RootMetrics Names EE as BEST UK Mobile Operator in H1 2025 Study
Mobile benchmarking firm RootMetrics (Ookla) has today published their H1 2025 study of UK mobile networks (calls, texts etc.) and 4G/5G mobile broadband speeds. The results once again name EE as the best mobile provider after they scooped up the highest scores and fastest data speeds across most categories.
The study itself is based on the results of over 625,000 tests, conducted by a team of testers using off-the-shelf Smartphones between January and June 2025 (drive and walk tests), to measure the real-world performance of mobile operators in the United Kingdom. But it should be said that this study is focused on the results from 16 of the UK’s largest metropolitan markets, which means that it isn’t much good at reflecting the balance from slower rural connectivity.
The results shown below are typically split into several categories (network reliability, speed, data, call and text quality etc.) and each is assigned a score out of 100 (higher numbers = better). In terms of the UK-wide results, EE came top in every single category, with Vodafone being the runner-up. By comparison, O2 echoed their results in other studies by coming bottom of all the same categories.
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In terms of the overall results, every single mobile operator managed to improve their scores over the previous biannual study, with the biggest improvements being recorded by Three UK and O2. Otherwise, EE delivered the fastest median mobile broadband download speed of 110.8Mbps, followed by Vodafone (48.4Mbps), Three UK (45.7Mbps) and O2 (36.2Mbps).
Overall Scores for H1 2025 (vs H2 2024)
1. EE – 93.2 (up from 91.7)
2. Vodafone – 85.8 (up from 85.3)
3. Three UK – 84.2 (up from 81.2)
4. O2 – 80.1 (up from 76.7)
Finally, in terms of 5G specific mobile broadband speeds, EE delivered median download speeds of 241.2Mbps, followed by Three UK (217.3Mbps), Vodafone (163.8Mbps) and then O2 (98.7Mbps). 5G availability also continued to improve – EE and O2 each recorded more than 70% availability in UK-wide testing. Three UK followed at just over 60%, while Vodafone trailed at 53.6%. For perspective, the highest availability they recorded in 2H 2024 was EE’s 66.8%, highlighting the progress made as 5G continues to expand.
However, the RootMetrics’ report only provides bits and pieces of selected information, while we would have preferred to see a bit more detail (e.g. upload performance and latency). As above, the data is also dominated by an urban focus, which gives little weighting for poorer performance in rural areas. But that is often the caveat with this type of scientific, albeit very manual, testing – there’s simply not enough data to give a complete picture of the UK.
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RootMetrics UK Mobile Performance Review H1 2025
https://www.ookla.com/../rootmetrics-uk-state-of-mobile-union-1h-2025
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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Wasn’t it VodaThree the other week? Or was that somebody ele?
That depends on the testing body, each one has their own metrics and ways of testing as noted in the article
VF3 tops any Ookla tests
Ookla happen to own Rootmetrics, I guess there is more to these ratings than topping speed tests.
It seems to be fairly well known that indoor reception is worse with EE than other networks with more lower frequency spectrum, I guess the other aspects of EE’s performance have been sufficient to overcome this (assuming RM actually include indoor measurements)
Regardless of Ookla s ownership, EE has topped root metrics charts for quite a while EE’s rollout of B28 has largely helped that, but using high band spectrum(for which they excel in data speeds) has it’s caveats B3 is used across the world so this isn’t isolated to EE
Can someone please do a survey to work out which definition of “best” actually means best.
This whole report reads like satire, I would much rather have a 10 Mbps connection that works everywhere than a 100 Mbps connection that only works when it feels like it. Especially if having that 110 Mbps connection means I can’t call 3 numbers in HD.
Regardless of Ookla s ownership, EE has topped root metrics charts for quite a while
EE’s rollout of B28 has largely helped that, but using high band spectrum(for which they excel in data speeds) has it’s caveats
B3 is used across the world so this isn’t isolated to EE
A network that can only provide an area with 10 Mbps wouldn’t be the “best” when all you need is 1 or 2 social media users to use most of that capacity.
Your idea might look good on paper, but in practice what you get is a network that would perform like O2 in their bad areas. That’s not what a good, let alone the best network would offer. A good network needs more capacity than that.
The best network would have to deliver on both speeds and coverage indoors and outdoors. Unfortunately in the UK we usually can only pick one or the other, and so the best network for a data heavy user might not the best for someone that is fine with very low speeds, but wants calls to work inside all buildings.
They oldbivous have not tested it in hereford or the surrounding aera cos ee is so appalling with very patchy at most supply
Vodafone – 85.8 (up from 85.3) – isn’t it down from?
NO!?
I’m no expert, but I think 85.8 is bigger than 85.3.
@E3VO you must be a top employee at virginmediao2 with that comment
As an EE customer I can’t even get a usable signal of any kind indoors at work even when EE say I have a great 4G & 5G signal.
I have to use an ID mobile sim in a WiFi hot spot to be able to use my phone.
It’s not my device as I’ve recently bought a new up to date phone.
I had been with EE for years until switching to 3 a couple of months ago because EE’s service levels kept declining while the price kept going up on my plan. 3 came in 50% cheaper and I never do not have signal whereas with EE I had no signal in many places I frequent such as at work (had to leave the building to get signal), at the supermarket, or at friends houses. EE had good signal in the city centre but with plenty of noticeable black spots. It never mattered that EE was faster because I don’t need the fastest speeds, just consistency so I can make a call when I want to.