US-based media streaming provider, Netflix has given the Digicel Home and Entertainment service top ranking for having the fastest Internet speeds while streaming.

The ranking is highlighted in Netflix’s latest ISP Index for 2019, which shows Digicel’s Internet streaming speed averaging 3.46 Mbps (megabits per second) ahead of its local competitor.

Digicel has developed and maintained a track record for having the fastest data speeds, as a result of investing in premium broadband technology that meets its customers’ increasing demand for streaming services. The streaming average rivals network speeds measured in several First World countries.

In accepting the Netflix badge of approval, home and entertainment consumer manager for Digicel, Dave-Michael Laing commented that binge-watching is a favourite pastime for Digicel customers these days.

“They rely on our 100 per cent fibre network to deliver all of their favourite Netflix shows in high definition (HD), right there in the comfort of their homes. This ranking from Netflix proves our committed effort to satisfying and meeting their demand for streaming and other online activities,” he explained.

The announcement comes shortly after Digicel launched a suite of new ‘triple play’ service packages, offering speeds of up to 400 Mbps.

The Netflix ISP Speed Index is a measure of prime time Netflix performance on particular ISPs (internet service providers) around the globe, and not a measure of overall performance for other services/data that may travel across the specific Internet service provider’s network.

People who download a lot of HD videos, or upload high-resolution photos, will need more Mbps than someone who just wants to surf Facebook or send emails. The faster your Internet speed is, the better. But, how much speed you need depends on your type of usage.

Most high-speed Internet plans these days start at around 5–10 Mbps, which is sufficient for most everyday online activity. But, the more people you have using your network, the slower your Internet will run, since it’s divided across multiple Internet users.

So, if you’re part of a family of four and everyone’s going to watch Netflix at the same time on different devices, you’re going to want a higher-speed plan.

The slower your Internet speed (the fewer megabits you have per second), the longer it will take for you to download a PowerPoint presentation for work, or be able to watch something on Netflix without waiting for it to buffer every 10 seconds. The opposite is true as well — the more Mbps you have, the less time your iTunes movie will take to download.

The Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider, with operations in 31 markets throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets, including the Digicel Foundation in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago, which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.