• EE dominates both 4G and 5G coverage.
• Northern Ireland offers the best 5G coverage (48.2%), Wales the lowest (40.3%).
• EE covers 5G 1.3 times more than O2 in the United Kingdom.
The latest nPerf barometer report, tracked for the full year ending August 2026, compares the network coverage of four British operators, at both national and regional level, and highlights the key trends shaping the UK mobile market.
Sébastien de Rosbo, CEO of nPerf, positively comments:
“This barometer confirms that mobile coverage in the United Kingdom continues to progress rapidly, though significant gaps remain between operators and regions, particularly for 5G.”
And the winners are….
EE clearly leads the British market, ranking 1st for both technologies. Its nPerf index reaches 77.02% for 5G and 96.50% for 4G, confirming its position as the country’s most reliable network.
O2 takes the 2nd place for 5G with an nPerf index of 58.73%, while ranking 3rd for 4G with 93.85%.
Three ranks 3rd for 5G with an nPerf index of 49.56%, but climbs to 2nd place for 4G coverage with 94.13%.
Vodafone closes the ranking in 4th place for both technologies, posting an nPerf index of 37.48% for 5G and 92.40% for 4G.
Measurements were based on tests carried out via the nPerf Android application Android nPerf.
4G vs 5G Geographic Coverage (%) Results Summary for the UK
- EE – 94.9% (5G = 68.69%)
- Three – 91.75% (5G = 41.1%)
- O2 = 91.19% (5G = 49.77%)
- Vodafone = 89.57% (5G = 28.56%)
