EE and Three have emerged as the joint leaders for overall mobile internet performance in the United Kingdom during 2025, according to the latest industry data. The findings, published in nPerf’s annual “Barometer of Mobile Internet Connections,” reveal that average download speeds for the top operators exceeded 110 Mbps, highlighting a year of significant advancement in mobile connectivity for UK users.
The report is based on millions of real-world tests conducted throughout the year. It measured steady improvements across key metrics including download and upload speeds, as well as network latency. EE secured the top position in the overall rankings with an nPerf score of 86,470 points, closely followed by Three with 84,993 points.
Performance Across Key Metrics
In the overall assessment, both EE and Three recorded average download speeds above 110 Mbps. This placed them well ahead of competitors Vodafone, which averaged 74.56 Mbps, and O2, with an average of 44.07 Mbps. The UK market’s average nPerf score was reported at 78,222 points.
Three established a clear lead in 5G-specific performance. The operator achieved an average 5G download speed of 234.28 Mbps and secured the highest 5G nPerf score at 104,060 points. Vodafone ranked second for 5G performance, with EE and O2 following behind. Three also led in 5G upload speeds at nearly 30 Mbps.
Quality of Experience and Latency
EE delivered the strongest performance for web browsing and video streaming. The operator achieved browsing success rates of 69.65 percent and YouTube streaming scores of 76.51 percent. Three followed closely on both measures, indicating intense competition between the two networks on user experience quality.
Latency, which is critical for real-time communications, served as a key differentiator. Three recorded the lowest average latency at 35.31 milliseconds (ms), providing an advantage for services like VoIP calling and online gaming. EE followed with 36.43 ms, while Vodafone lagged at 43.72 ms. O2 recorded a latency of 37.56 ms.
Upload Speeds and Network Consistency
Three led the market for overall upload speeds at 16.50 Mbps, slightly ahead of EE’s 15.77 Mbps. Vodafone averaged 11.88 Mbps, and O2 trailed at 8.22 Mbps. Analysts noted that Three’s upload advantage contributes to a more consistent experience for two-way services such as video calling and live streaming.
The study analyzed performance during both busy evening hours and quieter periods to ensure results reflected real-world network conditions, including congestion. Only national operators with more than a five percent share of the tests conducted were included in the rankings.
Market Implications and Future Outlook
nPerf stated the findings reflect intense competition among the UK’s leading mobile networks, with EE and Three offering complementary strengths across speed, latency, and quality-of-experience indicators. For consumers and business users, the results point toward increasingly reliable mobile voice quality, smoother video calls, and faster mobile broadband, particularly in areas with 5G coverage.
Industry observers expect the competitive pressure between EE and Three to continue driving network investments and technological upgrades across the market. The focus is likely to remain on expanding 5G coverage, improving upload capabilities for content creation, and further reducing latency to support next-generation applications. Official reports and consumer guides for the 2026 performance period are anticipated to be released in the first quarter of 2027.
Source: nPerf
