Tech Review – Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 is probably the last pair of earbuds from the brand according to some new seen on the internet how true that is remains to be seen and for me hopefully not but perhaps dipping in a new area such as air conduction or bone conduction type earphones..

People may struggle to tell the difference between these and the previous generation and they would be right as this time around all the new upgrades or on the inside including the case for spatial audio when you connect another device to it, there is new colours too and overall better looking than the typical Black offering we tend to see much of these days.

When it comes to the fit there is no issues here at all and you get extra tips in the box as you can see in the unboxing of both new variants here.

The earbuds have a nice texture and look to them giving them a more premium look and so is the soft touch case, the case size is average for me and looks well although the colour I have is more difficult to keep clean for some reason however a wipe with a damp cloth brings it back to new.

The Jabra Sound Plus app is of course present here loaded with features as expected and again we see Dolby head tracking on board along with all the other features we have covered multiple times but we take a look in the video review below.

The speakers by some may be considered small but the other tech packed in here is up at the top with a new hear through better spatial sound and head tracking not only this there is better ANC  which is subjective and how you use your earbuds the EQs and volumes etc.

For me overall there is an improvement acrross the board with the Gen 2 and did not disappoint me at all and within the app alongside playing with the EQs there is much to like here and asked if they are worth the upgrade I would say yes however this is subjective but from using the last model I can tell a clear difference for the most.

Highs lows and mids all fine super bass, this was one big improvement great hear through and a great audio experience all round indoors and outdoors, calls excellent to and a slight improvement over background noise, again this differs from indoors and outdoor use but the calls overall pretty good and clear both ends.

There is multi pairing again and like me if you use two products everyday it is a seamless effort here to get things done the buttons work well and do not apply any pressure on the ears like some can and all the commands worked well each time which is plenty, everything is hear from volume control skip and reverse tracks play and pause, voice assistant and sound modes.

Control options

Overall if you are in the market for new top end earbuds these should be on your list and taking into account they could be the last time to get earbuds from Jabra and if you have been a fan of other brands and not made the switch to test out what Jabra have to offer this is your final chance to see what you have been missing.

 

The App

Jabra sound plus app – techbuzzireland

 

Key features of the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2: 

  • LE Audio smart case for streaming spatial sound from home TV’s & more  
  • Improved Spatial Sound with Dolby Head Tracking & a more immersive Dolby Atmos experience  
  • Improved Jabra Advanced Active Noise Cancellation. Up to 2x stronger than Elite 10 previous generation  
  • Improved 6-mic call technology with effective noise-reduction algorithms 
  • New Natural HearThrough with enhanced wind-noise detection. Twice as effective as Elite 10 previous generation 
  • Rich bass from powerful 10mm speakers  
  • Semi-open design with Jabra ComfortFit technology for all-day comfort 
  • 6-hour battery (27 hours with case) with ANC on 
  • IP57-rating 
  • Bluetooth Multipoint connection 

Jabra Elite 10 review

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Video Review

What to do If Your Ice Machine Stops Working

An ice machine is an equipment with which you can make ice. This technique is most often used in bars, cafes, and restaurants, hotels and hostels. However, household appliances can also help you create soft drinks at home. If the cooling equipment has stopped working correctly, check here ice machines repair. Professional repairs will restore the cooling device’s functionality and extend its service life.

Popular Ice Machine Breakdowns

You should wait if you turn on the device but do not receive ice. Any cooling equipment needs time to work. If the device works for a long time but has no ice, it is worth checking the water level. If there is no supply from the drain or the reservoir is complete, the device cannot create the required amount of ice.

 

Among the widespread breakdowns of the cooling device are:

 

  • ice machine does not freeze ice;
  • equipment heats up quickly;
  • the device does not completely freeze ice;
  • the appearance of unnecessary sounds during operation.

 

If the indicators show that the generator is working but not creating ice, it is worth checking the thermostat. An insufficiently high-pressure level may also be causing the breakdown.

