Three UK consumer losses also continued, although churn improved by 1.7 percentage points year-on-year, supported by what Vodafone described as a “best-in-class customer experience.”

The newly combined VodafoneThree business now serves more than 28 million customers, making it the biggest mobile network operator in the UK. Vodafone said integration has progressed quickly, with spectrum and network sharing already activated for 28.6 million customers who can now seamlessly use both networks.

Vodafone said its UK mobile performance remained commercially resilient in the third quarter of FY26, even as underlying service revenue declined slightly due to tough prior-year comparisons and the after-effects of major business contracts.

The operator reported a 42.8 per cent increase in mobile service revenue in the UK, driven primarily by the consolidation of Three UK following the completion of the merger on 31 May 2025. Oorganic mobile service revenue fell 1.8 per cent, reflecting strong comparative performance in both Business and Wholesale segments during the prior year.

Overall UK service revenue rose 31.1 per cent to £1.72 billion, while total revenue climbed 30.9 per cent to £2.12 billion. The company reiterated that the organic decline of 0.5 per cent had been expected.

Sub-brands VOXI and SMARTY added 38,000 customers in Q3, signalling continued momentum in value-focused propositions.

Upgrades

The company has modernised over 8,000 radio sites and eliminated 16,500 km² of partial coverage areas, while seven million Three and SMARTY users have seen 4G speeds improve by up to 40 per cent through combined spectrum.

Mmulti-brand 

Vodafone is pursuing a multi-brand consumer strategy spanning Vodafone, Three, VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile. In November 2025, it launched the “Vodafone Together Family” proposition, allowing households to bundle mobile and broadband services alongside security features via Vodafone Secure Net.

While the quarter showed pressure in enterprise revenue — Vodafone Business service revenue fell 4.3 per cent, or 5.4 per cent organically — the drop was attributed mainly to a previously flagged one-off project booked in the prior year.

Convergence

Although the focus remains on mobile, Vodafone pointed to strong broadband momentum as part of its convergence strategy. The operator added 64,000 broadband customers in the quarter and now has the capability to serve 22 million households with gigabit speeds. It also added 11,000 fixed wireless access customers, reported within the mobile segment.

Integration

At group level, Vodafone said the UK integration is “progressing well and firmly on track,” reinforcing expectations that the business will help support delivery at the upper end of FY26 guidance.

The UK now accounts for 23 per cent of group service revenue, underlining its strategic importance as Vodafone seeks to extract synergies from the merger while stabilising underlying growth.

Despite the short-term organic softness, the scale benefits of the Three combination alongside network improvements and brand-led customer strategies position Vodafone to compete more aggressively in an increasingly converged UK telecoms market.

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 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.

The research, based on a survey of 1,000 senior leaders, found that over 10 per tnrt admitted their organisations would be unlikely to recover from a major attac. Nearly two-thirds said their exposure to cyber risk has increased over the past year.

The survey found basic cyber hygiene remains weak. Password reuse is rife, with leaders estimating employees use their work password for up to 11 other personal accounts, including social media and dating sites – a gift to cybercriminals.

Nearly three-quarters of leaders surveyed believe at least one employee would fall for a convincing phishing email due to poor awareness, lack of training, staff being “too busy”, and no clear protocols for spotting and reporting suspicious messages.

“Some of these findings are truly alarming,” said Nick Gliddon, Business Director at VodafoneThree. “One in ten leaders believe their company would not survive a cyber-attack. That highlights the scale of vulnerability facing UK firms today.”

While 89 per cent of bosses say last year’s high-profile cyber-attacks made them more alert to online threats, fewer than hal have given staff cyber awareness training.

Artificial intelligence is making scams harder to spot. Deepfake videos have made people more wary of video calls claiming to be from senior colleagues to trick employees into transferring money, handing over data or granting system access. As deepfake tools improve, social engineering is becoming more dangerous – and more convincing.

The findings come as the UK Government prepares to launch a second Telecommunications Fraud Charter later this year to strengthen defences against cyber-enabled crime. The charter aims to tighten standards for prevention, detection and response, and bring industry and government closer together.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/one-in-ten-uk-businesses-would-not-survive-a-major-cyber-attack-warns-vodafone-business/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ofcom-hails-early-gains-and-11bn-investment-pledge-from-vodafone-three-merger/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ofcom-hails-early-gains-and-11bn-investment-pledge-from-vodafone-three-merger/#respond Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:34:46 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179667 Ofcom has told Keir Starmer and Rache Reeves it is pleased with the results of the VodafoneThree merger.

In an open letter to Starmer and Reeves, chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes hailed early consumer benefits and the investment resulting Three merger.

She said the £11bn combined network investment over eight years will “significantly improve the performance and capacity” of the combined network, underlining the importance of scale and sustained capital investment in upgrading the UK’s mobile infrastructure”.

Dawes said consumers are already seeing benefits. Network integration has delivered faster 4G speeds for around seven million people across the UK, even at this early stage.

Coverage has also improved sharply. Dawes said the merger has removed 16,500 square kilometres of mobile “not-spots”, boosting connectivity in areas that previously suffered from weak or non-existent signal.

Ofcom framed the early results as proof that consolidation, can deliver tangible improvements in network performance and coverage.when tied to firm investment commitments and regulatory oversight,

The Dawes’ letter covered all policy areas, from broadband to spectrum and online safet. Her he comments on Vodafone and Three stood out as a clear endorsement of the merger’s early impact and long-term potential.

