Here’s why you may want to think twice before using airport Wi-Fi

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Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority


TL;DR

• Ookla data shows Verizon delivered the fastest mobile download speeds at many major US airports.
• Mobile networks in general were usually faster than airport Wi-Fi, and twice as fast on average.
• Wi-Fi still prevailed at a few locations, but most airports haven’t yet adopted the more recent Wi-Fi standards.

As airports brace for the holiday travel rush, a new report suggests that your mobile carrier may make a big difference when it comes to the last-minute downloads at the airport. According to new data, Verizon consistently delivers faster mobile download speeds at airports than its competitors, usually also far surpassing the speed of the airport Wi-Fi itself.

The report from Ookla, which analyzed Speedtest data from the first half of 2025, found that Big Red delivered the fastest median download speeds at many major US airports. The report compared airport Wi-Fi performance with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon across the 50 busiest airports in the country, looking specifically at median download speeds.




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