NAIA’s Internet Is One of the Worst in Southeast Asia, a Report Says

From Hong Kong to Singapore and other Southeast Asian neighbors, a lot of countries offer free and high-speed internet not just in airports and tourist attractions, but almost everywhere. This is where the Philippines is lagging behind up to now. Even the country’s largest international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), cannot provide stable internet connection for long. In fact, it’s rated as the third slowest among six airports in the region.

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Findings from connectivity intelligence firm Ookla showed NAIA’s broadband speed was only at 17.9 Mbps from January to March. This is slower by more than half from Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, which had the fastest at 48.3 Mbps. Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport followed with 44.96 Mbps, and Singapore’s Changi Airport with 28.24 Mbps.

The Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Vietnam were the gateways that recorded the two slowest broadband speeds at 14.98 Mbps and 7.34 Mbps, respectively.

For Ookla, airports with connectivity speeds of less than 25 Mbps—including NAIA—is not recommended for travelers. It’s hassle to do even the most basic tasks, like video chatting your family or friends or streaming your favorite movies or series while waiting to board your flight. Downloading would be way worse, especially as NAIA has the second worst mobile speed at 48.86 Mbps, according to the report. So, unless you’re just using the Wi-Fi to scroll or browse your feed, you might as well just switch to using your own mobile data or hotspot.

There’s still a long way to go, apparently, before we might be able to see any difference in the Philippines’ main gateway. NAIA, a 42-year-old airport, is set to undergo rehabilitation through a consortium led by San Miguel Corporation in September, but the process is expected to last for about 15 years. SMC’s New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation won the bidding for the P170.6-billion project to overhaul the airport in Manila and improve the travel experience of domestic and international passengers.

Vietnam’s airport, on the other hand, logged the slowest download performance next to the Philippines at 36.07 Mbps. Changi Airport registered the fastest among five airports in Southeast Asia at 120.26 Mbps, followed by Suvarnabhumi Airport (95.12 Mbps) and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (49.4 Mbps).

Ookla specializes in providing connectivity insights to consumers, businesses, and other organizations globally. Based in Seattle, it is a subsidiary of Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD), a vertically-focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and marketing technology.