 15%.
During Ramadan this three-hour period is the last opportunity to eat before the fast begins, and also contains the first prayer of the day. There will be more people awake today than in previous months, and increased traffic lowers download speeds.
For the rest of the day, increased speeds reflect reduced network traffic, as people spend less time on their phones.
By taking the average monthly download speed for an entire day, and only for the 3-6am period, Opensignal saw how during Ramadan there was a downward trend compared to the three months before and after.
Despite the sharp declines in pace for Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the daily figures show little difference from the trend. In fact, there was a slight increase in the five countries, when compared to April to March.
This suggests that periods of greater user activity and congestion in the morning are offset by reduced network usage for the rest of the day.
Countries with a higher proportion of Muslims experience greater changes during Ramadan. Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia both have sizable percentages of the Muslim population, amounting to 96% and 93%, respectively.
For these two countries, the average 4G download speed during the 3am to 6am period during Ramadan decreased by more than 20%, when compared to the previous month, highlighting the increase in traffic during this period.
Both countries also experienced an increase in speed of more than 15%, especially in the afternoon from 12 – 3 pm for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and both in the morning, around 9 am to noon and in the afternoon from 3 to 6 pm for in Pakistan.
The Muslim population in Egypt is estimated to be around 90%, while Indonesia is reported to have an 87% Muslim majority. These two countries experienced significant drops in 4G speeds caused by morning congestion, by 18.5% and 16.7%, respectively.
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When compared to Malaysia, with a less impactful 64% Muslim population, the changes in habits influenced by the month of Ramadan clearly stand out.
The changing trend of using mobile devices in countries with Muslim-majority populations means that most people change their routines around this holy month. [HBS]
