Fast Wi-Fi with those fries? Ookla benchmarks top fast food chains
For remote workers who rely on coffee shops and eateries, Wi-Fi quality is often a dealbreaker. Ookla, the network intelligence company behind Speedtest.net, has released fascinating data regarding Wi-Fi performance across U.S. quick-service restaurants. The findings show a massive gap between establishments, with some offering speeds that rival home connections and others failing to meet basic broadband standards.
Speed leaders and laggards
The data shows that Starbucks (37.3%) and McDonald's (32.3%) represent the largest portion of the Speedtest.net samples. Interestingly, Starbucks ranks near the bottom in terms of service quality. Ookla suggests this isn't due to outdated hardware, but rather corporate policies that impose strict ceilings on guest Wi-Fi performance.
The performance breakdown highlights several key players:
- Panera Bread offered the highest median download speed at 116.49 Mbps.
- McDonald's performed remarkably well, meeting the 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload threshold 81.5% of the time, with median speeds of 106.39 Mbps (down) and 27.51 Mbps (up).
- Chick-Fil'A leads in median upload speeds at 37.92 Mbps, though its download speeds appear capped at 38.98 Mbps.
- Taco Bell, Domino's, and Starbucks all recorded median speeds that fall below broadband standards, with Taco Bell being the least consistent performer.
Technology and standards
While Wi-Fi 7 was virtually non-existent in the McDonald's and Starbucks datasets, the latest standard was detected in 7.2% of all fast food locations covered by the Ookla study. The full report also includes granular data on which ISPs serve specific restaurant chains.
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