A new study from connect has found that Switzerland has some of the best internet providers in the German-speaking world, with Swisscom and Sunrise UPC coming first and second overall.

German and Austrian internet not as fast as Switzerland

Dubbed the “Oscars for mobile networks” in German-speaking countries by Basler Zeitung, the competition is meant to offer consumers guidance on what network to choose. Despite their smaller size, Swisscom and Sunrise UPC managed to beat German giants Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone to the top spot.

In order to determine which internet was best, connect tested the quality of each network in three separate areas: voice telephony, data transfer and the network's ability to cope with high amounts of traffic. In practice, this meant four cars with six smartphones each testing the signal in over 50 cities in Switzerland. These factors were then calculated into a score out of 1.000.

Swiss 5G network one of the most competitive

The judges also took a closer look at the “5G” network across each country. The report noted that Swisscom was the “market leader” in the new technology, and Sunrise UPC gave the best 5G service for the most competitive price.

Of the competitors, only three services received an “outstanding” mark, two of which were Swiss and one Austrian. Another positive can be found in the smaller provider Salt., who beat out Vodafone and Telefónica to reach sixth in the ranking. 

Top internet providers in Switzerland, Germany and Austria

The connect ranking is released each year and is designed to “show other [internet companies] where there is a need to catch up.” The top nine providers for 2021 were:

• 1. Swisscom (Switzerland)
• 2. Sunrise UPC (Switzerland)
• 3. Magenta (Austria)
• 4. Deutsche Telekom (Germany)
• 5. A1 (Austria)
• 6. Salt. (Switzerland)
• 7. Vodafone (Germany)
• 8. Hutchinson 3G (Austria)
• 9. Telefónica (Germany)

For more details on the ranking, visit the connect website.