Digital Today reporter Jin-ho Lee (이진호)] LG Uplus ranked first outright or jointly across all seven indicators in a domestic fixed ultrafast internet user experience assessment by global telecom quality evaluator Opensignal.

An Opensignal report released on Nov. 9 showed LG Uplus ranked first outright in five metrics, including download and upload speeds, optimised download and upload speeds, and stability. It tied for first with SK Telecom (fixed-line internet operator SK Broadband) in two metrics: consistent quality and video experience.

LG Uplus posted an average download speed of 204 Mbps, about 23 percent faster than SKT's 166.2 Mbps. Its average upload speed was also the highest at 147.7 Mbps.

LG Uplus also ranked first for optimised download and upload speeds, which measure speeds users can experience when WiFi conditions are improved. KT ranked second, with improvements of more than 60 percent in both metrics compared with its existing average speeds.

In the metric that evaluates service stability from internet connection to completion of tasks such as video playback and web browsing, LG Uplus scored 787 points. That was 35 points higher than SKB. KT scored 677 points.

LG Uplus also led in regional assessments. It won 41 of 42 awards across six nationwide zones. Of those, it took 27 outright and 14 jointly. SKB ranked first outright in video experience in the Seoul metropolitan area, while KT tied for first in three metrics.

LG Uplus ranked first outright in download speed, optimised download speed and stability in all regions. SKB ranked first outright in video experience in the Seoul metropolitan area and tied for first in 13 categories. KT tied for first in three categories.

The assessment is based on Opensignal's analysis of real usage data collected from South Korean ultrafast internet users for 90 days from July 1. It compared user experience among South Korean telecom operators across seven indicators, including download and upload speeds, video experience and service stability.

Opensignal said factors such as the speed tier of a subscriber's plan and the performance of the router used could affect the results. The assessment analysed service quality as actually experienced by users, and is not a direct comparison of network performance among telecom operators under identical plan or equipment conditions.