The latest tests from Ookla have revealed that Three Mobile has emerged as the top performer among the major mobile providers in the UK when it comes to offering fast download speeds for on-the-go streaming. Three Mobile secured the leading position by showcasing strong overall speeds, with an average download speed of 214Mbps, surpassing its closest competitor by over 80Mbps. This speed is twice as fast as the UK’s average fixed-line broadband speed, making it a remarkable achievement. Vodafone claimed the second spot, followed by EE in third place, while O2 lagged behind with the slowest speeds across all categories.
According to Ookla, Three has been recognized as the Fastest 5G Network in the United Kingdom for Q3–Q4 2025. The Speedtest Award for Fastest Network is determined based on Speed Score, which evaluates a network’s throughput and responsiveness by considering download and upload speeds along with latency metrics.
Here is a summary of the Ookla results:
– Overall Speed Score:
– Three: 53.46
– Vodafone: 43.05
– EE: 36.73
– O2: 30.70
– Median download speeds:
– Three: 214Mbps
– Vodafone: 129.78Mbps
– EE: 97Mbps
– O2: 78.92Mbps
– Median upload speeds:
– Three: 13.8Mbps
– Vodafone: 10.78Mbps
– EE: 10.96Mbps
– O2: 8.28Mbps
Despite the difficulty in accurately testing mobile networks due to users’ constant movement between indoor and outdoor locations and changing network conditions throughout the day, the results position Three as the top performer. With the recent merger with Vodafone, the newly formed VodafoneThree aims to enhance its mobile network by investing £11 billion to provide improved performance and wider coverage nationwide.
Following the merger in May, VodafoneThree has begun utilizing “Multi-Operator Core Network” technology to integrate the two networks. This integration allows customers of both Vodafone and Three to seamlessly connect to each other’s networks without any additional charges, potentially enhancing coverage and performance across the country.