The UK has four main mobile network providers, each trying to convince you their signal and service is the best choice for optimum calling and mobile data across the country. Even if you go with a challenger brand, they lease network space from one of the big four, so your choice for quality really is limited to EE, O2, Three or Vodafone.

According to the latest report from RootMetrics, a network analytics firm owned by connectivity giant Ookla, one UK mobile network has won or shared the in in all eight categories of its nationwide network test, with data collected over six months from July to December 2025.

RootMetrics’ State of the Mobile Union Report has crowned EE as the best mobile network in the UK, winning in the categories overall, reliability, responsiveness, speed, data, call and video, and coming joint first when it comes to text message performance with Three and O2.

“EE remained the leader in 2H 2025, winning or sharing every UK-wide RootScore during testing,” said Luke Kehoe, analyst at Ookla.

“In fact, EE has won our UK Overall RootScore Award outright in every test period since 2H 2013, earning recognition as the UK’s best network for over 12 years and counting. EE also posted the fastest UK-wide aggregate median download speed at 114.1 Mbps, more than double the next-fastest result (Three’s 53.8 Mbps).”

To get technical, Ookla puts EE’s dominance down to “an aggressive focus on spectrum maximisation”. Spectrum refers to the frequencies that mobile networks own that provide cellular signal to mobile phones and smartphones. EE is said to best balance capacity, which is to do with how many devices can be connected to one mobile mast at a time, with consistency.

“Despite not holding the largest contiguous 5G spectrum blocks, EE achieves the highest median 5G download speed and overall reliability in the market,” Ookla said, noting the BT-owned network has done the best job of building on its existing older 4G network to provide a robust 5G service.

RootMetrics said over the six month testing period it collected more than 600,000 tests of mobile connections across the UK from all four major operators. The tests include at peak times and when the network has less congestion, standing still and driving down motorways, where coverage is good and bad, as well as in indoor and outdoor locations across all four of the UK’s nations.

Though EE came out on top, it was also a strong second place showing from Three in all but the video category. RootMetrics found its average UK-wide download speeds hit 53.8 Mbps, which was faster than O2 and Vodafone, but far behind EE’s 114.1 Mbps.

Meanwhile, the report said O2 had improved its speed in major cities as well as its UK-wide reliability to come in second place behind EE when it had come fourth and last in the previous test results from 1H 2025.

Vodafone’s total awards in the ranking went down, but Ookla said the network “remains competitive in key regions”.

Though EE has won this particular assessment of the nation’s mobile networks, it might not necessarily be the best one for you. If you are looking to change networks, it’s always best to use coverage checkers available online from all the networks to see if you get good signal where you live.

You should also shop around for the best price possible, which could involve looking at mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) such as Giffgaff or Tesco Mobile that lease coverage from the big four. This is a good option if you own your phone already, and you can find a monthly rolling contract for a much lower price than if you were signing up to a contract to also pay off the cost of a new smartphone.