Independent testing by RootMetrics shows that EE is the only UK mobile operator with everyday 5G availability above 55% in multiple cities.
The UK’s largest mobile operator by subscribers reports everyday 5G availability over 55% in several major cities: Birmingham (64.6%), Nottingham (63.9%), Manchester (59.4%), Leicester (57.8%) and Cardiff (55.8%).
Year-on-year, EE increased its 5G availability in 13 of the cities measured and achieved the highest overall 5G availability in 14 out of the 16 cities tested.
EE’s gains are not limited to coverage: the network’s median 5G download speeds rose in 14 cities, according to the report.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s consumer division and head of EE, said:
“Delivering the best mobile experience for our customers is our number one priority, and 5G has a huge role to play in that. Today’s results not only show our superiority in the industry, but also significant improvements since last year, reflecting the continued investment we’re making to deliver 5G to more places and people.”
These results support EE’s recent target to expand its 5G network to cover half of the UK population by early 2023 and to offer 5G connectivity nationwide by 2028.
Patrick Linder, CMO at RootMetrics by IHS Markit, added:
“Our latest research shows that 5G in the UK is becoming faster and more widely available. EE is comfortably ahead of the pack in offering widespread everyday 5G availability combined with fast speeds, but other operators are improving. Virgin Media O2 in particular delivered outstanding speeds and Vodafone showed its network potential with a fantastic showing in Glasgow.”
Vodafone recorded the fastest 5G median download speed in Glasgow, reaching 192.2 Mbps. For Vodafone, nearly all measured everyday 5G median download speeds were at least 100 Mbps.
Focusing on central London, Vodafone again posted the highest median 5G download speed at an impressive 221 Mbps, while EE led central London in availability with a median of 95.3%.
“The encouraging results we recorded in central London suggest users in other cities and rural areas will also benefit as 5G rollout continues,” Linder said. “Mobile users should expect an even better 5G experience going forward thanks to operators purchasing additional spectrum during the recent auction.”
Newly merged Virgin Media O2 delivered mixed outcomes. It achieved the fastest 5G median download speeds in nine of the 16 cities tested, but it also had the lowest 5G availability in eight cities.
Three fared least well in the RootMetrics tests, posting the slowest 5G median speeds in 14 cities. RootMetrics notes that Three’s acquisition of substantial mid-band spectrum positions it to improve both 5G availability and performance in future.
Against a US benchmark, UK operators performed strongly: none of the UK carriers recorded median 5G speeds below 50 Mbps in the first half of 2021. By contrast, in the US, each of the three major carriers posted median 5G speeds below 50 Mbps in almost half of the 125 cities RootMetrics tested.
The full UK 5G report for H1 2021 is available from RootMetrics.
(Photo by Frederik Lipfert on Unsplash)
Find out more about Digital Transformation Week North America, taking place on November 9-10 2021, a virtual event and conference exploring advanced DTX strategies for a ‘digital everything’ world.