Cell companies supply flyers a lot better pace than airport Wi-Fi — typically reaching as much as 2x the efficiency
In sum — what to know:
Mobile outperforms Wi-Fi in U.S. airports: Ookla discovered that in a majority of U.S airports, mobile is quicker than Wi-Fi.
Verizon takes the crown: Verizon outperforms Wi-Fi in 34 airports, and delivers the quickest speeds amongst all cell service suppliers in 26 airports.
Older Wi-Fi generations: Report factors to older generations of Wi-Fi because the potential motive for slower pace.
Public Wi-Fi at airports has remained a well-liked choice amongst flyers for catching a fast YouTube video, gaming whereas ready on the gate, or downloading reveals earlier than a flight. However for many vacationers, the expertise is simply serviceable — not nice. Public Wi-Fi can also be a hackers honeypot, and cybersecurity specialists routinely warn in opposition to utilizing free Wi-Fi, particularly in airports.
Now there is likely to be an added incentive to skip the airport Wi-Fi altogether. A new Ookla report finds that cell companies are sooner than Wi-Fi in most airports.
Ookla measured Wi-Fi efficiency throughout 50 U.S. airports and in contrast the outcomes with cell service suppliers. The findings are eye-opening: Within the first half of 2025, mobile’s median obtain speeds have been measurably sooner than that of Wi-Fi networks in most airports. On common, cell networks delivered twice the pace — 219.24 Mbps vs. Wi-Fi’s 101.39 Mbps.
The highest performers are clearly — not laborious to guess — the Massive Three: Verizon, T-Cell, and AT&T — with Verizon popping out on prime with the quickest media obtain speeds in most airports and amongst all suppliers, T-Cell an in depth second, and AT&T a distant third.
In comparison with Wi-Fi, Verizon was sooner in 34 airports, T-Cell in 32, and AT&T in 28. However between the carriers, margins have been a lot wider. Verizon delivered the quickest median obtain pace in 26 airports, T-Cell in 16, and AT&T in simply 8.
The report factors to older Wi-Fi applied sciences as a potential motive for the sluggish Wi-Fi speeds. Ookla’s Speedtest knowledge signifies {that a} majority (over 70%) of the locations nonetheless use Wi-Fi 5 — which at this level is a 13 yr previous expertise — and even older generations.
Airport Wi-Fi has been caught in low gear for a few years now. Kerry Baker, lead business analyst for North America, Ookla, and creator of this report defined the explanation for this: “the associated fee and energy wanted for upgrading an airport is undoubtedly magnitudes past that of swapping out the house router. Most houses don’t have capital price range planning cycles for upgrading expertise infrastructure, however judging by the general U.S. Wi-Fi 6 at 44.2% (versus 26.2% in airports), extra passengers are carrying gadgets able to utilizing the improve.”
One more reason may very well be the introduction of in-flight Wi-Fi. Most airways now have higher Wi-Fi in comparison with what it was some years again, because of satellite tv for pc companies like Starlink which have pushed up efficiency delivering medians of 152.37 Mbps obtain pace, 24.16 Mbps add pace, and latency of 44 milliseconds (ms). With such high-speed web out there on flight, there may be little urgency to improve the Wi-Fi infrastructure on floor.
There are some exceptions nonetheless. The report finds 5 airports the place Wi-Fi nonetheless tops cell: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Worldwide, San Francisco Worldwide, Orlando Worldwide, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta Worldwide — and Baltimore/Washington Worldwide the place it was a tie.
Conversely, in an adjoining report which RCR’s Catherine Sbeglia Nin lined, Ookla famous declining FWA obtain and add speeds amongst all three carriers, citing foliage-related sign loss and community congestion from cell and FWA visitors. Learn extra right here.