The motor is likely overheating if the ice machine gets very hot during operation. In this case, a complete diagnosis is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the breakdown and correct it as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, the equipment freezes only the top layer of ice, while water remains inside. The reason for this may be insufficient freon levels or clogged pipes.

Due to improper installation, the ice machine may generate a lot of noise during operation. This problem can also occur due to heavy load, overheating, or other issues.

Why You should Call for Professional Ice Machine Repair

Fixing an ice machine yourself is much more complicated than it seems. First, you must carry out detailed diagnostics to accurately understand the malfunction’s cause. It is almost impossible to do this on your own. At a minimum, you must determine if the issue is in a specific part. And you will damage the equipment even more, which will lead to additional waste.

Doing repairs yourself can cause further damage to your ice machine. Professional craftsmen have all the necessary equipment to help you quickly replace the part. Our specialists have been repairing cooling equipment for over 16 years, allowing us to carry out high-quality repair work quickly.

The third reason you should call a specialist is that you will receive a repair guarantee. To fix a breakdown, use high-quality parts from trusted suppliers. If the problem appears again after a while, just call the technician, and he will fix everything at his own expense.

By choosing professional refrigeration equipment repair, you can be sure that your ice maker is working properly. This allows you to avoid difficulties in the operation of cafes and restaurants and be confident in the quality of the ice.

Preventative Maintenance of the Ice Machine: Something that will Extend the Life of the Equipment

It is worth carrying out a preventive inspection for cooling devices to work for a long time. It will help keep the equipment working, and you will get perfect ice. Therefore, it is worth carrying out a full inspection and prevention once every six months.

Timely replacement of refrigerant, cleaning pipes, and checking the operation of the compressor and other parts takes little time. At the same time, you will not worry about the ice machine not being able to cope with the load or not working as it should.

By turning to professionals, you can safely enjoy cool drinks in the summer heat and create the right conditions for storing food. Timely prevention will allow you to maintain a high level of device performance and help avoid costly repairs in the future.

Belfast cybersecurity firm ANGOKA bound for space

Belfast-based cyber security firm ANGOKA has been accepted to the Airbus Space Accelerator programme. The accelerator is described by Airbus as “an exciting opportunity not only for existing space companies, but for any business with the desire and potential to work in space”.

Speaking at an event at Farnborough International Airshow, ANGOKA director Yuri Andersson said this is a chance for ANGOKA “to deepen its ties with the space industry, helping us to develop the next generation of cybersecurity solutions.”

Airbus says the accelerator is part of the wider Community for Space Prosperity (CUSP) initiative to develop the UK’s space ecosystem, where the 14-week programme will help startups, academics and non-traditional space businesses to advance their technical offering, understand the commercial space landscape and build connections within the wider space industry.

Airbus is running the accelerator with Plexal, the London-based innovation boutique which collaborates on technology with government, startups and industry.

Mr Andersson says there is rapid growing convergence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication networks for improved coverage and bandwidth.

“A new space economy is being built where in the near future there will be in-space infrastructure such as in-space assembly and manufacturing, orbital data centres and human habitats,” he added.

“Much of the data will be kept in space and processed in space, and to support the communications needs of the future space economy we need new solutions for cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. With emerging cyber threats from quantum computers and AI, traditional approaches such as those based on PKI [Public Key Infrastructure], or Distributed Ledgers are no longer adequate, and this requires a complete paradigm shift.” says Mr Andersson.

ANGOKA has also been selected to the Mandala Space Ventures and the Venture into Space programmes supported by UK Space Agency.

Gemini’s big upgrade: Faster responses with 1.5 Flash, expanded access and more

With today’s update, Gemini is getting better at helping you accomplish those tasks in ways that work best for you.

You can now access 1.5 Flash in the unpaid version of Gemini for faster and more helpful responses. Plus, a new feature to further address hallucinations, and expanding the Gemini for Teens experience and mobile app to more places.

See more below

Faster, smarter responses with 1.5 Flash

We’ve heard that one of the main reasons people enjoy using Gemini is because it saves time. Whether you’re using Gemini to write a compelling email or debug tricky code, it’s important to get fast, high-quality responses.

