Ofcom’s new Mobile Matters research report, published today, puts people’s experiences of using mobile networks across the UK under the microscope, based on crowdsourced data collected between October 2024 and March 2025 by Opensignal.

The regulator’s analysis showed that 71% (a year-on-year decrease of 7%) of cellular network connections were on 4G, 28% on 5G (a year-on-year increase of 9%), 0.7% on 3G and just 0.2% on 2G.  In urban areas of the UK, 29% of network connections were on 5G compared to 19% in rural areas.

On average, 5G connections were consistently faster for file downloads. For example, downloading a 2MB file – such as a photo or short low-resolution video – takes 0.3 seconds on 5G, compared to 0.7 seconds on 4G and 4.9 seconds on 3G.

5G developing at pace

One of the recent developments in mobile networks is the launch of 5G standalone (5G SA) services – a 5G network where the core network infrastructure is built specifically for 5G, rather than relying on an existing 4G network. Overall, 2% of network connections were over 5G SA.

In the last year, 5G SA roll-out has gained momentum. Following Vodafone’s launch in 2023, O2 and EE have followed suit and began rolling out their 5G SA networks in 2024. Three is yet to launch.

Analysis showed that 5G SA provided significantly higher download speeds than non-standalone 5G, with file download times about 45% faster on average. Standalone 5G also has lower latency.

However, Ofcom’s analysis also indicated that 5G SA had a lower average connection success rate (96%) than non-standalone 5G connections (98%).

Comparing the Mobile Network Operators

EE had the highest proportion of network connections on 5G (32%). Vodafone had the lowest for 5G (24%), but the highest share on 4G (76%). O2 had the lowest share of 4G connections (68%) and the highest proportion on 3G (3%).

Three had the shortest download times for files over 5G, followed by Vodafone. While EE was fastest over 4G. O2 had the lowest proportion of connections with a 100 Mbit/s or higher download speed over both 5G (33%) and 4G (4%).

Recommended reading

• New Builds in Scotland Could Come with Gigabit-capable Broadband
• UK Altnets Broadband Overbuild Leaves Rural Areas in Jeopardy
• Digital Exclusion Growing in Scotland

Three had the lowest (best) latency level over 5G, while EE’s was the lowest over 4G. O2’s average response times were slightly higher than the other networks on both 5G and 4G, although they were still sufficient to give a good user experience for even the most demanding online activities.

Ofcom Launches ‘Map Your Mobile’ to Help Users Check Local Mobile Coverage

Ofcom has launched Map Your Mobile, a free online tool designed to help users compare mobile coverage and performance in their area.

The service allows users to enter their postcode and view a detailed map showing the availability of different mobile networks in their local area. It also highlights which operator offers the best performance in each postal district, based on data from independent analytics firm Opensignal — the same source used for Ofcom’s Mobile Matters report.