Watching 20 YouTube videos in the back of a car going over Sheikh Zayed Bridge sounds pretty impressive.
But then, that is what you should expect to be able to get with the super-fast 4G broadband services that have been launched in the UAE.
Etisalat and du have both turned on their next-generation mobile internet networks, which advertise top browsing speeds of 100 megabits per second (mbps).
Yet in a test of Etisalat's 4G service conducted by The National, reception proved patchy - and speeds were far below the maximum performance levels claimed by the UAE operator.
In the Al Ittihad area on Abu Dhabi island, the 4G service was running at a top speed of 42 mbps.
This performance was maintained on a drive down Al Salam Street and across Sheikh Zayed Bridge, and proved enough to watch 20 YouTube videos simultaneously. Ever safety-conscious, The National tested the 4G network in the back of a taxi, not the driving seat.
But off Abu Dhabi island, things went downhill. The fastest 4G connection - which uses technology called long-term evolution (LTE) - was lost around the Al Raha area.
Connection switched to slower mobile networks, with speeds of between 1.25 mbps and 7.3 mbps, along the road to Dubai. In The National's test, 4G LTE network was unavailable along the entire route and the connection to the slower service was patchy.
In Dubai, the 4G connection was similarly disappointing. In both The National's office in Dubai Media City and the densely populated Jumeirah Beach Residence area, the 4G LTE connection was not available. The device connected to a slower network, offering speeds of 7.6 mbps - about half the top speed of the office Wi-Fi.
A 4G-LTE connection was finally found elsewhere in Dubai Media City and around the Ibn Battuta Mall. The top speed recorded was 27 mbps - still well below the maximum claimed by Etisalat.
Still, it is early days for 4G, given the scant availability of compatible devices.
In the meantime, it may be better to watch those YouTube videos one by one.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Results
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