Today we’re upgrading our free-tier experience to Gemini 1.5 Flash for quicker and more helpful responses. With Gemini 1.5 Flash, you’ll notice across-the-board improvements in quality and latency, with especially noticeable improvements in reasoning and image understanding. And just like we greatly expanded the context window of Gemini Advanced, we’re quadrupling Gemini’s to 32K tokens. That means you can have longer back-and-forth conversations and ask Gemini more complex questions — all free of charge.

To get the most out of the larger context window, we’ll soon add the ability to upload files via Google Drive or directly from your device, which has been available in Gemini Advanced. That means you’ll be able to do things like upload your economics study guide and ask Gemini to create practice questions. Gemini will also soon be able to analyze data files for you, allowing you to uncover insights and visualize them through charts and graphics.

 

Gemini 1.5 Flash is now available to all Gemini users on both web and mobile, in 40 languages and over 230 countries and territories.

Related content within Gemini’s responses

We’ve also heard that people enjoy exploring new topics with Gemini as their go-to research partner. So we’re now displaying links to related content for fact-seeking prompts in Gemini – continuing our work to reduce hallucinations and making it easier to explore websites that help you learn more.

Starting today for English language prompts in certain countries, you can access this additional information on topics directly within Gemini’s responses. Just click on the chip at the end of a paragraph to see websites where you can dive deeper on a certain topic. This isn’t limited to websites: If Gemini’s response references information found using the Gmail extension, you’ll also see inline links to relevant emails.

This also builds on our work to combat hallucinations. In addition to related content links, Gemini’s double-check feature verifies responses by using Google Search to highlight which statements are corroborated or contradicted on the web. For information that is contradicted, you can easily dive deeper to verify the information yourself.

 

 

Gemini features in more places

Earlier this year, we introduced the ability to chat with Gemini directly in Google Messages on select Android devices. Starting today, we’re gradually rolling out Gemini in Google Messages to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland, with the ability to chat in newly added languages like French, Polish and Spanish. Click the “Start chat” button in Messages and select Gemini to start brainstorming ideas, plan trips and more — all without leaving the Google Messages app.

We’re also rolling out the Gemini mobile app to more countries, so more people around the world can get help from Gemini on the go.

Expanded access to Gemini for teens

In the coming week, we’ll expand Gemini access to teenagers globally, in over 40 languages. Teens who meet the minimum age requirement to manage their own Google Account will be able to access Gemini to do things like better understand school subjects, prepare for university or get help with creative projects.

We want to create opportunities for teens to benefit from all generative AI has to offer and prepare them for a future where AI will play an even more central role — all while prioritizing safety and meeting their developmental needs. To help them navigate Gemini confidently and safely, we’ve put additional policies and safeguards in place, introduced a teen-specific onboarding process, and included an AI literacy guide to help teens use AI responsibly. We’ve also partnered with child safety and development experts, including MediaSmarts (CA), Miudos Seguros na Net (PT), and Fad Juventud (ES), who continue to provide expertise on meeting the unique needs of teens and families.

How we responsibly design Gemini

Gemini’s development has always been guided by a commitment to responsibility and user safety. As it continues to evolve, we’re sharing more about how we design Gemini and intend for it to respond. You can now read about our approach to Gemini, plus more details about our policy guidelines to better understand how we’re navigating complex and sensitive topics, including responses to topics related to public interest issues, and political, religious or moral beliefs. These guidelines, grounded in our AI Principles, reflect our ongoing commitment to developing this technology responsibly and transparently.

Look out for more Gemini news coming at Made by Google. In the meantime, start chatting with Gemini today to try out these updates.

Pioneer DJ launches ‘deckades’ a limited-edition fanzine to mark 30 years of the first-ever CDJ

Pioneer DJ, an AlphaTheta brand, the world’s leading brand for professional DJ equipment, launches its very own, limited-edition fanzine – named ‘deckades’ – to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first-ever CDJ. Released in 1994, the world’s first CDJ – the CDJ-500 – went onto influence DJ and club culture as we know it, and led to the creation of Pioneer DJ.

