UK mobile users enjoyed a strong year for mobile connectivity in 2025, with EE and Three emerging as joint leaders for overall mobile internet performance, .

Three was the clear 5G leader, achieving an average download speed of 234.28Mbps and the highest 5G nPerf score at 104,060 points. Vodafone ranked second for 5G performance, while EE and O2 followed behind. Three also led 5G upload speeds at nearly 30Mbps, strengthening its position for data-heavy and latency-sensitive services.

EE delivered the strongest web browsing and video streaming performance, with browsing success rates of 69.65 per cent and YouTube streaming scores of 76.51 per cent. Three followed closely on both measures, reinforcing the tight competition between the two operators for overall quality of experience.

The report is based on millions of real-world tests conducted throughout the year and measured steady improvements in download speeds, upload performance and latency.

EE topped the overall rankings with an nPerf score of 86,470 points, closely followed by Three on 84,993 points. Both operators recorded average download speeds above 110Mbps, well ahead of Vodafone on 74.56Mbps and O2 on 44.07Mbps. The UK market average nPerf score stood at 78,222 points, reflecting increasingly competitive performance at the top end of the market.

Latency and upload performance were key differentiators for mobile voice and real-time communications, Three had the lowest average latency iat 35.31ms, giving it an edge for VoIP calling, video conferencing and online gaming. EE followed with 36.43ms. Vodafone lagged behind on 43.72ms. O2 sat mid-table at 37.56ms.

Three led upload speeds at 16.50Mbps, ahead of EE on 15.77Mbps. Vodafone averaged 11.88Mbps, while O2 trailed at 8.22Mbps. nPerf noted that Three’s upload advantage translated into a more consistent experience for two-way services such as video calling and live streaming.

nPerf said 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 alike, the results point to increasingly reliable mobile voice quality, smoother video calls and faster mobile broadband particularly where 5G coverage is available.

The study analysed performance during both busy evening hours and quieter periods, ensuring results reflect real-world network congestion as well as peak capability. Only national operators with more than five per cent test share were included.

READ FULL REPORT HERE

The Lakesideopening follows 20 Experience store launches across the UK over the past 12 months as part of EE’s £3 million investment retail between May 2025 and March 2026.

EE claims 58 per cent of customers in the East of England are not confident using all the features of their smart devices and says Experience stores are positioned as a response to this, offering demos and personal guidance.

The Lakeside store will will be one of 11 EE locations across Essex offering “Stay Safe with AI” appointments, in partnership with Essex Police. The sessions raise awareness of artificial intelligence risks, including deepfakes.

EE stores will offer 30-minute online safety appointments managing children’s devices, setting up parental controls and supporting first-time smartphone users. The sessions are open to customers on any network.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-opens-first-experience-store-of-2026-at-lakeside/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-hooks-up-unconnected-welsh-village-to-4g/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-hooks-up-unconnected-welsh-village-to-4g/#respond Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:29:05 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179690 EE has installed a 4G mast in the Machno Valley and says it is now the first operator to deliver a reliable signal to the rural Welsh village of Penmachno.

The 600 residents were part of the estimated four per cent of the UK without dependable mobile coverage from any operator.

The Penmachno deployment is part of EE’s wider rural connectivity programme. The village is surrounded by farmland, forest and mountain bike trails. The lack of mobile coverage had been cited as a safety concern where there had previously been no way to contact emergency services.

EE says it has invested in more than 1,800 rural locations across the UK over the past five years. In Wales, EE said reliable mobile signal now covers more than 90 per cent of the country’s landmass.

The Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) is providing mobile coverage for the emergency services in some of the most rural and remote parts of Great Britain. ESN will enable fast, safe and secure voice, video and data across the 4G network, giving first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the frontline.

There will be a total of 20,840 new and upgraded sites to facilitate the coverage needed for ESN across Great Britain.

This will include the current EE network of 19,795 existing sites which have been updated, as well as the construction of 1,045 new 4G masts (figures correct as of January 2026).

Of the 1,045 new masts being built, 753 will be built by EE to support the existing network. The Home Office is also building 292 additional masts, known as the Extended Area Service (EAS). EAS is a critical part of ESN and will supplement EE’s ESN coverage, ensuring maximum emergency service coverage in hard-to-reach areas.

Speaking at Giacom’s Connect Live event in London today, Sam Johnson, Indirect Channel Partner Manager at BT EE, said the move reflects changing customer buying behaviour and a recognition that the indirect channel is now critical to future growth.

