LAX Speeds Past the Competition, Ranking in the Top 10 U.S. Airports for Fastest Wi-Fi

Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have a reason to cheer when loading apps or web pages (including this press release) over the airport’s Wi-Fi service, as LAX has been ranked among the Top 10 U.S. airports for “Fastest Airport Wi-Fi” by Ookla, LLC.  The results measured average download speeds of 17.8 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 20.3 Mbps, placing LAX’s free Wi-Fi in 8th place out of 20 U.S. airports, and 11th place among 30 airports in North America, including Mexico and Canada. The rankings noted a 59-percent speed increase compared with last year’s rankings.

“Our travelers consistently rank fast and reliable Wi-Fi as one of their top five airport priorities, and this recognition of our focus on improving performance shows how seriously we take our mission to deliver a gold-standard airport experience,” said Trevor Daley, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs.  “Airport guests rely on Wi-Fi for emergency notifications, flight status, weather forecasts, entertainment, and business.  We’re proud that our work to improve speed and reliability has been noticed, and we are committed to continuing to work to make our guest experience – including our Wi-Fi service – first class.”

LAX guests have enjoyed Wi-Fi service at LAX since 2006, with free Wi-Fi service debuting in 2012. Ookla’s results reflect an ongoing joint effort between LAWA and Boingo to introduce system upgrades airport-wide, which resulted in increased speeds and coverage throughout LAX. Today, guests within the terminals and in the Central Terminal Area can log on for 45 minutes of free unlimited advertising-supported Wi-Fi service, or choose a paid ad-free premium service good for 24 hours of access.

“Last fall, Boingo launched the Wi-Fi Improvement Plan with LAWA, and the results of the project speak for itself,” said David Hagan, Chief Executive Officer of Boingo Wireless. “The Wi-Fi Improvement Plan includes upgrading the Wi-Fi network through additional Access Points (“APs”) and expanding coverage areas throughout the terminals, which have resulted in a better experience for the connected traveler at LAX.”

In April, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved changes that will simplify the login process to just one click, as well as giving the go-ahead for installation of 12 additional wireless access points in the federal inspection service area of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) to support the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s new Mobile Passport application, which will expedite processing for arriving passengers who use the app.

The rankings were based on connectivity results from the 10-15 busiest airports per continent, using previous results measured at U.S. airports.  Data came from Wi-Fi users who used Speedtest.net between March and May 2017 from within geo-fenced areas at the airport.