SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network testing and analysis, today released their annual North American airport rankings that reveals the airports with the fastest free Wi-Fi. The results indicate that the Pacific Northwest has taken the top spot on the podium, with Seattle-Tacoma International unseating previous champion, Denver International, as the airport with the fastest, free Wi-Fi in the U.S. and Canada.
“Nothing improves a traveler’s trip quite like reliably fast Wi-Fi can,” said Ookla Co-founder and GM Doug Suttles. “What our comprehensive analysis shows is that surprisingly only a few airports across the U.S. and Canada have recognized just what an impact this can have. Wi-Fi speed can make all the difference for the business traveler finalizing a presentation or a family downloading videos to keep their kids occupied.”
The company looked at test results taken on their flagship application, Speedtest, from January through April 2018. To be considered in the analysis, a test had to be taken on the free Wi-Fi network available at each airport. The analysis also compares this year’s speeds with those outlined in last year’s report (from March through May 2017). This juxtaposed data demonstrated big improvements for some and ousted others whose networks are in need of serious improvement to get travelers online.
Seattle has usurped the title of fastest airport Wi-Fi in North America from Denver, a strong contender that previously held the title for two years running. Seattle can now also boast being faster than the other global winners recognized in Ookla’s 2017 report, including Gold Coast Airport in Australia, Congonhas-SaÞo Paulo Airport in Brazil, Dubai International, Seoul Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia and Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco.
And, while most airports offer free Wi-Fi nowadays, what the Ookla North America Airport Ranking makes clear is that not all Wi-Fi offerings are equal. Take the mean download speed at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, it remains stuck at the bottom of the list, despite a massive percentage improvement. There were also many airports that actually saw significant declines in Wi-Fi speeds, including: Detroit (58.9% decline), Miami (27.1% decline) and Dallas Fort Worth (25.6% decline).
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Improvements in Airport Wi-Fi Largest Airports in the US and Canada (2018 vs. 2017) |
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| Airport |
2018 Download |
2017 Download |
Airport Code | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma International | 103.00 | 43.66 | SEA | ||||||
| Denver International Airport (5GHz) | 78.68 | 78.22 | DEN | ||||||
| Calgary International | 67.23 | 41.83 | YYC | ||||||
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport | 59.62 | 2.68 | ATL | ||||||
| San Francisco International | 54.78 | 45.31 | SFO | ||||||
| Philadelphia International Airport | 51.38 | 48.39 | PHL | ||||||
| Vancouver International Airport | 50.11 | 55.06 | YVR | ||||||
| Logan International Airport | 40.38 | 32.22 | BOS | ||||||
| Orlando International Airport | 30.46 | 7.96 | MCO | ||||||
| LaGuardia Airport | 28.49 | 13.57 | LGA | ||||||
| Chicago O'Hare International | 24.20 | 14.25 | ORD | ||||||
| Newark Liberty International | 23.90 | 13.68 | EWR | ||||||
| Dallas Fort Worth International | 23.83 | 32.03 | DFW | ||||||
| John F Kennedy International | 21.37 | 14.86 | JFK | ||||||
| Los Angeles International | 15.04 | 17.82 | LAX | ||||||
| George Bush Intercontinental | 14.53 | 13.64 | IAH | ||||||
| McCarran International Airport | 11.15 | 10.63 | LAS | ||||||
| Miami International Airport | 11.15 | 15.29 | MIA | ||||||
| Charlotte Douglas International | 9.76 | 11.74 | CLT | ||||||
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International | 9.52 | 8.31 | PHX | ||||||
| Detroit Metropolitan Airport | 9.39 | 22.85 | DTW | ||||||
| Minneapolis-Saint Paul International | 7.65 | 7.06 | MSP | ||||||
| Toronto Pearson International | 7.14 | 4.31 | YYZ | ||||||
| Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International | 6.41 | 1.92 | YUL | ||||||
Speedtest is unique in that it provides the closest reflection of the internet experience people have in their daily lives and the way networks are performing for their users. With 10 million tests taken by real people every day, insights based on Speedtest data are provide a comprehensive and accurate view of internet performance and accessibility. Additionally, the Speedtest testing server network is the largest in the world, which ensures that test results always reflect maximum available speeds for the actual location where the test is being taken.
Additional Resources
Read more on the Ookla blog here: http://www.speedtest.net/insights/blog/fastest-airports-us-canada-2018
View infographic here: www.speedtest.net/insights/blog/content/images/2018/06/top-10-airport-infographic.png
About Ookla
Ookla®, the company behind Speedtest®, is the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis. Over ten million tests are actively initiated by consumers each day across all Speedtest platforms, with more than 20 billion completed to date. As a result, Ookla has the most comprehensive analytics on worldwide internet performance and accessibility. Ookla transforms these billions of real-world tests into vital research tools. The company’s flagship enterprise product, Speedtest Intelligence®, is used by ISPs, carriers, businesses, universities and government agencies alike who trust Ookla’s commitment to quality and neutrality. Ookla’s headquarters are located in Seattle, WA with additional offices in Dublin, Ireland.
