Tested: Does Pocket WiFi Work in Subway in Tokyo?
Odds are, if you stay in Tokyo for any amount of time, you will end riding the subway at some point. The city of Tokyo boasts one of the largest and complex transit systems in the world, which makes traveling around Tokyo very convenient but also confusing at the same time. For the two subway companies alone, Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway, there are 278 Stations and 13 subway lines. This is not including the other train lines that run through the city. As a traveler, this is a recipe for disaster when it comes to navigating. Without some form of internet to let you use your navigation apps, finding your way around this mega-city would be extremely difficult! This is where having mobile internet comes in handy. With a wireless internet device, it becomes easy when traveling to use your smartphone and tablet to help you get from point A to B.
In this article, I plan to break down how well one of our Pocket WiFi devices you can rent from eConnect Japan performed while riding the subway in Tokyo. This is so our users can feel confident in the performance of our devices when taken anywhere. Also to show you just how helpful it is to have access to the internet while traveling in Tokyo. For your information, the Pocket WiFi model is 501HW and it uses SoftBank 4G/LTE network throughout Japan covering more than 99% of the population.
Testing Pocket WiFi on Tokyo Metro Lines
So first I hopped on the Marunouchi subway line and tested out the network connection while surfing the web on my phone.
The first time I was riding I had no issues. My browsing ability on my iPhone was completely unaffected and the mobile router had full bars the entire time.
The second test was on a different train line, the Fukutoshin Line.
There was a little bit of spotting while I was riding this second time. Sometimes the bars would drop for a second and then shoot back up to full. However, this never affected my internet connection at all. I was still able to use google maps on my phone without losing my location even once. So it did not negatively affect my internet connection.
The last train line I tested the pocket WiFi on was the Yamanote line.
This doesn't count as the subway but I also wanted to see how the device fared on some of the other train lines as well. As expected, it performed perfectly the entire ride and I had no connection issues.
I used the device all around Tokyo the entire day and saw no problems with performance whatsoever. The device was especially helpful when I wanted to grab a bite to eat from the nearest Ramen shop or when I was trying to find a Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee at. It's the little things like this that show just how useful internet access can be while traveling in a place you're not familiar with.
Conclusion
Altogether, after riding on train lines around Tokyo all day while using this Pocket WiFi router, I can safely say that I had absolutely zero connectivity issues. Even if the bars moved around a little, I was still able to use the internet smoothly with no break in my connection. This was tremendously helpful because, without the Pocket WiFi device, there would be no way I could have navigated the labyrinth of train lines.
Again, if you would like to make your way around Tokyo with ease and know you can get from place to place safely, consider renting Pocket WiFi unit from eConnect! Our rental service is extremely efficient, cost competitive, and has a host of verified reviews.
Thanks again and enjoy your travels!
