Internet Speed Test: Check Mobile Data or Wi-Fi Abroad (Free)
Free internet speed test for mobile data or Wi-Fi in 20 seconds. What download, upload, ping and jitter mean, what a good speed is, and how to fix a slow one.
ArriGo team 7 min read
You can now run a free internet speed test right on our site: open arrigo.app/speed, choose whether you are on mobile data or Wi-Fi, and tap Start. In about 20 seconds you see your download and upload speed, your ping and jitter, and a plain answer to the question that matters on a trip: is this connection good enough for maps, video or a call home?
We built it for travellers, because “the internet is slow” is the most common thing people tell us after landing. A speed test turns that feeling into numbers, and the numbers tell you what to do next: move, switch networks, change a setting or simply wait for the hotel Wi-Fi. This guide explains what the test measures, what a good result looks like, and how to fix a slow one.
Key takeaways
- Our speed test measures download, upload, ping and jitter in about 20 seconds, on mobile data or Wi-Fi, with no app to install.
- For most travel needs, 5 Mbps download is plenty. Video calls also need upload speed and a ping under about 150 ms.
- Results change with signal, building walls, time of day and how busy the cell tower is, so test in a few places.
- On mobile data a test uses about 50 to 150 MB. Results are saved anonymously, without your IP address.
How to test your internet speed in 20 seconds
- Open the speed test on the device you want to check. It runs in the browser, on iPhone, Android or a laptop.
- Choose what you are testing. Tap Mobile data or Wi-Fi. We preselect it when your browser tells us, but you can correct it. If you want to test mobile data, turn Wi-Fi off first, or your phone will use the Wi-Fi.
- Tap Start test. Your network appears at the top (for example “Bell Canada, Canada” or a local operator abroad), so you know which connection is being measured.
- Read the result. The meter shows download speed live, and the tiles below show all four numbers. The “What it’s good for” panel tells you whether the connection handles maps and messages, social media and music, HD video, and video calls.
What the speed test measures
A speed test downloads and uploads files to a nearby server and times them. Our test uses Cloudflare’s open-source measurement engine and connects to the closest server in Cloudflare’s network, the same network that serves a large share of the websites you visit.
| Measurement | What it means | What it affects on a trip |
|---|---|---|
| Download (Mbps) | How fast data reaches your phone | Loading maps, pages, photos, streaming video |
| Upload (Mbps) | How fast your phone sends data | Sending photos and videos, your side of a video call |
| Ping (ms) | Time for a tiny request to get to the server and back | How quickly apps respond, lag in calls and games |
| Jitter (ms) | How much the ping varies from one moment to the next | Choppy or robotic voice and video calls |
Mbps means megabits per second. Higher is better for download and upload; lower is better for ping and jitter.
What is a good internet speed for travel?
Less than most people think. Phones are built to work well on modest connections, and app makers publish what they need. Netflix’s internet speed recommendations are 3 Mbps for HD (720p) and 5 Mbps for Full HD. Zoom’s system requirements list 1.2 Mbps up and down for a one-to-one 720p video call.
| What you want to do | Download | Also check |
|---|---|---|
| Maps, messages, email | 1 Mbps | |
| Social media and music | 5 Mbps | |
| HD video | 5 to 10 Mbps | |
| Video calls | 3 Mbps | Upload of about 3 Mbps, ping under 150 ms |
| Working from a laptop on hotspot | 10 Mbps or more | Upload, if you share files or join meetings |
For calls, delay matters as much as speed. The ITU’s recommendation for telephone networks, G.114, treats a one-way delay under 150 ms as acceptable for most conversations. Our test uses the same 150 ms mark for its video call check.
Why your speed test results vary
Run the test twice and you will rarely get the same number. That is normal: a mobile connection changes with every step you take. The main factors are:
- Signal strength. Thick walls, basements, trains and lifts can cut speed sharply. Standing near a window often helps more than anything else.