Available both digitally and in print, the ‘zine takes fans through iconic moments from the last 30 years of the CDJ. Showcasing the CDJ’s unique history and evolution, ‘deckades’ takes fans back to the beginning when the CDJ-500 was born and why it was created, while exploring how the world’s best DJs honed their craft transitioning from vinyl to CDJs – and how this impacted club culture. Now available, fans will be able to visit blog.pioneerdj.com to claim a free print copy and start enjoying Pioneer DJ’s musical legacy since 1994 or the digital version can be read here.

Split into three decades: 1994-2004, 2004-2014 and 2014-2024, the 42-page ‘zine’ explores the history and evolution of the CDJ recalling how it was born – all from the advancement in technology within in-car audio. It was the anti-skip technology which created the possibility to create a new device that allowed for new ways to rock a party and the ability to mix with CDs – which was radical in itself. This saw the club experience evolve whereby instead of mixing with vinyl in loud and vibrating clubs that made it difficult with a moving needle, now mixing and playing records became more accessible and easier. This new device allowed for scratching, making loops on the fly, executing drum rolls with the Cue button, speed tracks up or slow them down – this was a revelation for the modern DJ and influenced how DJing would evolve. It led to the birth of digital DJing.

‘deckades’ opens with a visual timeline of the CDJ, from the CDJ-500 through to the latest model – the CDJ-3000, spanning 23 models over 30 years. It features exclusive and never-released interviews with world-leading DJs such as Fatboy Slim, Fabio from Fabio & Grooverider, Anna Tur, Kikelomo and TSHA. Each recalls their introduction of the CDJ, how it was initially received, how it influenced their DJing style and what it meant for DJing, with anecdotal stories remembered. For example, Fatboy Slim recalls the first time he came across CDJs in a set: “The turning point was a night where I was playing on a lorry at Carnival in Salvador, Brazil for five hours back to back with David Guetta. He was whupping my ass because his CDJs were louder and didn’t jump every time we went over a pothole…He absolutely blew me off stage that night and it hurt!”

While jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass innovator, Fabio (from Fabio & Grooverider) tells how the CDJ changed the game for him and a whole generation, “…they’ve advanced so much even in the past five, six years. It’s incredible what you can do now. Now you can be a showman. And you couldn’t do that before, because you really had to concentrate on vinyl. Now, you know what you’re doing, you got all your cue points, everything organised and ready to go—that’s a revelation, basically.”

As well as exclusive DJ interviews, ‘deckades’ takes a deep dive into how the technology evolved, making Pioneer’s CDJs the best in the business and as Fabio says the ‘standard procedure’ for DJs to use. Gearheads can also enjoy new interviews from the designers and engineers behind the CDJs. Within the ‘zine, ‘meet the maker’ sections are integrated throughout which includes a rare interview with the creator of the CDJ-500 – Kou Atsumi. Early concept designs and drawings are featured which provides a nostalgic look at the world’s first-ever CDJ. Other interviews include Naoto Takase and Yoshinori Kataoka – the creative force behind the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-3000.

As the ‘zine expands into the 2004-2014 decade, stories are remembered around how digital technology was fundamentally changing the way people DJ’d. The ability to DJ off a USB stick was introduced in 2007 with the CDJ-400 which brought about a progressive change. Fabio talks about a ‘sliding doors’ moment where he was stunned to see Pete Tong turn up to a club in Brazil he was DJing at with nothing but headphones and a USB stick, which didn’t seem real to him. ‘deckades’ then recounts in the last ten years how, evolving digital technology, and how DJing evolved from the clubs to the bedroom, creating new opportunities for more people to get into DJing and the sense of community it creates.

