Broadband in Venezuela: a slow network

Today, everyone, once in their life, have used broadband connection. This internet service is used, in most cases, with a cable connection; although it can be present by Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or Fiber Optic networks. 

From the internet, messaging and communication never had an easy way as now. The importance of this tool has grown due to the evolution of broadband technology, for that reason, users have better channels of information exchange practically infinite. The speed and efficiency innovation of this technology has caused everyone in the world to be dependent on the internet, and the case of Venezuela, in collaboration with Lenny Yohana Gonçalves, from UPF, is a sample about it.

Broadband connections may vary depending on the area and the type of connection. With the advancement of technology, new ways of having broadband emerged, from the DSL, SDSL and ADSL, to the most known today as Fiber Optics or WiMAX. All of them will work better or worse depending on its use. For example, when it comes to office work, the wired connection is the best option as it will always be available and more secure. Wireless broadband will work best for people living within range of cellular service, even though the cable is more recommended. The higher the number of megabits (Mbps) allows a better broadband connection, but also will have a higher cost. However, it will be better able to work when it comes to downloading on the web or making a video call — you will need a minimum of 1 Mbps, for example; in the case of a streaming video you will need more, like 30 Mbps, as it will require an Ultra HD transmission.

According to the Consumer and User Organization (OCU), two-thirds of households use ADSL (Asymmetric  Digital  Subscriber  Line) with a maximum speed of 30 Mbps, instead of the Optical Fiber that allows to reach speeds of 300 Mbps. Coverage of most telephone operators has an ADSL connection in large populations — it makes it easy reaching urban and rural households that do not have the telephone exchange nearby — while fiber optics are still limited.

In Venezuela, the freedom of the internet has been threatened in recent years by political, economic and social issues. The slowdown on the internet has been one of the main harms in the state. Web platforms, portals and social networks were affected by political conflicts that led to censorship and self-censorship of shared information. Also, the increase in debts and changes in societies have led to the imbalance in big companies that provide a relatively normal quality of life, as is the network of connections. Since 2012, was demonstrated the report of The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Venezuela was in the sixth position of South American speed. However, experts intuited that subsequent periods would begin mass declines. Subsequently, in 2017, Freedom House's report called the South American country "Not Free" regarding its internet access and freedom of expression connections.

The biggest affected by these problems that fell on The Venezuelan State were the citizens who live in it. Since 2018, the conditions faced by the population to browse the internet were completely limited, connections were 1.8 Mbps and most of them uncertain, as demonstrated by the Venezuelan Institute of Press and Society (IPYS) annual report. It was even listed as the worst digital ecosystem in Latin America in terms of internet access quality, ECLAC data show. It was since then that this primary service for society deteriorated, so that its browsing quality was not the same since 2016 with 1,9 Mbps since that moment decayed two years later by 0,3 Mbps.

According to the speed test conducted by the IPYS and the Measurement Lab (MLAB) in early 2018, approximately 6,187 tests conducted in the 23 states of the South American country in 15 days, determined that Venezuelans are navigating to an average of 1,61 Mbps in the Fixed Broadband (BAF) — the lowest number of Latin America ranked 5,6 Mbps in 2017, thanks to its technological innovations — and an average mediation of 2,3 Mbps in the Mobile Broadband (BAM). This report showed that users connect to the internet at a speed of 256 kbps, an approximate of 3 in 10, which does not comply with internationally agreed broadband standards. Its decline was so high that it achieved lower connection averages than other neighboring countries such as Colombia (3,21 Mbps), or others such as Bolivia (1,78 Mbps) or Suriname (2,42 Mbps).

The main providers of broadband service allow you to have a more realistic view of what the country has been facing. The main public network of the state with the highest subscriber rate (69,5%), the Venezuelan National Anonymous Telephone Company (CANTV) showed the biggest deficiencies in this mediation with a 2,2 Mbps (5,7 Mbps load). While those in the private sector such as Inter and Movistar exceeded the level with 2,8 Mbps and 2,5 Mbps respectively — networks that have 8,8% of subscribers. Also the SuperCable network  — which allows this service in some cities of the country's capital Caracas and the west of the country — with 1,08 Mbps (5.3 Mbps load). However, the most affected were rural areas that scored below the national average of 1 Mbps, Movilnet with 0,8 Mbps and Digitel with 0,2 Mbps.

