Streetwave Tests UK Mobile Operator Performance on District Line Trains

Network analyst firm Streetwave has published the partial results from a new study that compared the real-world mobile network (4G, 5G) and mobile broadband performance from EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK across the District Line, which runs from Whitechapel to Wimbledon.

The tube journey involved in this study typically connects Whitechapel to Wimbledon – lasting over 50 minutes – and goes through zones 1-3. Streetwave is understood to have taken their portable data collection equipment onboard for one of these trips, thus the results below should be considered fairly anecdotal, albeit still interesting.

The test itself was conducted on 28th April 2026 and started at 4:58pm from Whitechapel, with the train being full during the rush hour journey. Streetwave then recorded the Basic Coverage scores for each operator, which reflects locations where mobile users can access data speeds of above 1Mbps download, 0.5Mbps upload, and below 100ms (milliseconds) of latency (i.e. supporting only the most basic of use cases or needs).

Basic Coverage Scores on District Line to Wimbledon

1. EE – 55%
2. Vodafone – 44%
3. O2 – 36%
4. Three – 34%

Put another way, the company’s simulated passenger on each mobile network spent the following amount of time WITHOUT a dependable internet connection on the journey: Three UK – 34 minutes, O2 – 33 minutes, Vodafone – 29 minutes and EE – 23 minutes. In addition, Streetwave also provided ISPreview with the mobile broadband speeds for each operator on the same trip.