Same Network, 10x the Lag: Ookla Finds Travel eSIM Routing Can Add 30x Latency (2026)
New Ookla data shows two travel eSIMs on the same local network can feel completely different: in Japan, latency ranged from 54 ms to 543 ms depending on where traffic exits to the internet. Here is why routing matters and how to check it before you buy.
Two travelers land in Tokyo, both connected to the same Japanese mobile network with full bars. One opens a video call and it feels instant. The other gets frozen frames and a half-second delay. According to new Ookla analysis highlighted on October 29, 2026, the difference is not the signal. It is where each travel eSIM sends your data before it reaches the internet.
What Ookla found
Ookla analyzed Speedtest data collected in the second quarter of 2026 from Android devices across roughly 190 destination countries, covering more than 50 travel eSIM brands, their wholesale networks and their internet breakout points. Tests flagged as using a VPN were excluded.
The headline numbers:
- Up to 30x higher latency. For the least favorable brand-and-destination combinations, latency was up to 30 times higher than what local users experienced on the same network.
- 54 ms vs 543 ms in Japan. On the same Japanese network, with identical radio conditions, median latency was 54 ms with local routing and 543 ms when traffic was routed through Madrid.
The finding was publicized by Ubigi, the travel eSIM brand of Transatel (NTT Group), which also reported a median download speed of 75.89 Mbps for its own service and 62% of its samples on 5G. Those brand figures come from the company's release, so treat them as vendor-framed.
A day later, on October 30, a company-backed Opensignal analysis reported that Holafly cut median round-trip latency by 29 ms across 19 markets after adding new breakout points in Madrid, Dallas and Singapore. Again, this is a provider announcement, but it points in the same direction: routing has become a competitive battleground.
We first covered the Q2 Ookla dataset in August, when it showed travel eSIM speeds can differ by 10x. The new routing data explains a big part of why.
Why routing matters more than the network name
When you use a travel eSIM, your phone connects to a local network, but your data does not necessarily reach the internet in the country you are visiting. Many travel eSIMs are built on roaming profiles that send traffic back to a packet gateway in another region, often where the wholesale provider is based. That gateway is the "breakout point."
Every extra thousand kilometers adds delay. For downloading a file or loading a map, a few hundred milliseconds barely matter. For anything interactive, they do:
- Video and voice calls (WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom) feel laggy and people talk over each other.
- Online gaming becomes unplayable at 500 ms.
- Some local apps and sites see you as being in a different country, which can affect ride-hailing, banking or streaming catalogs.
This is why a plan advertising "5G on the best local network" can still disappoint. As we noted in our guide to which travel eSIMs actually give you 5G abroad, the network name on your screen is only half the story.
What the industry is being asked to disclose
Ubigi argued that travelers need clearer information on factors that remain largely invisible: real 5G access, speed-throttling policies, the location of internet breakout points, and whether a provider controls its own network architecture. None of these are standard on product pages today.
How to check your travel eSIM's routing
You do not need special tools:
- Look up your IP location. Once connected abroad, open any "what is my IP" site. If you are in Tokyo and it says Spain or Singapore, your traffic breaks out far away.
- Run a speed test and note the ping. Under about 100 ms feels local. Several hundred milliseconds means a long detour.
- Ask before you buy. Support teams can usually tell you where traffic exits for a given country.
- Test early. Install before your trip and check on arrival, while you can still switch.
The practical takeaway
When comparing providers, look beyond price per GB. If you rely on video calls, remote work or navigation apps, routing can matter as much as data allowance. Check reviews that measure latency, test on arrival, and keep a backup plan. Whether you choose HOLASIM, Holafly, Ubigi or another provider, asking "where does my data break out?" is now one of the smartest questions you can ask before a trip.