Three UK Named Fastest for 5G Broadband in Ookla H1 2024 Study
Network testing firm Ookla, which collects data from consumers via their popular Speedtest.net platform, has published their latest Q1-Q2 2024 (H1) study into the speed of 5G based mobile broadband networks in the United Kingdom. The results find that Three UK still delivers the fastest average download (255.23Mbps) and uploads (14.47Mbps).
As we’ve said before, mobile data performance remains a difficult thing to pin down because related users are always moving through different areas (indoor, outdoor, underground etc.), using different devices with different capabilities and the surrounding environment (weather, trees, buildings etc.) is ever changeable.
All of the above can impact your service, and that’s before we even consider the other issues, such as network (backhaul) capacity at different cell sites or differing spectrum ownership between mobile operators. Nevertheless, Ookla’s latest study attempts to illuminate all this by comparing 2,089,555 “user-initiated 5G tests“, taken via their iOS and Android based mobile apps (total of 355,522 devices), from all the major UK mobile operators.
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The results reveal that Three UK continued to deliver the fastest average (median) 5G mobile download speeds of 255.23Mbps (up from 226.27Mbps in H2 2023) and uploads of 14.47Mbps (up from 13.14Mbps), although this is a long way from the 292.57Mbps they scored back in H2 2022. By comparison, Three’s rivals have seen some modest improvements, at least for downloads, although O2 (Virgin Media) remains stuck at the bottom.
Ookla’s UK 5G Mobile Speeds for H1 2024 (vs H2 2023)
Median Download Speed
Three UK – 255.23Mbps (226.27Mbps)
Vodafone – 155.90Mbps (141.71Mbps)
EE – 106.61Mbps (94.79Mbps)
O2 – 75.96Mbps (70.43Mbps)
Median Upload Speed
Three UK – 14.47Mbps (13.14Mbps)
Vodafone – 12.27Mbps (12.21Mbps)
EE – 12.23Mbps (12.06Mbps)
O2 – 8.97Mbps (8.93Mbps)
Median Latency (lower figures are faster)
EE – 29ms (30ms)
Three UK – 29ms (31ms)
Vodafone – 30ms (31ms)
O2 – 34ms (33ms)
Ookla also included some city-specific results for 5G speeds in London, Birmingham and Manchester, which you can see below.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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That is all great but how did they account for all the EE sims which are limited to 100 Mbps?
Well.. to some extent that’s still representative of most ee customers experience. It’s not supposed to test the absolute max speed – but rather what the average user on a specific network experiences… But sure there are some flaws in this.
Only “No Frills” and “Essentials” have speed caps.
If you choose the unlimited essential max is full fast speeds on EE.
@Jason
Is it though? People on cheaper tariffs do not get 110 Mbps, while others get much faster speeds. These results are meaningless.
Nice to see EE at the bottom of the chart in Birmingham and Manchester for a change
O2 beating EE in Birmingham and Manchester? I call rubbish on that! My parents live in Birmingham and O2 is so slow around there that it honestly makes a 56K modem look fast! (Trust me, I’ve tried it using a Dial-Up simulator!!)
Three is absolutely solid on 5G and even when travelling on trains or motorways throughout the north and down south…
I think it’s only got a bad rep because of its performance in London
Three, the fastest, highly doubt that one. I’m with three on a mobile WiFi unit and spend 95% of the time either getting no signal or being disconnected. Took 5 days for a 10gig update because of disconnections and lack of signal. Only reason I’m with them is because at the time they were the only one offering unlimited WiFi on mobile WiFi. Highly considering buying a flock of carrier pigeons to travel between the mast and where I live to see if the birds can bring me some data
Life is short, why not go for Starlink if Three is so bad?
I too question 3’s coverage. I moved to 3 when 4G was new. They were amazing. Insane speed compared to what I’d been used to with Voda on 3G. Coverage was everywhere, indoors and out. Over the years it’s dropped and dropped. I can rarely get a 4G signal anywhere indoors; while outside, you seem to have to be on a high street to get any signal. Many of the smaller towns and villages in Surrey/Hampshire prime commuter belt are dead spots. I have to rely on wifi everywhere. This despite different phones, replaced sims, calls to support etc. A victim of their own success perhaps. But it seems several other providers are the same. I just hope the same doesn’t become true for 5g.
Mark is correct. I work in W and central London and have tested O2 in SW / SE London. O2 are very slow.
Very rarely they get decent speeds.
