The benefits of accelerating opponents among the many many 4 UK mobile operators observed continued 5G enchancment for purchasers in relation to availability and completely different key benchmarks on the end of 2024, though there was no clear chief for 5G velocity experience, primarily based on RootMetrics’ UK state of the mobile union report for H2 2024.
The benchmark testing was carried out using the most recent Samsung 5G-enabled handsets purchased by retailers to verify every 4G LTE and 5G effectivity on the networks of EE, Three, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone. In all, higher than 627,000 assessments have been carried out all through the UK all through the day and night time time, every indoors and outside, masking 23,000 miles and 787 indoor locations.
Among the many many topline findings for the Mobile union report for H2 2024 was that BT-owned EE maintained its place as a result of the UK’s whole fundamental group, worthwhile or sharing every UK-wide RootScoreAward. Notably, EE has obtained the UK Normal RootScore Award outright in every check out interval relationship once more to H2 2013, giving EE the standing of being rated as a result of the UK’s most interesting group for 11.5 years working.
Although no operator was awarded the Quickest 5G Experience inside the UK, EE, Three and Vodafone each delivered 5G median get hold of speeds exceeding 200 Mbps in UK-wide testing, whereas Virgin Media O2 trailed at 82.8 Mbps.
All 4 UK operators continued to level out improved 5G availability in RootMetrics’ testing, with EE, Three and Virgin Media O2 all demonstrating 61% 5G availability all through UK-wide testing. Whereas Vodafone trailed at 48.3%, all operators confirmed enchancment in comparison with a 12 months prior to now all through H2 2023 testing, the place no operator supplied 5G availability above 60%.
EE moreover posted the quickest UK-wide median get hold of velocity at 89.9 Mbps, virtually double that of closest competitor Vodafone which supplied 49.9 Mbps. It moreover secured Most interesting 5G Experience honours for the second consecutive check out interval by its “combination of widespread 5G availability and highly effective effectivity”.
Wanting on the actual individual operators, the analysis singled out Three for sharing the UK Textual content material RootScore Award with notably sturdy effectivity in metropolitan markets, recording median get hold of speeds above 50 Mbps in 13 out of 16 markets examined – the second highest mark of any operator. Although Three trailed EE and Vodafone for every awards and speeds, its 33 RootScore Awards virtually doubled Virgin Media O2’s complete of 17.
Enhancing its rankings in a variety of UK-wide lessons whereas rising its award tallies in every nation and metro testing, Vodafone carried out correctly whole. Its 5G network delivered sturdy outcomes, with the operator recording median 5G get hold of speeds above 100 Mbps all through all 16 markets examined.
The operator elevated its RootScore Award tally in fundamental cities from 35 inside the earlier report again to 45 in H2 2024. Nonetheless, its median get hold of velocity interval outcomes solely confirmed modest enchancment, with median get hold of speeds above 100 Mbps in but another metropolis than inside the first half of 2024.
Virgin Media O2 was the one operator that didn’t doc any median get hold of speeds over 100 Mbps in fundamental cities, and the operator recorded the one sub-20 Mbps median get hold of velocity all through testing with 14.8 Mbps in Southampton.
However no matter trailing in awards, RootMetrics found VMO2 had confirmed improved 5G availability in 15 out of 16 cities examined, whereas posting faster median 5G get hold of speeds in a majority of the cities examined.