(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/franckreporter)
Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has long tested mobile networks, but this year’s report is the first to combine testing on both Android and iOS devices to present a comprehensive view of the current state of UK mobile networks.
Also introduced in the latest report is GWS’s OneScore ranking system. OneScore blends detailed network testing metrics with the wireless services consumers value most. Although data usage continues to grow, consumer research still shows that voice call quality remains a primary factor in the overall mobile experience.
Dr. Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, explained: “Traditional network testing often emphasizes a single parameter—such as throughput or signal level—which can give a narrow snapshot of performance. That approach misses how consumers actually perceive and use services. To understand network performance holistically, you must combine controlled technical measurements with insight into real consumer expectations and behavior. OneScore fills that gap by delivering a clear, meaningful metric that reflects both test data and how people use their mobile devices.”
In GWS’s rankings, EE occupies the top spot for combined voice and data performance using the OneScore metric. Three UK ranks first for voice performance alone, but its weak positioning for mobile data dragged it down in the combined rankings.
Regional differences were apparent. In major northern cities, O2 earned the “King of the North” title for leading 4G performance—achieving the highest percentage of 4G connection time and the most ‘perfect’ mobile internet reliability scores. In contrast, EE again led for 4G connection time across the South of England.
Recognizing that Brits spend a significant portion of their online time on social media, GWS devoted a category of testing specifically to social media activity to better reflect everyday performance. In that category EE placed first, with O2 in second.
The GWS findings differ in places from results reported by P3 Communications. P3’s national testing placed O2 last overall—especially for data—whereas GWS found O2 leading in northern cities. Conversely, Three ranked last for data in GWS’s study, while in P3’s results O2 trailed by a wider margin.
Methodological differences help explain these discrepancies. GWS relies on thousands of tests run across actual consumer devices—both iOS and Android—throughout the country. P3 uses a different approach: walk tests using a trolley with battery pack and smartphones, and drive tests with two cars equipped with smartphones. P3 reported roughly 50,000 samples per operator (about 200,000 samples total), while GWS gathered 987,000 samples, a difference that may affect the level of statistical confidence and detail in each study.
Methodology
GWS carried out this series of tests to evaluate mobile network performance across the United Kingdom. During August and September 2016, 987,000 voice and data task tests were performed to assess the networks of O2, EE, Three and Vodafone across 17 major cities. Testing used the GWS Mobile Diagnostic App on iPhone 6s devices and the SwissQual powered by Rohde & Schwarz (SwissQual QualiPoc) Freerider platform on Samsung S6 devices to collect data.
Do you think GWS’s methodology gives a more accurate picture of network performance? Share your thoughts in the comments.