“For a long time, EE perhaps didn’t see this, and we weren’t present within the wholesale channel. We saw the best route to scale and to end customers as direct,” Johnson told delegates. “However, from today, all that changes.”

Johnson said business customers no longer want to buy connectivity “in isolation”, but instead in the context of their wider business needs, pain points and desired outcomes.

“They want it to be secure, fast and reliable and tailored to them – and that’s where you come in,” he said. “Partners like you are the closest to the customer. You understand all of their trials and tribulations better than the network can.”

He added that the channel should be seen as a “hidden superpower” and acknowledged that EE’s historic absence from wholesale had been “a bit of a glaring omission”.

The partnership with Giacom, is intended to give EE a route to scale rapidly through indirect sales.

“Once EE made the business decision to enter the wholesale channel market, the objective was growth and scale, and that’s where Giacom stands out,” Johnson said. “They’re the most established name in the business mobile channel space, with one of the largest UK bases around.”

Johnson said the agreement was “partner-led” from the outset and required “some difficult conversations internally” at BT EE about how the operator needed to change its approach to make the model work for resellers.

He credited both Giacom and the EE team for collaborating on a model designed to be easier for partners to sell at scale.

“In days gone by, when EE’s been in the marketplace, it’s been seen as quite clunky,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to address that and create something that is seamless, automated and can be sold at scale to partners alike.”

Automation, simplicity and scalability will sit at the heart of the new wholesale proposition, with EE aiming not just to match rival networks but to “go beyond” them.\

“We shouldn’t just be looking at how we can operate on a level playing field,” Johnson said. “We want to be a best-in-class solution and ultimately make up for lost time.”

He said Giacom had played a key role as a “trusted technology partner” in shaping the agreement and helping EE tackle the operational challenges involved in building a scalable wholesale platform.

Looking ahead, Johnson positioned the move as a way for EE to claw back market share from rival networks and grow its presence in the business mobile space.

“From EE’s perspective, we’ve probably got 60% of market share to go after with the other networks,” he said. “We’re here to bring the best network, best-in-class automation, with a best-in-class sales function in Giacom and really drive scale and volume with the EE network.”

He added: “If we don’t, those connections are going to continue to go to the other networks and they’re going to grow and we’re going to stay behind. That’s why this partnership was so important to drive forward.”

Students taking out a Flex Pay plan on a refurbished handset get a 40 per cent discount on their airtime saving up to £12 per month on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S24.

The refurbished range is priced from £31 per month on agreements of up to 36 months Each device is refurbished with manufacturer-approved parts and cme with an extended warranty that covers manufacturer faults for duration of the plan. Phones are supplied in recycled EE-branded packaging, with a genuine charging cable.

EE says this is part of a broader effot to “reduce climate impact” and give devices a longer life. EE research indicates 18–24 year olds see refurbished devices as a responsible choice rather than a compromise.

According to the study, 67 per cent of young adults seek ways to be thriftier when buying technology, Around 57 per cent like to buy refurbished tech for envorinmental consideration.s. Nearly two-thirds called it a positive lifestyle choice, and 55 per cent said they feel proud to reuse or buy pre-owned items. A similar proportion said they would rather spend less on a refurbished device,

Almost half surveyed said they feel a personal responsibility to reduce electronic waste, and 74 per cent expect brands to help them make sustainable choices without increasing costs.

Sharon Meadows, managing director of marketing and commercial at EE, said the new plans reflect a shift in consumer attitudes. “Flex Pay plans makes great technology accessible to more people, in a way that helps both budgets and the planet. Refurbished is now mainstream, with younger customers leading the way.”

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-launches-refurbished-smartphone-plans-with-40-per-cent-student-discount/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/bt-and-ee-to-deliver-23000-esim-connections-to-easyjet-european-operations/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/bt-and-ee-to-deliver-23000-esim-connections-to-easyjet-european-operations/#respond Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:01:33 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179600 BT has ‘landed’ a mobile connectivity deal with easyJet to provide more than 23,000 connections to the airline’s crew, aircraft and airport operations across Europe.

The agreement (pilot scheme?) will see BT deliver around 23,000 mobile connections over EE’s network, covering easyJet’s operations in 35 countries and more than 150 airports.easyJet operates scheduled services on about 927 routes across more than 34 countries

The rollout will connect devices used across easyJet’s business. The benefit is to enable pilots and cabin crew to access flight information, operational updates and training materials while on the move. BT said the connectivity will play a key role in supporting real-time communications across easyJet’s network of crew, aircraft and ground teams.

