In Q1 2023, Three UK became the fastest 5G operator in the UK. A report from Ookla, the company behind Speedtest.net, showed Three UK’s average speed was 275.85Mbps. This was much faster than competitors Vodafone UK at 138.90Mbps, EE at 111.14Mbps, and O2 at 70.63Mbps. The report did not include other details like upload speeds and lag.
EE, the largest mobile operator of 4G and 5G in the UK, and Three UK have similar coverage. Both now has a coverage of 60% of the UK’s population. Three’s 5G network is now available in over 4,200 places in the UK. It is reported that Three UK’s mobile customers use about 25.1 gigabytes of data each month.
It should be noted that Three was a big buyer of 5G spectrum, getting 3.4-4GHz, 700MHz, and 100MHz+ in auctions and its coverage grew to 26.4% in Q1 2023.
The UK regulator Ofcom will soon auction more 5G spectrum in the 26GHz and 40GHz bands. According to ispreview, the auction results may indicate how UK mobile operators might perform in the future. The speed of each provider’s upgrade to standalone 5G (SA) will also shape future trends in the 5G industry.