Mark Grotefeld, AlphaTheta EMEA General Manager, said: “It’s always been part of our mission to bring innovative music experiences through our products and this won’t change with our AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ brands. The fanzine charts the evolution of such an important instrument which was a game changer for DJing and club culture. The CDJs have become a mainstay in clubs all over the world and the planet’s best DJs have been influenced by this technology. I expect DJ technology to continue evolving down an AI-software-driven path as well as VR and AR experiences becoming more widely available. But we’ll remain focused on ensuring it empowers DJs to deliver the human experiences we’ll always crave.”

The brand new fanzine is now available for free, with only 1,000 print copies up for grabs or alternatively, the digital version can be enjoyed here. To find out more on claiming a print copy, head to blog.pioneerdj.com or register here.

See our Pioneer DJ headphone reviews 

Dell Technologies and Red Hat join forces to address AI complexity

Dell Technologies and Red Hat today announced a significant advancement in the Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Red Hat OpenShift, designed to streamline and accelerate the deployment of AI solutions. This enhanced platform delivers a fully integrated, automated infrastructure optimised for Red Hat OpenShift AI, setting a new standard in how organisations handle AI complexities.

In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, the Dell APEX Cloud Platform now supports an expanded range of GPUs, including the new NVIDIA L40S, to cater to the most demanding AI applications. The platform also introduces support for both Dell PowerFlex and Dell ObjectScale storage solutions, ensuring robust, scalable, and cost-effective management of massive datasets and AI workloads.

Key Enhancements Include:

  • NVIDIA L40S GPU Integration: The Dell APEX Cloud Platform now supports the NVIDIA L40S GPU, providing advanced computational power essential for handling the most demanding AI applications. This addition offers increased flexibility, allowing organisations to customise their infrastructure according to their specific AI needs, whether for high-performance computing or complex AI models.
  • Dell ObjectScale Storage: In addition to Dell PowerFlex storage, the platform now includes Dell ObjectScale storage, enhancing scalability and cost-effectiveness for managing vast amounts of data. ObjectScale is critical for efficiently handling AI workloads that involve large language models and extensive datasets, ensuring reliable and scalable data management.
  • Hosted Control Planes for Red Hat OpenShift: The APEX Cloud Platform now supports hosted control planes, which streamline cluster management and reduce associated costs. This feature optimizes deployment times, separates management and workload concerns, and allows organisations to concentrate on their applications rather than infrastructure management.
  • Updated Design for Digital Assistants: The Validated Design for deploying digital assistants has been upgraded from a 7B parameter model to a more robust 13B model. This design uses the retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework to augment large language models (LLMs) with company-specific data, enabling rapid adaptation and training with relevant information.
  • NVIDIA Riva Integration: The new solution incorporates NVIDIA Riva, a microservice designed for building GPU-accelerated speech AI applications. This integration facilitates automated speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities, streamlining the deployment of natural language processing (NLP) solutions and opening new possibilities for AI-driven communication tools.

The updated validated design now includes a 13B parameter model for digital assistants utilising a large language model (LLM) with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework, enabling businesses to rapidly adapt LLMs with domain-specific data. The new AI solution also features automated speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities, powered by NVIDIA Riva.

Speaking on Dell’s collaboration with Red Hat, Caitlin Gordon, Vice President, Multicloud Product Management at Dell Technologies said: “In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), seizing opportunities amidst complexity is paramount. Collaboratively engineered with Red Hat, the Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Red Hat OpenShift offers a streamlined and automated turnkey solution that transforms how organizations run Red Hat OpenShift on-premises.”

Stefanie Chiras, senior vice president, Partner Ecosystem Success, Red Hat said, “The rise of AI has led customers to seek out hybrid cloud infrastructure that accelerates AI application development and delivers faster time to value. Innovation is at the heart of our continued collaboration with Dell and the updates announced today showcase why Dell APEX Cloud Platform for Red Hat OpenShift can empower organisations with a more consistent, reliable integrated, and automated platform for running Red Hat OpenShift AI on-premises.”

 

HearAngel and Sonical Announce Strategic Partnership to Integrate Smart Hearing Safeguarding for Headphones

HearAngel (a LimitEar company) and Sonical, Inc. today announced a software licensing agreement to integrate the HearAngel smart hearing safeguarding solution into Sonical’s CosmOS operating system for headphones. This collaboration allows manufacturers using the Sonical platform to offer hearing safeguarding either as a standard feature or user option.

