How is the statistic to be interpreted?

The statistic consists of two reports. A distinction is made between operators in the first one and between devices in the second one. The data represent statistical values for downlink and uplink transmission rates, the latency and the signal strength. Moreover, the number of measurements taken into account is provided.

The values shown in the statistic are called quantiles. An 80-percent quantile means that 80 percent of the values are worse than the quantile and 20 percent better than the quantile. 50- and 20-percent quantiles are defined accordingly ("worse" means lower values for download, upload, and signal strength, and higher values for ping). In simple terms, the 80-percent quantile denotes a value that can be achieved under favorable conditions, the 50-percent quantile (the median) should correspond to typical, the 20-percent quantile to unfavorable conditions. By default, the statistic reports the median.

The statistic should give you an idea which transmission rates are possible for specific operators or by using certain equipment. For interpretation, however, it must be noted that different circumstances can affect or even distort the statistic, for example,

• too low frequency of measurements of certain characteristics (e.g., with a particular device),
• an unusually high frequency of measurements by devices whose throughput is lower than the available bandwidth,
• an ununsually high frequency of measurements in a particular place with particularly good or particularly bad reception conditions (e.g., hiking tour, basement, elevator, tunnel).

The values shown in the statistic are not to be interpreted as expectation values in the sense that one might expect an effective transmission rate Y from operator X. They always refer to a specific selection of measurements, which might have been done under atypical circumstances. It has to be taken into account that the reported values cannot be achieved for technical reasons for some, in particular older devices.

The reported values can be achieved under favorable, unfavorable or typical conditions depending on the chosen quantile. But it depends on various factors, such as the transfer technology, the device used, the network coverage in the location or of the principles set by the respective contract or tariff restrictions.