I have tested Three in Telford (still fastest in town) than EE, Vodafone and o2.
Three 5G – https://www.speedtest.net/result/a/10297265707.png
EE 5G – https://www.speedtest.net/result/a/10282088541.png
Try 4G with three in Dawley absolute pathetic download speeds EE is the best network in Dawley Telford as there’s 5G coverage in Dawley with EE but no coverage with three only crap 4g.
Karl, yeah three is very poor in Dawley (badly need to sort it out at Heath Hill, Dawley and Little Dawley)
5G is completely pointless unless you are static.
In most cases it’s slower than 4G.
Total gimmick.
It’s ideal for home broadband 5G home broadband plug N play.
Every single network has bad speeds where i live 🙁
Three is fantastic, I get 600Mbps as my home network connection in a semi rural town, far faster than the VDSL can manage. It’s rock solid too.
When I take my phone next to the cell tower I get 2Gbps which is mind boggling.
Max speed for any 5G is no more than 1500Mbps from any cell
I don’t think that’s true Phil.
There are a lot of tests on Three UK that have reached 1 Gbps speeds or reached close to 2 Gbps speeds:
ISPreview (1147 Mbps / 1.1 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/img_9805-jpeg.14394/
ISPreview (1171 Mbps / 1.1 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000006005-jpg.14584/
DigitalSpy (1181 Mbps / 1.1 Gbps) = https://www.speedtest.net/result/i/5755437501
DigitalSpy (1182 Mbps / 1.1 Gbps) = https://i.imgur.com/1NlZxZ7.png
ISPreview (1226 Mbps / 1.2 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000002988-jpg.13789/
ISPreview (1317 Mbps / 1.3 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000064291-jpg.14606/
ISPreview (1332 Mbps / 1.3 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/img_9126-jpeg.13462/
ISPreview (1337 Mbps / 1.3 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000064878-jpg.15256/
ISPreview (1390 Mbps / 1.3 Gbps) = https://www.speedtest.net/result/a/9463725589.png
ISPreview (1410 Mbps / 1.4 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/3-png.14177/
DigitalSpy (1424 Mbps / 1.4 Gbps) = https://i.postimg.cc/vHk0CHMs/CD90-C534-AA08-4-CCC-A2-C7-A44-F767-A0263.jpg
ISPreview (1426 Mbps / 1.4 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000064720-jpg.14983/
ISPreview (1450 Mbps / 1.4 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/img_0437-jpeg.15318/
DigitalSpy (1499 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://us.v-cdn.net/6028689/uploads/editor/zg/y2xaiuu2h5oq.png
Twitter (1527 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://twitter.com/davwheat_/status/1560726245708636165
Twitter (1531 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://twitter.com/Shaunjenks/status/1490797229162090501
ISPreview (1547 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000063581-jpg.13522/
ISPreview (1565 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000063893-jpg.13981/
ISPreview (1581 Mbps / 1.5 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000063763-jpg.13850/
ISPreview (1623 Mbps / 1.6 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000063965-jpg.14046/
ISPreview (1694 Mbps / 1.6 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000064719-jpg.14981/
ISPreview (1713 Mbps / 1.7 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000001798-jpg.12018/
ISPreview (1878 Mbps / 1.8 Gbps) = https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/attachments/1000063897-jpg.13977/
TikTok (1880 Mbps / 1.8 Gbps) = https://www.tiktok.com/@liivviu/video/7199155382223162630
Twitter (1978 Mbps / 1.9 Gbps) = https://twitter.com/PedroClarke1/status/1602975218842173441
Twitter (1992 Mbps / 1.9 Gbps) = https://twitter.com/davwheat_/status/1616839454479482880
Twitter (2137 Mbps / 2.1 Gbps) = https://twitter.com/davwheat_/status/1649699563530334208
It’s a yes and a no.
100 MHz of N78 is up to 1500 Mbps speeds but the reason why Three UK can reach 2 Gbps is because of carrier aggregation which combines multiple cells for better coverage and speeds.
100 MHz of N78 and 40 MHz of N78 is 1800+ Mbps (depending on congestion and other things) and then you add 4G aggregation which will allow you to gain 2 Gbps speeds on an iPhone but just 2 N78 carriers can reach very close to 2 Gbps without any 4G stuff as seen in David’s Network Signal Guru screenshots.
Not really a surprise when they have the most bandwidth on 5G. I could of told you in in 2022, in five years time three will be the fastest.