UK mobile networks LOSE to France and Germany on data speeds

Interesting, an Ookla test on my phone now just showed 39 Mb/s.

O2 4G.

3G or 4G?

It does indeed depend on activity on the network, but also on the state of network rollout. Quoting figures measured over a year during a period of mass network rollout is pointless.

I've just done a check on my (Vodafone) personal & work mobiles....personal is 4G & I get 30Mbit/s download; work is 3G and I get 2Mbit/s. I expect my personal one to slow down as more people get 4G handsets.

Over the last year all the UK networks have been rolling out their LTE networks so speeds will have dramatically increased. The UK is lagging other countries on that LTE rollout. Some of it was due to the delay in auctioning 800MHz spectrum, but now most of the delay is in negotiating with landlords to allow LTE kit on masts. You won't get a proper feel for any international differences until 2017 when O2's coverage obligation kicks in.

In my experience, this report is about right.

Three offers me the best overall speed and pretty good availability of a 3G service (it does really help having no 2G network - especially as 2G roaming is mostly disabled).

Vodafone does offer me great speeds, on the occasions they bother to rock up with 3G (yet to enter any Vodafone 4G service area). Trouble is when you're on Voda 2G, you have basically not got GPRS, or EDGE, whatever the handset is technically connected at, it just doesn't sodding work.

EE offers me a very variable service - falls back to 2G service a lot (despite my devices being pretty good at clinging on to weaker, but faster services), but coverage is reasonable - not amazing though. Plus, for me, having 2G is like having nothing, it's practically useless for data services.

O2... well if you like calls (at terribly low quality) and text messages are your life, they're solid. Great coverage, robust messaging. Unfortunately the internet seems to be something they struggle with. 2G data is mostly duff and doesn't work most of the time, 3G is pathetically weak - and even now, several years after promised getting coverage in my home town city centre is really hit and miss despite O2 saying it should be excellent outdoors it is.

That's my survey, based on my real world findings every day, everywhere I go with a range of devices.

There would have been more results from the UK

if they hadn't timed out.

If I could get 4G

I'd post my fecking speed.

But here in the centre of Coventry I cannot.