Stephen Wheatley, CEO of HearAngel, stated: “CosmOS is enabling the next generation of headphone platform, allowing for personalised and updated devices through downloadable cloud apps. The functionality needed from your headphones can be changed anytime based on preferences and usage”.

Gary Spittle, CEO of Sonical, added “Hearing safeguarding is increasingly important, with extended listening at high volumes potentially causing permanent hearing damage. HearAngel provides easy-to-use information on sound exposure, enabling informed choices to safeguard hearing.”

Developed by LimitEar, HearAngel utilises patent-protected algorithms initially designed for the professional broadcast industry. The software integrates into mobile phones and wireless headphones, measuring sound exposure, with the user interface and controls on a mobile phone. It offers dual modes: managing personal exposure or parental control enabling the management of children’s exposure. The patented technology tracks listening duration and sound levels, providing awareness and management options. Users can also opt for optional automated protection, adhering to ITU/WHO H.870 or EN62368-1:2018 safety standards.

Research indicates that at birth, each ear has 15,000 auditory hair cells, which do not regenerate. Exposure to high sound doses, particularly from recreational headphone use, can lead to permanent hearing damage. Deafness Research UK reports that 1 in 3 individuals under 35 has chronic hearing damage due to headphone use.

HearAngel continuously monitors and profiles hearing exposure, alerting users to make informed decisions. Parental control features enable management of children’s listening habits, limiting peak exposure levels and listening periods. The integration of HearAngel into CosmOS emphasises the importance of hearing protection in the audio industry, catering to both professional users and general consumers. This collaboration aims to set new standards for safe listening practices, ensuring long-term auditory health.

Sonical’s CosmOS offers a customisable operating system for headphones, supporting various audio applications and enabling dynamic personalisation of headphone functionality through downloadable plugins. The partnership will showcase smart hearing safeguarding on the Remora PRO module, compatible with wired and wireless headphones, earbuds, or headsets, enhancing the flexibility of the CosmOS environment.

Tech Review – Creative Zen Air SXFI

The Creative Zen Air SXFI are the latest on offer like their latest headphones we checked out the Zen Hybrid SXFI headphones which are fantastic and the question asked most is how these compare to the headphones and it was easy to answer, again they are superb.

The case is cool again on this one just like the Creative Zen Air Plus earbuds which has a nice matt finish the colour is also nice and this time around the case has a premium finish on the inside which looks great. The case also has wireless charging USB-C and 4 led light sup front for charge status, there is also a pair/reset button here too.

The earbuds are a perfect design like previous offerings and sit well in the ears and it is important you check out the tips for the correct size to get the best results.

Not to linger on too much about the sound it is up there with their latest headphones and cater for everyone’s needs and with access to their apps it just enhances the experience even for gamers.

Creative Zen Air SXFI – techbuzzireland

Put yourself in the center is the easiest way to put it with these earbuds and just sit back and enjoy movies music and gaming after checking out their app and setting things up which you should do and not skip over it.

Highs lows and mids all great great bass trebles and in action you have great directional sound too there is nothing to complain about along with good ANC thrown into the mix.

The touch function works well too as always with creative and can be changed to suit your needs and check out the video below as we take a look at the app. The Creative Zen Air offer up to 6 hours of playtime on a single charge, and up to 18 hours of total playtime but this will vary per user and how your EQ and volume settings are, there is no lag latency and actually during my testing this feature got an update, and there is no tinny sound on max volume.

 

Super X-Fi technology recreates a professional, multi-speaker system experience in your headphones so you can hear sounds naturally like how it’s meant to be heard. Creative Zen Air is a certified SXFI READY* headphone that is specially-tuned for optimum performance with devices and apps in the SXFI READY ecosystem, like the SXFI App. By utilizing the SXFI App on your mobile, you can enjoy a preview of Super X-Fi Spatial Holography on local content and enjoy cinematic audio even while on the go! Read more about raved-about technology and its numerous accolades.