On the other hand, the costs of obtaining access from the BAF in Venezuela range from 11,18 USD for 100 Kbits of revenue of 42,95 USD per year, according to a 2003 analysis. Currently, in the case of the Inter private network, an approximate minimum network usage remains between 25,8336.19 Bolívares/ USD 3,52 —  the monthly income is 250,000 bolívares (Bs), equivalent to 4 dollars.

At one more central point in the Venezuelan state, relatively neutral issues were recorded – although it is low compared to the other countries on the continent. The highest result obtained in the mediation test was in the state Carabobo, located in the north of the country, with 32,1Mbps download, thanks to the public service that most of the middle of the population use a CANTV network. Also, in Caracas, the highest level of connection was calculated with 2,8Mbps of load and 4.3 Mbps of unloading. While in the other cities with the highest population rate were between 5-15 Mbps. However, the urban areas were ultimately the hardest hit, in the case of Lara state, Trujillo and Zulia, which have a relatively large population, the country's index was lower.

As for the BAM, mobile networks only count as 4G in 35% of states. The highest speed is provided by the private Movistar network with 2,82 Mbps, following the public Movilnet with 0,89 Mbps.

Although most households in Venezuela have access to the internet, the Venezuelan Observatory of Public Services (OVSP) in its latest study in the main cities of the country stated that the highest averages were obtained by the cities of Caracas (59%) and San Cristobal (61%). While, in the latter places Maracaibo was positioned with the least access (26%), following Valencia-Carabobo (39%). The report showed that most of the population has access to the internet but in appalling conditions. It is even listed as a country with the slowest internet in the entire region. Also, as we observed in 2018, in this test conducted in mid-2019, the CANTV network continues to lead among the others with 75%, following Inter with 8%. According to the Speedtest Global Index, carried out at the end of 2019 to learn about the speed of Internet browsing in Latin American countries, it was concluded that it ranked Uruguay (29,67 Mbps) and in recent parts to Venezuela (7,68 Mbps) – the penultimate place in a list of 141 countries.

As of June 2019, approximately 454 million internet-connected users are located throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Global average speed has exceeded its levels uncontrollably, but Venezuela remains stagnant. In the first days of this year, the South American country has had average browsing of 1,64 Mbps, collecting the state's public and private services, which only leaves room for the BAM which allows a higher speed of 70 Mbps. However, problems increased when the country had episodes of incommunicado national blackouts; According to Netblocks data, the country had 97% of offline users online. In the Carabobo state, the connections did not exceed 1,4 Mbps; no region experienced minimum numbers, according to ECLAC.

Most recent studies reveal that Venezuela remains in the last places related to the broadband quality of the internet even in the capital and the big states. With these minimum internet speeds, this country is in 2020 with a variety of issues to be addressed, especially for the media currently living in problems with digital rights: difficulties at every point such as BAM and BAF connections. At this moment, the internet and, therefore, their broadband connection is considered a first necessity, will Venezuela be able to control this fact?

We analyze broadband and HbbTV evolution (here, the case of Venezuela) in this blog, in Research Group about Digital Journalism and Marketing and Broadband and in Research Group on Innovative Monetization Systems of Digital Journalism, Marketing and Tourism (SIMPED), from CECABLE,  Escola Universitària Mediterrani of UdG, UPF and Blanquerna-URL, in Twitter (@CECABLEresearch), in the group of LinkedIn, in the page of LinkedIn, in the group of Facebook, in Instagram (CECABLE), in Pinterest and in this blog. We will go in deep in the XXV Cable and Broadband Catalonia Congress (31 March-1 April 2020, Barcelona).