An Ookla analysis covering the first half of 2021 finds that 5G networks in the United Kingdom are improving in speed and lifting consumer sentiment.
When a new mobile generation first appears, the benefits are not always obvious to the general public. Initial expectations for dramatic download speed increases don’t always match early real-world results, and early 5G deployments sometimes showed only modest gains over 4G. That underwhelming start, combined with misinformation and false health scares that circulated during rollout, contributed to mixed public perceptions of 5G.
As 5G coverage and performance expand across the UK, public sentiment is becoming more positive.
With a median 5G download speed of 167.38 Mbps during H1 2021, the UK outperforms several major trading partners in Europe, Japan and the United States, though it still trails leaders such as South Korea and China.
The United States leads on 5G availability with 49.5 percent, followed by the Netherlands at 44 percent. South Korea ranks third with 40.4 percent availability. In Europe, the UK’s 5G availability of 10.2 percent is closely matched by Spain’s 10.3 percent.
Ookla’s data shows 5G is helping the UK break a two-year plateau in mobile download speeds. Speedtest recorded a median download speed of 21.44 Mbps in H1 2019 and saw little change until the 5G rollout accelerated in H2 2020, when median speeds rose to 23.60 Mbps. In H1 2021 the increase was more pronounced, reaching 29.96 Mbps, and the trend suggests continued improvement.
Ookla attributes the significant H1 2021 increase largely to a surge in consumers adopting 5G devices and plans. Speedtest Intelligence indicates nearly 70,000 more users performed a speed test over 5G in Q1–Q2 2021 than in Q3–Q4 2020.
“5G is inherently faster, which boosts median download speeds, and we expect speeds to continue improving as operators expand their 5G networks to reach more customers,” Ookla wrote in its analysis.
Among UK operators, Three—currently the smallest by subscriber count—appears to benefit from holding contiguous 5G spectrum. Those spectrum assets have led Three to market itself controversially as offering “real 5G.” Ookla’s analysis shows Three delivering the highest median 5G download speed at 231.07 Mbps, although its 5G availability is limited to 6.4 percent, ranking third among the four major UK operators.
EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator, has the greatest 5G availability at 17.9 percent but records the lowest median 5G download speed among the major providers at 151.03 Mbps.
EE has announced an “enhanced 5G service” launching in October that is expected to improve its speed rankings. The upgrade will begin in Redditch, Morecambe and Cramlington and will use 700 MHz 5G spectrum acquired in Ofcom’s auction earlier in the year.
Customers on 5G plans report higher satisfaction with their operators than those on 4G. While EE was the only operator to register a net positive sentiment across “all tech,” every major UK operator recorded positive sentiment specifically for 5G, suggesting a more optimistic outlook as rollout continues.
(Image Credit: Ookla)
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