Customers the winners as networks
compete to give best mobile coverage

Provider EE came out on top overall when tested on reliability, speed and internet usage, calls and texts, in a report by network testing firm RootMetrics. It put the company ahead of Three, Vodafone and 02.

Report author Patrick Linder said EE “continues to shine” but added that other networks are catching up, meaning there is potential for even better performance in the future.

Networks were assessed on their coverage across the UK generally, in each of the four individual nations, and then in 16 cities in the first half of this year.

Vodafone came last for mobile internet performance in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, while 02 took the bottom spot in Wales.

EE, the first network to launch 4G in the UK, was in the top spot in most of the 16 cities tested, including Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh, bettering last year’s performance.

Vodafone improved in the first half of this year to tie second place with 02 for call performance, while Three moved to the bottom in this category. Both 02 and Vodafone have improved their performances “substantially” since last year, the report claimed.

It added that other networks were trying to compete with “better network performance across the UK” meaning a “better experience across all the points of your mobile life”.