- How busy the cell tower is. A stadium, a festival or a city centre at rush hour shares one tower among thousands of phones.
- 4G or 5G. 5G is faster where coverage is good, but a weak 5G signal can be slower than solid 4G. Our guide to 5G vs 4G when travelling explains when it matters.
- Which network your phone picked. In many countries a travel eSIM can use more than one local network, and your phone does not always choose the strongest. Our guide to choosing a network in Europe shows how to pick one manually.
- Shared Wi-Fi. Hotel and café Wi-Fi is shared by every guest, and evening is when everyone streams.
- Your plan. Some plans, including some unlimited ones, slow down after a daily or total allowance. The plan page says so if yours does.
Why different speed tests give different numbers
If you compare our result with another speed test on the same connection, the numbers can differ. That does not mean either one is wrong. Some tests open several connections at once and measure against a server inside your own provider’s network, which shows the most your line can carry. Ours measures one connection to the nearest Cloudflare server, which is closer to how a website or an app actually loads. On a fast home line, expect our download figure to land close to other tests and our upload figure to sometimes be a little lower.
What matters most is comparing like with like: the same test, in the same place, before and after a change.
Slow result? What to do next
If the “What it’s good for” panel shows Slow for the things you need, work through these steps and test again after each one:
- Move. Go near a window or outside, and away from crowds if you can. Then run the test again.
- Toggle airplane mode for 10 seconds. Your phone searches again and often finds a stronger network.
- Choose a network manually. Turn off automatic network selection and try another operator in the list.
- Check the right line is used for data. On a phone with two SIMs, make sure the travel eSIM is your cellular data line and data roaming is on for it.
- Compare mobile data with Wi-Fi. If one is fast and the other slow, you know which one to use for the video call.
If you have no connection at all, our guide to what to do when you land with no internet and our step-by-step eSIM troubleshooting guide cover every setting. You can also contact our support team with your speed test result: it helps us see what you see.
What happens to your result
When a test finishes, we save it anonymously: the country, the network operator, whether you chose mobile data or Wi-Fi, the type of device, and the speeds measured. We never store your IP address or anything that identifies you, and the test does not send your results to Cloudflare. Over time, these results become our own data on which networks work best in which countries, and we use it to choose the networks our plans connect to. Our Privacy Policy has the details.
Test before you rely on it
Run a quick test when you land, before a video call and whenever a page feels slow. It takes 20 seconds and tells you whether to wait, move or switch. If you have not set up mobile data for your trip yet, pick your country from our destinations, and check how much data you need with our data usage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my mobile internet speed?
Open arrigo.app/speed on your phone, choose Mobile data, and tap Start test. In about 20 seconds you get download and upload speed in Mbps, plus ping and jitter in milliseconds. Turn Wi-Fi off first, or your phone may test the Wi-Fi instead.
What is a good mobile internet speed?
For maps and messages, 1 Mbps is enough. Social media and music work well from about 5 Mbps, and HD video from about 5 to 10 Mbps. Video calls need upload speed too: Zoom lists 1.2 Mbps up and down for a 720p call, and a ping under about 150 ms.
Does a speed test use my data?
Yes. On mobile data, our test uses about 50 to 150 MB, depending on how fast your connection is. On Wi-Fi it uses bigger files so a fast line can reach full speed. On a small plan, run it only when you need to.
Why do different speed tests show different results?
They use different servers and methods. Some tests download over several connections at once from a server inside your provider's network; ours measures one connection to the nearest Cloudflare server, which is closer to how websites and apps load. Results also change from minute to minute with signal and network traffic.
Why is my mobile data slow abroad?
The most common reasons are weak signal indoors, a busy cell tower, your phone holding on to a weaker network, or a plan that slows down after a daily allowance. Moving near a window, toggling airplane mode and choosing another network manually fix most cases.
Do you store my IP address when I run the test?
No. We save each finished test anonymously: country, network operator, connection type and the speeds measured. That builds our own picture of network quality by country and operator. Your IP address is never stored.
