• The UK’s mobile internet coverage ranks worse than all 27 EU member countries and all other G7 nations, according to Which? analysis of Opensignal data.
  • The UK placed 57th globally for network performance, 70th for download speeds and 55th for consistent-quality connections needed for video calls and streaming.
  • More than a third of UK mobile customers reported at least one service problem in the past 12 months, including dropped calls and slow data.
  • Ofcom data showed 4G coverage across all UK operators reached 84% in May, while 5G coverage stood at 64%, leaving large rural areas without fast mobile internet.

Mobile internet coverage in the United Kingdom is worse than in any European Union member country and every other G7 economy, according to a new analysis by the consumer group Which?. The findings, based on data from Opensignal, place the UK 57th globally for network performance.

The UK ranked 70th globally for download speeds and 55th for the consistent connection quality required for activities such as video calls, streaming and gaming, Which? reported. More than a third of mobile customers surveyed by the group said they had experienced at least one problem with their service in the past 12 months, including connection drop-outs and slow data speeds.

The rankings suggest the UK lags behind similar countries on mobile infrastructure crucial to a modern economy, according to Which?. The UK has some of the cheapest mobile internet costs among peer countries, but the analysis found that low prices have not translated into reliable performance.

Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said in a statement: “Getting a good-value mobile deal counts for very little if you’re constantly battling poor signal, slow data speeds or dropped connections. Customers deserve a service that delivers reliable performance as well as value for money.”

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, reported that coverage by 4G networks across all operators rose by three percentage points in the year to May, reaching 84% of the country. Coverage for 5G from all operators stood at 64%, leaving large parts of the country — particularly rural areas — without access to faster mobile internet speeds.

Which? said barriers to network investment include inflexible planning rules and disputes between landowners and operators over the value of land used for mobile towers. The group also highlighted poor mobile signal coverage on Britain’s railways, noting that Germany requires minimum download speeds of 100 Mbps along main railway lines and 50 Mbps along other routes.

Hitchins called on the government, Ofcom and the mobile industry to work together to improve investment, ensure coverage targets reflect real-world performance and remove obstacles to network upgrades. The UK mobile market includes three main networks following the merger of Vodafone and Three, along with a number of virtual operators.