BT and EE beat biggest rivals ...just days after resurrecting a £30 fee for subscribers
Looking for the best broadband and mobile network in the UK? Switch to BT and EE, researchers claim.
Ookla, the network intelligence brand — best known for creating speedtest.net, named BT and EE as the best broadband in the UK, producing the fastest real-world speeds and highest-quality gaming experience. At the same time, RootMetrics crowned EE as the best UK mobile network for a 13th consecutive year.
More than 104 million tests were conducted across the two studies from Ookla and RootMetrics.
These were designed to measure broadband and mobile performance in rural areas and crowded city centres across the UK, including at peak times when networks are placed under the most pressure.
EE was rated the outright winner for overall performance and speed in all 16 of the UK’s largest cities, beating every other mobile network. It marks the first time that EE and BT have both secured the Gold Medal.
The blockbuster results for BT and EE arrive just days after both brands reintroduced a one-off activation fee for new subscribers. The £30 charge covers the cost of installation and any future maintenance, as well as helping to cover the cost of hardware, like a Wi-Fi router. These one-off fees used to be commonplace with broadband suppliers, but have gradually dwindled amongst the biggest broadband brands.
Alex Tofts, Strategist at Broadband Genie, said: “Asking a customer to pay £30 before their connection is even switched on is a clear barrier for many bill payers and an easy way to push people elsewhere.
"It is also very troubling this is a cost some customers might not get back should they legitimately have to cancel their contract, even upon returning the router. The good news is there are other, better-value providers using the same Openreach network that BT, EE, and Plusnet rely on. Depending on where you live, you might have even more options available. The UK broadband market is fiercely competitive right now, providers are jostling to entice new customers with lower monthly fees, bill credits, and reward vouchers.
“Switching is your superpower, your current provider won’t give you these for sticking about. The best place to start your broadband switch is with an Ofcom-trusted comparison site.”
Both brands have benefited from bolstered connectivity, thanks to BT's £40 billion investment in the UK this decade to fund the nationwide expansion of full-fibre broadband via Openreach and upgrades to mobile coverage via EE. Openreach aims to deliver next-generation full-fibre broadband to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of this year, with an ambition to expand these more reliable, speedier connections to 30 million properties by 2030.
The switch to this new-and-improved infrastructure also signals the death of the traditional copper-wire landline. Discussing the results from the latest study, BT Chief Security and Networks Officer, Greg McCall said: "These landmark studies are powerful proof that our investment in improving the UK’s connectivity continues to deliver where it matters most – for families, businesses, and emergency services across the nation.
“Whether you’re at home, at work or on the move, resilient and reliable connectivity is essential to how we live our lives, powering the economy and shaping how we work, learn, keep entertained and stay safe.
"That’s why we’re bringing Full Fibre and 5G+ to millions more homes, communities, and businesses – so more people can benefit from accessing faster, stronger and more secure connectivity on the UK’s best networks."
Ookla relies on crowdsourced data from users across the UK, scoring each operator with its own score based on real-world performance across speed, latency, browsing, video streams, and gaming – including at peak times.
It comes as EE became the first nationwide broadband supplier to make Wi-Fi 7 standard across all of its wireless routers, although it's worth noting that both Vodafone and Sky Broadband debuted Wi-Fi 7-equipped hardware first.
It also launched lightning-fast 8Gbps download speeds in pockets of the UK last month, becoming the fastest broadband supplier in the UK. Despite this, Britons are increasingly turning their backs on household brands like BT and EE in favour of up-and-coming full-fibre startups.
