EE named the UK’s number one network in two landmark studies – official results revealed

• More than 5.7 billion individual testing samples were taken from UK cities, towns and road and rail routes during two landmark studies into mobile performance, proving which network operator provides the highest quality connectivity.

• A study by RootMetrics® found EE retains its crown as the UK’s best network – coming out on top for having the fastest and most reliable mobile network, while also delivering the UK’s best 5G, video, and gaming experiences.

• Using its own testing and crowdsourced data, a separate study by Umlaut Connect also found EE has the UK’s best performing mobile network – breaking the record to become the highest scoring UK operator in history.

LONDON: The results of two landmark studies analysing mobile network performance across the UK have been revealed, with both finding that EE provides the most powerful and reliable mobile connectivity in the UK - benefitting millions of people and businesses in every part of the country.

In total, more than 5.7 billion individual testing samples were taken in a series of driving, walking and crowdsourced tests during studies from independent mobile analysts at RootMetrics and Umlaut Connect. This included bespoke testing in more than 40 major towns and cities across the UK, including 16 of the largest cities, as well as rural communities in each nation, to provide a clear and definitive picture of the performance of all the UK’s mobile network operators – EE, VodafoneThree and Virgin Media O2.

Claire Gillies, CEO at BT Group’s Consumer Division, said: “We’re proud to once again be recognised for our award-winning mobile network. These independent studies give people across the UK clear evidence of our network leadership and our commitment to delivering the best connectivity.

“In a digital world where fast, reliable coverage has never been more important, millions of consumers and businesses across the UK are benefitting from EE’s investment and focus to provide the fastest, most secure, and dependable connectivity. We continue to build on our commitment to giving customers access to the UK’s best mobile network.”

The first study by RootMetrics® is one of the longest running in the UK and takes six months to complete. It saw a team of independent analysts travel around the country examining mobile experiences in real-life situations, completing more than 600,000 tests in a variety of locations. ¹

The testing was focused on the UK’s largest 16 cities and rural communities in each of the four nations, as well as along 22,880 miles of roads and almost 800 indoor locations. The results found that:

• Overall, EE provides the most reliable mobile connectivity in more places than anyone else, naming it the UK’s best network for a record 25^th consecutive time.

• EE has the best network connectivity in the UK’s largest cities, including Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, London, and Sheffield.

• EE delivers the UK’s best 5G experience with the highest average 5G download speeds at 236.7 Mbps, significantly higher than Vodafone (144.3 Mbps), Three (198.3 Mbps) and Virgin Media O2 (111 Mbps).

• EE provides the UK’s highest quality network for watching videos, further improving its performance in the last six months in places such as Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Southampton.

• EE customers also get the best gaming experience across all UK networks, with the lowest jitter rates and highest average throughput – making gaming on the move smoother and more responsive.

This follows a second, separate study published recently by Umlaut Connect, which used its own in-depth testing in 40 towns and cities, as well as more than 5.7 billion crowdsourced data samples from across the UK, to assess which network provided the best connectivity in a wide variety of categories. ²

Overall, the study found EE had the UK’s best performing mobile network for the 11^th year in a row. While not all UK networks performed better this year, EE broke the record for the highest scoring UK operator in history (920 out of a total 1,000 points), extending its significant margin of leadership over second place and putting it in a category above all other UK networks.

  As well as the overall award, EE was also found to have:

• The UK’s most reliable network for both voice and mobile data services

• The highest quality mobile data in all major cities tested, including Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester, as well as aggregately in smaller cities and towns nationwide such as Durham, Merthyr Tydfil, Newbury, and Winchester

• The best network in London with the highest scores in all categories, including voice, mobile data, and reliability

• The best network performance on the UK’s road and railway routes, as well as the UK’s highest average 5G data speeds across all the cities and rail routes tested

These landmark results come after a year of significant developments with EE’s mobile network, in which its 5G network has been extended to be the largest in the UK according to Ofcom – covering over 90% of the population and more than half of the UK’s entire landmass.

As part of EE’s investment in enhancing 5G connectivity for its customers, its 5G+ network – the most advanced and powerful form of 5G – is now available to more than 47 million people; with plans to strengthen the network further and deliver the UK’s highest quality 5G+ connectivity to 99% of the population by Spring 2030. ³

2025 also saw EE’s deployment of outdoor small cells surpass 1,500 in towns and cities across the UK, increasing 4G and 5G capacity in densely populated urban areas such as airports, train stations, and shopping centres – enabling people to stay connected in the busiest places at peak times. Significant improvements in connectivity were also delivered at major event venues, with EE becoming the first operator to launch 5G+ at Wembley Stadium, as well as building new, permanent connectivity at Silverstone and Cheltenham Racecourse.

Aside from its network enhancements, EE also broke new ground by launching ‘Safer SIMs’- becoming the first major UK network to launch under 18’s smartphone plans designed to support young people at different stages of their digital development. These plans come with built‑in protections, including network‑level content controls, scam call blocking, spend caps and Stay Connected Data.

Business customers are also benefitting from the strength and reliability of EE’s mobile network, with the operations of major organisations like DEFRA and easyJet now being enhanced by smart, seamless connectivity – including the use of eSIM technology.

To see how all UK networks compared in both studies, read the full reports here:

RootMetrics
Umlaut Connect