The recent performance tests conducted by Ookla have revealed that Three Mobile has emerged as the leading mobile provider in the UK for those seeking high-speed download capabilities while on the move. Three Mobile surpassed its major competitors in delivering impressive speeds, with an average download speed of 214Mbps, outstripping its closest rival by over 80Mbps. This speed is twice as fast as the average fixed-line broadband speed in the UK, making it a significant achievement for Three Mobile.
In the Ookla rankings, Three Mobile secured the top position for its users’ overall speed performance, followed by Vodafone in second place and EE in third. On the other end of the spectrum, O2 lagged behind, offering the slowest speeds across various metrics.
Ookla, confirming the results, declared Three as the Fastest 5G Network in the United Kingdom for the third and fourth quarters of 2025. The Speedtest Award for Fastest Network is based on Speed Score, evaluating a network’s throughput and responsiveness through a combination of download and upload speeds along with latency metrics.
Key Ookla results include:
– 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)
However, it is important to note that mobile network testing can be challenging due to users’ constant movement between different locations and changing network conditions, which may affect speed measurements. Despite these challenges, Three’s performance stood out in the tests, with potential for further enhancement following its merger with Vodafone to form VodafoneThree. The newly merged entity aims to revolutionize the UK’s mobile network with an £11 billion investment.
Since the merger, VodafoneThree has initiated the integration of their networks using “Multi-Operator Core Network” technology. This integration allows customers of both Vodafone and Three to seamlessly connect to each other’s networks without additional charges, potentially enhancing coverage and performance nationwide.