Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the subway where you are that's not designed for apps. On Korean subways I stream video at max res throughout the ride.
The infrastructure of Asian capitals is the best in the world, that's exactly the point - 99% of the world experiences deteriorated network (see comments in this thread to that point). It's frustrating when software isn't built in ways that are resilient to that.
Most western European and all Australian cities I've traveled in had perfectly fine connectivity on underground trains.