India’s internet was faster last week than before. It is still below its peak speed last seen in March. Mobile download speed was 10.35 megabits per second (Mbps) for the week ending April 27, shows data from global internet tracker Ookla.

Fixed download speed in India was 35.84 Mbps. Both are marginally higher than the previous week (chart 1).

Still, fixed internet speed remains 9.8 per cent lower than their March peak, while mobile speeds were down 12.1 per cent. Internet speeds serve as an indicator, available with good frequency to understand the extent of a lockdown and whether it is being eased or tightened since usage picks up as people are confined to their homes.

Analysts widely used it for China, which enforced a large-scale lockdown to prevent spread of the pandemic. Global internet speeds also show improvement. A few countries have begun to open up the lockdown and thereby reducing internet traffic. China has seen a rebound in internet speeds. It is up 19-21 per cent compared to its January numbers (chart 2).