The App

Creative Apps – techbuzzireland

The features on board

Overall if you want earbuds that do not cost a fortune look no further that offer all the requirements and spatial holography  and more check these out, like any other creative product we have tested and stand by they have another hit like their latest headphones.

See our other Creative reviews

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Video Review

Future-proof broadband access technologies gain ground for both fixed and mobile networks across the OECD in 2023

Broadband technologies such as fibre and 5G mobile networks which help “future-proof” networks, continue to grow rapidly to meet the increasing demand for high-quality, affordable and ubiquitous connectivity, the latest OECD broadband data reveals.

Across OECD, fibre connections accounted for 42% of all fixed broadband subscriptions by the end of 2023, compared to 38% a year earlier, while 5G comprised 28% of mobile broadband subscriptions, a 9% increase compared to the end of 2022. Since COVID, total fibre connections in OECD countries have surged by 73%, growing from 122 million in December 2019 to 211 million at year-end 2023.

The countries with the highest share of fibre connections in total fixed broadband are Korea (89.6%), followed by Iceland (89%), Spain (86%), Lithuania (80%), and Japan (79%). Fibre is crucial to future-proof networks that support digital transformation as it offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, scalability and helps support 5G mobile networks.

Transitioning to future-proof broadband access requires the shutdown of legacy copper networks (e.g. DSL). Across the OECD, the share of DSL subscriptions has decreased significantly in four years, from 33% of total fixed broadband subscriptions in 2019 to 20% by the end of 2023.

OECD member countries in Latin America – notably Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico – have accelerated their transition to future-proof networks. Over the past four years, these countries have experienced a 258% increase in fibre connections while legacy DSL subscriptions declined by 66%.

OECD Nordic members such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden that initiated this technological shift approximately eight years ago, experienced a growth rate of 36% in fibre and a 77% decline in DSL over the same period (2019-23).

Despite already high penetration rates, mobile broadband subscriptions have also grown, increasing by 19% between 2019 and 2023, reaching 1.86 billion subscriptions by December 2023, up from 1.56 billion four years earlier. Japan and the United States lead in mobile broadband penetration, with 203.5 and 190 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants respectively, followed closely by Estonia and Finland with 176 and 160 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants respectively. This growth is likely due to an increase of 5G deployments across the OECD, which are now present in 37 of 38 OECD countries.

The top end of networks also continues to grow. There is growing demand for high-quality broadband offers across the OECD. In four years, the share of Gigabit (GB) offers has more than tripled, reaching 14% of fixed broadband subscriptions in December 2023, up from 4% at the end of 2019.

This is mirrored for mobile data usage, which is on a steady rise in OECD countries: the average monthly data consumption per mobile broadband subscription increased by 20% in just one year, and more than doubled over the past four years (2019-23), climbing from 6 to 13 GB.

 

Fixed broadband subscriptions are still growing in OECD countries, totaling 496.5 million by December 2023, with an average of 36 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. This marks an increase of 63 million, or 15% since the end of 2019. France leads in penetration rates with 47 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, followed closely by Korea (46.6), Switzerland (46.2), and Norway (46).

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is emerging as a connectivity solution in sparsely populated and remote areas due to its lower deployment costs. Although FWA subscriptions account for a modest 5% of the total fixed broadband subscriptions in OECD countries, certain countries had notably high adoption rates by the end of 2023: Czechia at 39%, the Slovak Republic at 23%, New Zealand at 19%, and Estonia at 18%.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) SIM cards are also experiencing again the highest growth rates among all indicators, with a 15% increase in just one year. Sweden and Austria lead in M2M adoption, with 253 and 209 M2M SIM cards per 100 inhabitants, respectively, followed by Iceland (114), the Netherlands (100), and Norway (75). The significant numbers in Sweden and Iceland are largely due to the issuing and registration of M2M SIM cards by national operators for international use.

 

Download broadband data, charts and maps by country.