Ofcom said it will continue working with government, industry and other regulators to push further improvements in mobile connectivity, with investment, network performance and coverage remaining top priorities.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ofcom-hails-early-gains-and-11bn-investment-pledge-from-vodafone-three-merger/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-enters-wholesale-channel-with-giacom-in-distribution-partnership/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/ee-enters-wholesale-channel-with-giacom-in-distribution-partnership/#respond Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:48:14 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179661  EE has signed its first distribution agreement with Giacom marking a strategic shift in how the operator plans to reach more business customers.

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/churn-expected-to-rise-as-consumers-rebel-against-april-price-rises/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/churn-expected-to-rise-as-consumers-rebel-against-april-price-rises/#respond Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:26:39 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179616 Telecoms price rises scheduled for April are up to four times the rate of inflation, according to analysis from Uswitch. 

The comparison site says consumers would only tolerate a £2.70 increase before considering switching, suggesting many providers could face higher churn as customers come out of contract this spring.

 BT, EE, Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone are standardising increases that can add up to £48 a year for broadband and £30 a year for mobile, However some providers are positioning themselves as a rise-free alternative.

One in five mobile users surveyed say they would struggle with a £2.50 rise, while 17 per cent say they would not accept any increase at all.

Zen Internet’s CEO, Richard Tang, has called out mid-contract price rises as unethical: “Is it right to create pricing terms that result in customers paying more than they expect?  Is it ethical?  No! And yet, our industry has engaged in this practice for many years and continues to do so”.

I agree with Liz Kendall MP and Lord Sikka that these practices should be banned by Ofcom. At Zen, we have operated a growing, profitable, and sustainable business for over 30 years, whilst making substantial investments in our network infrastructure. This proves that companies don’t need to trick customers to be financially successful and refutes the claims by other industry players that these pricing practices are necessary to fund network investment.”

Players such as YouFibre in broadband and Lebara in mobile are continuing to offer contracts with no in-contract price rises, betting that price certainty will become a key battleground as April approaches.

While inflation is currently running at 3.2 per cent, some mobile and broadband customers could see increases of as much as 13.4 per cent, driven by the fixed annual price rises now written into newer contracts, Uswitch reports.

January 17 marked the first anniversary of a major shift in how networks are allowed to raise prices. Under the old system, annual increases were linked to inflation, which could not be known at the point of sale, plus an additional percentage. Providers must now state the exact cash increase a customer will face each year before they sign.

“While the change has improved transparency, it has also locked in steep rises in advance,” Uswitch said.

The sharpest proportional increases on the mobile side are now appearing on lower-value tariffs, where the average mobile bill is £18.60 a month. From April, customers on these plans will face fixed increases of £2.50 a month. This is equivalent to a 13.4 per cent rise.

EE is applying a £2.50 monthly rise on many SIM-only and handset contracts signed since early 2024. Vodafone has set a £2.29 to £2.50 monthly increase across new contracts. Three UK is imposing a flat £2.00 to £2.50 rise, depending on tariff level.

Uswitch says O2 has implemented increases above the levels originally outlined in some customer contracts.

Broadband customers face a similar squeeze. Many of the UK’s largest providers are now applying a £4-a-month increase for new customers.

That represents an 11.1 per cent rise for someone on the current average broadband bill of £35.90 which is more than three times the current inflation rate.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/churn-expected-to-rise-as-consumers-rebel-against-april-price-rises/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/virgin-media-o2-says-ai-saved-customers-a-collective-total-of-46-years-on-the-phone-last-year/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/virgin-media-o2-says-ai-saved-customers-a-collective-total-of-46-years-on-the-phone-last-year/#respond Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:43:06 +0000 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/?p=179612 Virgin Media O2 says it saved customers the collecctive equivalent of 46 years hanging on the phone, last year.

This follows the rollout of AI tools and changes to its customer contact operation.The operator claims it cut 1.45 billion seconds from call handling times in 2025 after reducing call transfers by 1.3 million year on year,

Customer service has been a weak spot for the combined business since the Virgin Media–O2 merger pushing ithigh in Ofcom’s league tables, particularly for mobile and pay-TV issues. In 2024, O2 generated 23 complaints per 100,000 mobile customers, the highest among major networks.

Historically, callers were forced into a maze of rigid keypad menus before being routed to a department, often to be transferred again if their query did not fit neatly into a single category.

Virgin Media O2 says that experience is now changing. Most customers are asked to explain the reason for their call at the outset, with AI-driven Natural Language Understanding technology assessing intent and routing the call to the appropriate agent first time. The system is already live across large parts of the business, with a full rollout planned.

The company has also reviewed where call transfers were most common and simplified team structures. Around 5,000 customer service agents have been cross-trained to deal with a wider range of issues without transferring calls.

Alan Stott, Alan Stott, Director of Customer Contact at Virgin Media O2, said the focus has been on reducing unnecessary friction.

“Nobody enjoys spending their time on the phone, particularly when they’re being transferred between teams,” he said. “Where customers do need to contact us, our priority is to make that experience as simple and efficient as possible.”

The customer service improvements form part of a broader turnaround strategy outlined last year by chief executive Lutz Schüler.

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.