Reliable, high-quality mobile connectivity is essential for most people in the UK, according to Ofcom’s latest report, “Mobile Matters”. Based on crowdsourced data gathered from mobile devices between October 2023 and March 2024, the report examines how UK mobile networks perform across key metrics such as connection success rates, download and upload times, and response times across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G.
Growing dominance of 5G mobile connectivity in the UK
The data shows 5G and 4G dominate the UK mobile landscape, together accounting for 97.6% of connections. Most connections—78%—were on 4G, while 5G represented 19.6%. Use of legacy networks has fallen sharply: 3G made up just 2.3% and 2G only 0.1% of connections as operators prepare to retire older systems. Several providers have begun 3G shutdowns, and others plan to complete this transition over the coming year.
Geographically, 5G is far more common in urban areas, where 20.9% of connections used 5G compared with just 10.4% in rural locations. This contrast underscores a clear gap in 5G availability and adoption outside cities.
5G offers superior performance, but 4G remains reliable
Ofcom finds that 5G outperforms other technologies across nearly all measures. The connection success rate is highest on 5G at 98.4%, with 4G close behind at 97.2% and 3G trailing at 85%. As networks phase out 3G, the disparity highlights the importance of upgrading to newer technologies.
Speed differences are particularly notable for downloads and uploads. On average, downloading a 2MB file over 5G takes 0.3 seconds, versus 0.8 seconds on 4G and 4.3 seconds on 3G. For larger downloads (5MB), 5G is substantially faster than 4G, delivering time savings of roughly 65%.
Upload performance also favors 5G: a 1MB file uploads in about 0.5 seconds on 5G, compared to 0.8 seconds on 4G and 3.8 seconds on 3G. Faster upload speeds make sharing photos, videos and other content quicker and more reliable.
EE and Three stand out among UK mobile operators
Among the UK’s major mobile network operators, Three shows the highest 5G adoption, with 21.4% of its connections using 5G. Vodafone maintained the largest share of 4G connections at 82.7% but recorded lower 5G adoption at 15%. O2 had the smallest share of 4G connections (73.9%) and the highest proportion of 3G use (4.7%).
For connection success rates, EE performed best on both 4G and 5G, with margins over competitors of less than 0.5 percentage points. However, download times varied by operator: O2 tended to have longer download times for 2MB, 5MB and 10MB files, while Three delivered the quickest 5G response times and EE led on 4G response times.
Three also recorded the highest share of 5G connections achieving speeds of 100 Mbps or greater (60%), whereas O2 recorded the lowest share at 32%. Upload speeds followed a similar pattern: EE had the largest proportion of 4G and 5G uploads at 20 Mbps or faster, while O2 customers experienced the slowest upload speeds, with the highest percentage of uploads below 1 Mbps.
A clear divide in UK mobile connectivity
The report highlights persistent differences between urban and rural connectivity. In cities, 5G connections are nearly twice as prevalent as in rural areas. For example, 5G accounted for 21.4% of connections in English cities compared with 15.5% in Wales’ urban areas. Rural regions remain more dependent on 4G—and in some places still on 3G. Northern Ireland recorded just 8.1% 5G usage in rural areas, below England’s 10.5%.
Urban users consistently experience faster speeds and shorter download times across all technologies. Downloading a 2MB file on 5G typically takes under 0.3 seconds in cities, while rural users face noticeably longer wait times. Upload speeds and latency show the same urban-rural gap, with city users enjoying better overall performance.
With 5G rollout accelerating as 3G is phased out, Ofcom’s findings underline the need for ongoing investment in mobile infrastructure—especially in rural areas—to ensure equitable access to faster, more reliable connectivity across the UK.
The report makes clear that 5G is already delivering meaningful performance improvements, but its rollout and adoption remain uneven. Mobile operators and policymakers will need to tackle these disparities so that users nationwide can benefit from the latest network advancements, regardless of location.
(Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi)
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