Ranking popular destinations in terms of WiFi availability, internet speed, and cost
TravelSim has analysed the top 19 most visited destinations in the world against a series of metrics to show which cities allow people to stay connected with minimal fuss. The cities were measured by the number of free WiFi hotspots per km2, the number of airports with free WiFi, the number of hotels and B&B’s with free WiFi per km2, the average internet speed and the average cost per MB of data. You can see the full research findings here.
Which other cities make it into the top 5 for the fastest internet in the world? See the table below to find out.
Rank | City | Internet speed |
1st | Singapore | 81 mbps |
2nd | Hong Kong | 56 mbps |
3rd | Barcelona | 43 mbps |
4th | Palma de Mallorca | 31 mbps |
5th | New York | 25 mbps |
The world’s best cities for staying connected overall
Paris takes top place, leading the way with the highest number of wifi hotspots per km2 at 3,547, which is over triple that of Seoul in South Korea. The city also shows off 1,847 hotels and B&Bs that offer free WiFi, giving you plenty of choice of where to stay. The average speed in Paris is 24 mbps, which is double that of Kuala Lumpur, and just over the world average of 22.95 mbps according to the data. No wonder the city came out top in the connected city rankings with a score of 69!
Pattaya, scoring 48 out of 100, comes in second boasting an impressive 33,796 free WiFi hotspots (1,522 per km2,) which is more than double that of Phuket, it’s Asian neighbor. Barcelona, scoring 46, comes in third with 177,583 free wifi hotspots (1,743 per km2), 1,130 hotels and B&B’s with free WiFi and even free WiFi at its airport.
The world’s worst cities for staying connected overall
We’ve mentioned the world’s best cities to keep you connected, but which ones need more work? Coming in last was Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which charged the highest price for one MB of data at £4.44 and having an average internet speed of just 8 mpbs. That’s twice as slow as the likes of London, three times slower than Paris, and over 10 times slower than Singapore.
Antalya and Istanbul in Turkey both scored low in the index, with Istanbul’s internet speed dropping to 7 mbps. Antalya, Turkey has the least number of free WiFi hotspots with only 7,129 across the city, and only 5 per km2.
Take a look at the interactive graphic to see where your favorite travel destinations finished.
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