Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt: these are the best mobile phone networks in Switzerland

Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt: Independent experts tested cell phone networks in Corona year

Results from this year’s “Connect” network test are available. Here you can find out how Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt are rated by the experts.

The editorial team of the industry magazine “Connect” published this year’s mobile network test report. Watson summarizes the most important facts.

What influence does Corona have?

Despite the corona pandemic, measurements on the Swiss mobile networks of Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt could be carried out as planned, writes the editorial team of “Connect”. Of course, it was necessary to protect the teams doing the test drives, as well as those on foot and in the train with the measuring devices (more on this below).

The evaluators stated that the three operators could hardly have stopped in their expansion efforts.

Who won the network test?

In the disputed Switzerland, Swisscom managed to overtake its strong rival Sunrise for the third time in a row, according to the conclusion of the Connect test in 2021.

According to the latest test conducted by consulting firm Umlaut and German industrial magazine Connect, the Swiss industry leader continues to offer the best mobile network in the country. Sunrise also got the test grade as “outstanding”, but only had to be satisfied with the silver medal.

Salt only achieved third place this year, but was the only supplier to improve compared to the previous year. Overall, according to the ranking, Swisscom has 960 (prior year 974) out of 1,000 possible points, Sunrise has 955 (prior year 967) and Salt has 926 (prior year 923).

In a press release sent out on Tuesday, Sunrise emphasized that it was the only provider in the entire DA-CH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) that had received the highest overall rating of “Excellent” for the fifth time in a row.

Which network is better to surf?

Of course, it depends on the exact location and coverage of the antenna. The conclusion of «Connect»:

• Sunrise delivered the fastest results for loads and data speeds recorded in tests in the smallest Swiss cities.
• When it came to the final billing of all examined measured values, Swisscom and Sunrise would have fought head to head. In the big cities and on the streets, the two rivals would be on par, while in the small towns Swisscom was “slightly ahead”.
• Salt followed with a little distance, “but still respectable results.”

YouTube’s measurement results are impressive, too, according to Connect’s test report: Depending on the scenario and the provider, their success rates would be 100 percent or close, and the video resolution was also higher.

Measurements in Switzerland took place from October 21 to 31, 2020.

How well can you make calls on the go?

All three network operators have been supporting VoLTE (Voice over LTE) since last year and would benefit greatly from this good technology base, they say.

Success rates when making calls in cities large and small are close to 100 percent for all three candidates. In test drives in small towns, Swisscom even reached this mark.

Which network is the best to travel by train?

The results on Swiss trains are particularly impressive, according to the Connect test: Swisscom even offers a 99 percent success rate for smartphone calls on train journeys that are demanding in terms of mobile communications. The two competitors followed right behind. Call setup times and voice quality were also satisfactory during the train’s driving tests.

And Swisscom and Sunrise also dueled at the highest level when it came to data traffic on train routes and received the same good rail grade in the end. Salt followed a short distance, it is said.

What about 5G?

The results of 5G connections were recorded for the first time. Where the new cellular network is already available, it was recorded in driving and operational tests, they say. Swisscom and Sunrise would not only offer the latest generation of mobile communications in cities, but also to a large extent across the board, and according to tests, they are on par with 5G.

Salt is still at the beginning of 5G expansion, but where the smaller Swiss network operator can already offer the new standard, it also offers impressive data speeds.

How does Switzerland compare between countries?

Excellent, according to the “Connect” test.

Swiss supplier Salt, third in the standings, achieved the same number of points in the test as the test winner in Germany. With 5G, Salt is still at the beginning, but it already offers “maximum values” in its first 5G cells, as it is called.

In Switzerland in particular, the 5G measurement results were generally “impressive”. German networks, in particular, have improved significantly in an international comparison.

What data is the cell phone network test based on?

“Connect” tested cellular networks with measurement devices in the car, on the train, but also on foot in larger cities and towns. Additionally, volunteers can use a smartphone app to collect measured values; These measurements, which were introduced in 2019, are known as crowdsourcing.

• Four measuring vehicles were dispatched to the track. Each was equipped with six smartphones. “One Samsung Galaxy S10 per network operator performed voice measurements. Another smartphone per network operator was responsible for the data measurements. “
• “In addition to driving tests, a walking test team conducted measurements on foot in each country, in areas with high levels of public traffic, such as train stations, airport terminals, cafes, museums and public transport. The walking test program also included trips on long-distance rail routes. “

The test drives were carried out in 17 large and 36 small Swiss cities, the test drives were carried out in eight cities. The test route in Switzerland was around 6,720 km long, corresponding to around 2.3 million inhabitants (27.5% of the population).

• According to the editors at Connect, the Galaxy S10 for the language tests and the Galaxy S10 5G for the data tests were also used for the walk tests. The smartphones were “in backpacks or carts equipped with powerful batteries.”

Criteria such as data download speed, voice quality, and connection quality were recorded for the comparison tests. A maximum of 1000 points is possible.

Have you tried manipulation this year?

Not officially. Or at least no one was caught cheating or optimizing incorrectly.

As in last year’s test, the editorial team of “Connect” did not mention any tampering attempts.

Digital publisher Daniel Schurter receives information by email or through the secure Threema messaging app. Threema ID: ACYMFHZX. Notes are treated confidentially.

sources

With material from the SDA news agency