 BT will support easyJet with:

• Smart messaging services to keep passengers updated on flight status

• Mobile connectivity for iPads used by pilots and cabin crew for real-time flight information

• Smartphones and aircraft phones to enable seamless communication between colleagues

• Laptops and other connected hardware used by easyJet staff

All devices will be equipped with eSIM technology. This will enable easyJet to manage connectivity remotely, simplify logistics and reduce reliance on physical SIM cards. BT said eSIMs will also enhance security, lower operational costs and support easyJet’s international operations more efficiently, while reducing waste.

Chris Sims (great name … Editor) , Chief Commercial Officer at BT Business, said the partnership reflects the growing importance of resilient and scalable connectivity in aviation.

“This partnership with easyJet is about delivering the smart, seamless connectivity which is crucial when operating at scale. By equipping thousands of devices with eSIMs on EE’s network, we’re enabling easyJet to manage connections remotely, switch networks across borders, and reduce the complexity of traditional SIMs.

BT said the deal underlines its ambition to position EE as the mobile network of choice for international-operating organisations that rely on always-on connectivity to keep complex operations running.

The new range of full fibre home broadband plans all ship with Wi-Fi 7 hardware as standard, and include intelligent network management and security services. EE says the launch establishes a new best-in-class benchmark for in-home connectivity, built on what it describes as the UK’s best broadband technology.

Latency

While headline broadband speeds have soared faster fibre connections have exposed the limitations of older Wi-Fi standards in households juggling multiple devices, video calls, gaming, streaming and smart home applications simultaneously.

Wi-Fi 7 is designed to tackle those bottlenecks with higher throughput, lower latency and improved performance in busy environments, It does this by using wider channels, smarter spectrum use and more efficient handling of multiple connected devices. This tramslates to fewer dropouts, faster response times and more consistent speeds across every room, not just those next to the router.

EE research shows that reliability has overtaken speed and price as the top consideration for UK consumers choosing home broadband. Nearly half of respondents said strong Wi-Fi coverage in every room mattered more than headline speeds or low monthly costs. One in three households still report at least one Wi-Fi “dead zone” at home.

Wi-Fi 7 hardware 

EE has introduced a new range of Wi-Fi 7 equipment, including the Smart Hub 7 Plus and Wi-Fi Extender 7 Plus,.

Hardware is matched to the chosen broadband speed tier. Customers on plans up to 1Gbps get the dual-band Smart Hub 7 Plus, capable of delivering up to 30 per ent faster Wi-Fi throughput than the previous Smart Hub 6 Plus, alongside an optional Wi-Fi Extender 7 Plus. The setup is designed to support more connected devices while reducing latency for streaming and gaming.

Customers taking EE’s 1.6Gbps plans get the higher-spec Smart Hub 7 Pro, which uses tri-band technology to deliver consistent multi-gigabit performance throughout the home, paired with the Wi-Fi Extender 7 Pro.

Smart connectivity

EE is emphasising software-driven optimisation and automated network management.All plans get EE’s Wi-Fi Intelligence platform, which uses real-time network performance data to keep customers on the best possible connection. The system automatically optimises channel selection and frequency use across hubs and extenders, working in the background to improve coverage and stability.

Ssecurity

EE’s Keep Connected Promise, included on selected plans, provides a 4G Mini Hub that reconnects if the main lline goes down. EE’s mobile network. An optional Connectivity Back-up add-on automatically switches to mobile connectivity if a fault is detected.

More than 15 per cent of EE’s pay-monthly customers now use 5G+ which is is claimed to offer more reliable performance in busy areas, faster download and upload speeds, and improved capacity video calling, livestreaming and social media. EE aims to reach 99 per cent population coverage by spring 2030.

Customers on eligible pay-monthly handset and SIM-only plans with compatible devices have now been given access to 5G+.

EE has also activated 5G+ in 20 new towns and cities, taking total population coverage to more than 44 million people. This is around 66 per cent of the UK.

The network says ths is five months ahead of its target. The tech now live in major urban centres including Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and London, as well as at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, which attracts around three million visitors each year.

Newly activated locations include Ballymena, Chelmsford, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Hereford, Oldham, Rochdale, Solihull, Stafford, Stevenage, Tamworth and Warwick.

