EE Extends Its Record as the UK’s Best Network Following Comprehensive Nationwide Testing Across Cities, Roads, and Rail Routes

EE Extends Its Record as the UK’s Best Network Following Comprehensive Nationwide Testing Across Cities, Roads, and Rail Routes

(IN BRIEF) Two major independent studies by RootMetrics® and Umlaut Connect, based on more than 5.7 billion data samples collected across UK cities, towns, roads, and rail routes, have confirmed EE as the country’s best performing mobile network for speed, reliability, 5G performance, video streaming, and mobile gaming. RootMetrics named EE the UK’s best network for a record 25th consecutive time, highlighting its strongest coverage in major cities, highest average 5G speeds, and superior gaming experience, while Umlaut Connect ranked EE as the top operator for the 11th year in a row with a record-breaking score of 920 out of 1,000. The results follow significant network investments including nationwide 5G expansion, the rollout of 5G+, more than 1,500 new small cells in urban areas, enhanced connectivity at major venues, and the launch of Safer SIMs for under-18s, alongside growing adoption of EE’s services by major business customers.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 4-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Two comprehensive, independent studies into mobile network performance across the United Kingdom have confirmed that EE delivers the highest quality, most reliable connectivity nationwide, based on billions of real-world data samples collected across urban, suburban, rural, road, and rail environments.

The parallel assessments, conducted separately by RootMetrics® and Umlaut Connect, analysed more than 5.7 billion individual data points gathered through a combination of drive testing, walk testing, and crowdsourced measurements. The evaluations covered more than 40 major towns and cities – including 16 of the UK’s largest metropolitan areas – as well as smaller communities and extensive transport corridors, providing a broad and representative picture of network performance across all four nations. The operators assessed included EE, VodafoneThree, and Virgin Media O2.

Claire Gillies, CEO of BT Group’s Consumer Division, welcomed the findings, stating that the results provide clear, independent validation of EE’s continued leadership in mobile connectivity. She emphasised that as digital reliance grows across both consumer and business environments, the importance of fast, secure, and dependable mobile networks has never been greater, and that EE’s sustained investment continues to deliver tangible benefits to millions of users nationwide.

The RootMetrics® study, one of the most established network performance assessments in the UK, spanned six months and involved more than 600,000 tests conducted in real-world conditions by independent analysts. Testing covered the 16 largest UK cities, rural areas across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as 22,880 miles of road and nearly 800 indoor locations. The results concluded that EE provides the most reliable mobile connectivity in more locations than any other operator, securing its position as the UK’s best network for a record 25th consecutive time.

EE was also found to deliver the strongest network performance in major cities including Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, London, and Sheffield. In 5G performance, EE achieved the highest average download speeds at 236.7 Mbps, outperforming Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Media O2 by a significant margin. The study further highlighted EE’s superior video streaming quality, with notable improvements in cities such as Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, and Southampton, as well as the best overall mobile gaming experience due to lower jitter and higher throughput.

A separate analysis by Umlaut Connect reinforced these findings, drawing on its own extensive field testing across 40 towns and cities alongside more than 5.7 billion crowdsourced data samples. The results ranked EE as the UK’s best performing mobile network for the 11th consecutive year, awarding it an unprecedented score of 920 out of 1,000 – the highest ever achieved by a UK operator and significantly ahead of its competitors.

Beyond the overall ranking, Umlaut Connect identified EE as providing the most reliable voice and mobile data services across the country, the highest-quality mobile data in major cities such as Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester, and leading performance in smaller towns including Durham, Merthyr Tydfil, Newbury, and Winchester. EE also achieved top scores across all categories in London and delivered the strongest performance on UK road and rail routes, alongside the highest average 5G speeds across tested cities and transport corridors.

These findings follow a year of substantial network expansion for EE. According to Ofcom, EE now operates the UK’s largest 5G network, covering more than 90% of the population and over half of the country’s landmass. Its advanced 5G+ network is already available to more than 47 million people, with plans to extend coverage to 99% of the population by Spring 2030.

Throughout 2025, EE also accelerated its deployment of outdoor small cells, surpassing 1,500 installations in high-density urban locations such as airports, train stations, and shopping centres to boost capacity and reliability during peak demand. The operator further strengthened connectivity at major venues, becoming the first to launch 5G+ at Wembley Stadium and delivering permanent network upgrades at Silverstone and Cheltenham Racecourse.

In addition to infrastructure investments, EE introduced industry-first Safer SIMs for under-18s, incorporating network-level safeguards such as content controls, scam call blocking, spending limits, and Stay Connected Data to support safer digital use among younger customers. Meanwhile, enterprise clients including DEFRA and easyJet are leveraging EE’s reliable connectivity and eSIM capabilities to enhance operational efficiency and digital transformation initiatives.

EE Press Office
newsroom@ee.co.uk

SOURCE: EE LIMITED