NAIA internet speed among slowest in Asean

MANILA, Philippines — The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has one of the worst internet speed among gateways in Southeast Asia, exposing another area that has to be improved once it is turned over to the private sector.

Based on a study by internet analyst Ookla, NAIA recorded a broadband speed of 17.9 Mbps in the first quarter, making it the third worst airport among six in the region to connect to WiFi.

Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (48.3 Mbps), Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (44.96 Mbps) and Singapore’s Changi Airport (28.24 Mbps) lead the list.

However, NAIA tallied a better WiFi speed than Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (14.98 Mbps) and Vietnam’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (7.34 Mbps). Globally, Mexico City International Airport registered the worst broadband average at 5.11 Mbps.

Ookla senior director of consumer marketing Isla McKetta said it would be difficult for travelers to do basic tasks over the internet in airports with connectivity speeds of less than 25 Mbps, such as NAIA. She recommended switching to a mobile hotspot if the WiFi is performing poorly.

“You may struggle with everything from video chatting to streaming at airports with a download speed below 25 Mbps,” McKetta said.

Moreover, NAIA registered the second worst mobile speed across five airports in Southeast Asia at 48.86 Mbps, according to the report.

Changi Airport turned in the best download performance at 120.26 Mbps, while Suvarnabhumi Airport came second with 95.12 Mbps, followed by Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at third with 49.4 Mbps.

Fortunately, NAIA has one airport it is ahead of in terms of mobile speed: Tan Son International Airport, with 36.07 Mbps. Again, Mexico City International Airport clocked in the worst internet quality around the world at 8.75 Mbps.

With these internet speeds in hand, Ookla suggested hooking to mobile data over WiFi servers when traveling to NAIA. Ookla covered 52 airports in its analysis, providing insights to travelers in time for the peak season in the northern hemisphere.

NAIA is scheduled to be handed over to a consortium led by San Miguel Corp. in September and will undergo a P170.6 billion rehabilitation in the next 15 years.

The consortium, called New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., has won the bidding for the concession to operate and maintain NAIA with the goal of enhancing travel experience for passengers.