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The specialized company, Open Signal, published the results of its latest measurements for cellular network performance in Albania in October.
The report analyzes key network quality indicators, based on measurements conducted between July and September of this year. Open Signal's approach relies on data collected from real user experiences rather than testing methods.
In most of the indicators, the networks of Vodafone Albania and One Albania showed similar results, Monitor reports.
However, One Albania achieved higher results in data download and upload speed and in gaming experience, utilizing the network's internet, while Vodafone Albania achieved higher results in network coverage and video streaming experience from cellular networks.
Given that internet service is becoming increasingly central in the realm of cellular service, the speed of data transmission is a critical indicator for most users. Open Signal's measurements show that in data download from respective networks, One Albania has achieved a slightly higher average speed, at 37.7 Mbps (megabits per second), while Vodafone Albania follows closely with 35.5 Mbps.
However, when it comes to data upload to the internet, One Albania holds a more significant advantage. The average upload speed for the One Albania network has been 11.9 Mbps, while for Vodafone Albania, it's 10.2 Mbps.
Regarding video content quality, Vodafone Albania had the highest result in Open Signal's tests, with a score of 65.5 (on a scale from 0 to 100), while One Albania achieved a score of 63.7. Vodafone Albania also holds an advantage in live video (live streaming) with 58.9 compared to One Albania's 58.
On the other hand, One Albania outperforms with a significant margin in user experience with games, scoring 71 compared to Vodafone Albania's 63.1.
In terms of network coverage, Open Signal employs a different measurement method compared to typical approaches that rely on territorial or population coverage percentages. Open Signal's technique assesses coverage in populated areas on a scale from 0 to 10, and the published results show that Vodafone Albania achieved a score of 7.7 in this scale, while One Albania scored 7.3.
As for network availability, which measures the average time users have access to the network in their usual locations, One Albania achieved a higher result, with 97.6% of the time, while Vodafone Albania follows with 97.3%.
According to data from the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP), the number of cellular service users (measured as the number of SIM cards/active mobile numbers) reached 2.79 million in the middle of this year, marking a 5.4% increase compared to the previous year and a 0.5% increase compared to the first quarter.
After the merger of ONE and Albtelecom into the new operator, One Albania, starting in 2023, the number of cellular operators in Albania has reduced to two, returning the market to the same structure as in 2008.
During the first quarter with the new duopoly structure, Vodafone Albania easily gained ground in the number of active users. In the middle of this year, Vodafone Albania reported a 12.2% annual growth in the number of active users, while One Albania reported a slight decline of 0.3%. Nevertheless, One Albania continues to dominate, with 51.2% of the total number of active users.