EE is testingnetwork slicing capabilities on its 5G+ infrastructure, with recent trials at events including the Belfast Christmas Market, SailGP in Portsmouth and major football matches at Wembley Stadium.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-extends-5g-coverage-to-16-million-more-customers/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/competition-appeal-tribunal-rules-class-action-over-handset-airtime-costs-can-proceed/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/competition-appeal-tribunal-rules-class-action-over-handset-airtime-costs-can-proceed/#respond Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:09:28 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179288 The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) says proceedings can go ahead against Vodafone, EE/BT, Three and O2 over alleged overcharging to mobile customers on combined handset-and-airtime contracts.

The case now moves toward trial. Combined claims could ultimately involve tens of millions of UK mobile customers and run into billions in alleged damages.

The ruling is a mixed outcome for the operators. All pre-2015 claims have been struck out, but the core case covering post-2015 conduct will proceed to a full trial. But it ruled that all pre-2015 claims have lapsed.

The applications, brought by proposed class representative Justin Gutmann, allege that the networks abused dominant positions in their respective retail mobile markets.

The claims focus on customers on combined handset and airtime (CHA) contracts who continued paying the same bundled monthly charge after their minimum term expired, despite having repaid the cost of the device.

Gutmann argues that this continued charging, above the equivalent SIM-only price, amounts to an unlawful “loyalty penalty”.

ispute

The case stems from longstanding concerns raised by consumer groups and Ofcom over bundled mobile contracts. Ofcom has repeatedly criticised operators for failing to reduce prices for out-of-contract customers and has introduced rules requiring providers to notify customers at contract expiry and offer SIM-only alternatives.

Gutmann’s case argues that millions of customers overpaid for years and that operators should have automatically switched them to SIM-only pricing once handsets were fully paid off. The four collective claims were filed two years ago under the Competition Act’s post-2015 class actions regime.

Claims before 1 October 2015 struck out

All four operators jointly applied to strike out claims relating to losses before 1 October 2015. They argued that such claims were time-barred under the Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules 2003, which imposed a two-year limitation period for claims arising before that date but filed later.

Gutmann countered that the 2003 Rules applied only to follow-on cases and that ordinary domestic limitation rules should govern standalone claims.

The Tribunal rejected this argument. It held that the transitional provisions in the 2015 Rules explicitly preserved the effect of rule 31 of the 2003 Rules. As a result, any standalone claims for losses occurring before 1 October 2015 were already out of time when proceedings were issued in November 2023. The Tribunal therefore struck out all pre-2015 claims.

Operators fail to strike out 2015 to 2017 claims

A second strike-out application, brought by Vodafone, EE/BT and Three, targeted losses said to have occurred between 1 October 2015 and 8 March 2017. The operators argued that customers could reasonably have discovered any alleged overcharging before November 2017, meaning the six-year limitation period had expired.

The Tribunal refused this Second Period Application. It found that the operators had filed the application without disclosing actual contract terms or customer communications. Without that evidence, the Tribunal could not conclude that customers were sufficiently on notice of a potential competition claim at an earlier date. The issue will therefore need to be tested at trial.

Fnding arrangements

The Tribunal also approved Gutmann’s Collective Proceedings Orders (CPOs), finding that the proposed class definition, which covers customers who continued paying more than the applicable SIM-only price after minimum-term expiry, was sufficiently clear.

Operators challenged Gutmann’s litigation funding arrangements, questioning whether the funder could support the case. The Tribunal dismissed the challenge, finding no evidence that the funder would be unable to meet its obligations and rejecting additional concerns raised after publication of the funder’s financial statements.

The four actions will now move into detailed case management and disclosure.

Transcript of full ruling HERE

EE, O2, and Vodafone submitted bids for available lots to determine their share of the spectrum. Each operator secured 800 MHz in the 26 GHz band and 1 GHz in the 40 GHz band, paying £13 million each, bringing the total revenue raised to £39 million.

A total of 5.4 GHz of spectrum was made available to enable faster, more reliable mobile services in high-demand locations such as football stadiums, major concert venues, and transport hubs, and can be deployed in 68 towns and cities.

The process will now move to the Assignment Stage, where operators will bid for their preferred frequency positions within the bands they have won. Ofcom will publish the final results, including specific frequency allocations and total payments, once all stages are complete.

David Willis, Ofcom’s Group Director for Spectrum, said: “Today’s results are an important milestone on the path to better, faster 5G. The large amount of spectrum we’ve released will help support innovation, open doors to new applications and growth, and can bring noticeable improvements to mobile services in busier places up and down the UK.”

“The release of this spectrum marks a significant step in expanding 5G infrastructure and capacity, helping operators meet growing data demand and enabling new use cases such as immersive experiences, connected transport, and next-generation industrial applications.”