Mobile internet coverage in the United Kingdom is worse than in any of the 27 European Union member states and every other G7 country, according to a new analysis by the consumer group Which? using data from Opensignal. The UK ranks 57th globally for network performance, 70th for download speeds, and 55th for consistent quality needed for activities like video calls, streaming, and gaming.
UK Lags Behind Peers on Mobile Infrastructure
While the UK offers some of the cheapest mobile internet costs among peer countries—with three main networks after the Vodafone and Three merger plus numerous virtual operators—it has fallen behind on coverage and speed metrics. More than a third of customers reported at least one problem with their mobile service in the past 12 months, including connection drop-outs and slow speeds, according to Which? polling.
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, reports that 4G coverage across all operators rose by three percentage points in the year to May, reaching 84%. However, 5G coverage from all operators stood at only 64%, leaving large parts of the country—particularly rural areas—without faster mobile internet speeds.
Which? Calls for Improved Investment and Regulation
Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said: “Getting a good-value mobile deal counts for very little if you’re constantly battling poor signal, slow data speeds or dropped connections. Customers deserve a service that delivers reliable performance as well as value for money.” She added: “Our investigation shows the UK’s mobile infrastructure is no longer keeping pace with people’s needs. The government, Ofcom and industry must work together to improve investment, ensure coverage targets reflect real-world performance and remove barriers that are holding back network upgrades.”
Barriers to investment include inflexible planning rules and disputes between landowners and operators over the value of land used for mobile towers.
Railway Coverage Particularly Poor
Which? also highlighted poor mobile signal coverage on Britain’s railways, affecting both mobile phones and onboard wifi connections. The consumer group noted that the UK’s railway coverage compares poorly with Germany, which has introduced minimum download speeds of 100Mbps along main railway lines and 50Mbps on other railway routes.
The G7 members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States.
