The latest data from Ookla, which runs the popular Speedtest.net service, has revealed that mobile network operator (MNO) Three UK is still beating rivals at Vodafone, O2 (VMO2) and EE (BT) for average median 5G broadband download speeds – scoring 275.85Mbps (Megabits / sec) in Q1 2023. Roughly double their nearest rival.
The operator’s 5G network is currently live at over 4,250 sites (up from 2,200 last year) – reflecting 60% UK outdoor population coverage, which puts them at a similar level to EE’s 5G network. As a result, Three UK’s 5G availability score has also increased from 19.1% in Q1 2022 to 26.4% in Q1 2023 (the UK average for all operators jumped from 14% to 20.7% over that same period).
Much of Three’s success with 5G is down to their spectrum strategy, which has seen them acquire a large amount of frequency across the 3.4-4GHz and 700MHz bands, including a 100MHz+ block of contiguous spectrum. The average data (mobile broadband) usage per customer on their network has also reached 25.1 GigaBytes per month (up from 19GB last year).
Sadly, Ookla hasn’t yet provided the latest data for upload speeds and latency times, although since most 5G networks are Non-Standalone (NSA) and rely on some 4G infrastructure, then upload performance generally hasn’t risen too much beyond the previous 4G era.
However, it’s worth noting that Three’s apparent lead in 5G may face some challenges in the near future. Ofcom’s next round of auctions for spectrum in the millimetre wave (mmWave) bands of 26GHz and 40GHz could have an impact, depending upon the outcome and how widely it gets deployed. Three also seems to be trailing on future Standalone 5G (SA) upgrades, which could erode some of their performance lead.
Finally, many people are anticipating that Three UK and Vodafone will announce a £15bn mega-merger in the very near future (here), which could complicate the picture – depending upon how the two networks handle integration, particularly of their physical assets.