What is the best mobile network? There is no right answer. But having the information you need to make the right decision for you is a great place to start. There are over 89 million mobile phone subscriptions in the UK. But how do you know if you’re getting a good deal? And what’s the best mobile network to find it on?
Let’s take a closer look at each of the UK’s mobile network providers, what they offer and how they score for customer satisfaction.
Which are the biggest UK providers?
Although there are plenty of mobile providers in the UK, there are only four mobile networks: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. Other providers use one of the ‘big four’ networks to offer their services. These smaller providers are known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO).
EE is the most popular network with 25 million customers. O2 has 24 million customers, followed by Vodafone with 17.5 million customers and Three with 9.9 million customers. A useful way to find the best mobile network is to compare customer satisfaction levels.
Tesco Mobile and giffgaff score highest in this department, with 95% of their customers satisfied with their overall service. The average customer satisfaction level across mobile networks in the UK is 87%. The average satisfaction level with signal strength across all mobile networks is 81%.
EE
If you’re looking for fast and reliable mobile data, you might want to consider EE. The provider’s 4G network covers 87% of the UK, the highest coverage of all mobile networks. It also has the fastest average 4G speeds (9Mbps) and the joint fastest average 5G speeds (17Mbps). It’s no wonder 19% of UK smartphones are on EE, more than any other network.
Pay-as-you-go, pay-monthly, and SIM only deals are available from the network, as are SIM-free phones. BT Mobile customers are now with EE and existing BT broadband customers can receive special deals on EE mobile plans.
- Example deal: EE’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £17 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this you get 30GB data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 80%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 87%
- Trustpilot score: 1.8 stars (16,000+ reviews)
Vodafone
Vodafone is the third biggest network in the UK. It offers pay as you go, pay monthly and SIM only deals. The network is popular with frequent travellers. Depending on when they joined Vodafone, customers can pay £2.42 (Europe) or £7.39 (worldwide) a day to use their data.
Vodafone became the first network to start switching off its 3G services in March 2023. But that shouldn’t be a problem, as the provider’s 4G network covers 83% of the UK, the second highest of all mobile providers. 5G Ultra, the network’s ‘next level 5G experience’, uses wholly 5G-era technology to allow customers to use their data in very busy places.
- Example deal: Vodafone’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £15 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this you get 3GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 84%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 86%
- Trustpilot score: 4.4 stars (56,000+ reviews)
O2
O2 is the second-biggest network in the UK. It sells pay-as-you-go, pay-monthly, and SIM only deals, alongside SIM-free phones. The network stands out from the crowd because of its impressive loyalty scheme. The O2 Priority app gives customers holiday and entertainment rewards, and priority access to tickets for gigs across the country.
The network has less 4G coverage than other big names at 82%. And in a recent Ofcom survey, it recorded the slowest average response time over a 5G network. If mobile broadband proves to be patchy, O2 Wi-Fi Extra should come in handy. Virgin Media broadband customers with an eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan can benefit from a broadband speed boost and double the data too.
- Example deal: O2’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £17.99 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this you get 12GB data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 78%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 85%
- Trustpilot score: 1.2 stars, (15,000+ reviews)
Three
Of the ‘big four’, Three scored the lowest in Ofcom’s consumer survey for overall satisfaction and satisfaction with reception. The provider’s 4G network also covers only 80% of the UK, but that shouldn’t put off heavy data users. The Three network offers some of the more generous data packages on the market at a lower price point. And the latest stats show that Three has the fastest average download and upload speeds over 5G.
Plans are available on pay-as-you-go, pay-monthly, and SIM only deals, where customers enjoy rewards through the Three+ app. Exclusive offers include weekly £1 coffees from Caffè Nero and Cineworld tickets for just £3.
- Example deal: Three’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £16 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this you get 120GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 75%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 83%
- Trustpilot score: 1.2 stars (27,000+ reviews)
Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile has the highest percentage of happy customers out of all the networks included in Ofcom’s latest research. The network beats the ‘big four’ and all other networks on satisfaction with value for money too.
Tesco Mobile stands out from the competition regarding satisfaction with reception. 92% of customers are happy with their signal (powered by O2). Clubcard holders will be happy to hear that customers earn Clubcard points every time they pay their bill or add credit. Plans are available on pay-as-you-go, pay-monthly, and SIM only deals.
- Example deal: Tesco Mobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £7.50 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this you get 2GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 92%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 95%
- Trustpilot score: 4.7 stars (43,000+ reviews)
iD Mobile
If it’s a no-frills network you need, iD Mobile could be the answer. The network, powered by Three, offers some of the cheapest pay-monthly plans and SIM only deals on the market.
Although Ofcom hasn’t recorded any customer satisfaction scores, other signs suggest that iD Mobile customers are a happy bunch. Only 4% had a reason to complain, the best score out of all the networks featured in Ofcom’s latest report. iD Mobile also picked up the prize for Best Network for Data and Best Contract Value for Money 2024 from Uswitch.
- Example deal: iD Mobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £6 a month for a contract length of 1 month (rolling). With this you get 8GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Trustpilot score: 3.9 stars (27,000+ reviews)
giffgaff
Powered by O2, giffgaff is one of the more popular networks outside the ‘big four’. Rather than offering a call centre, non-account issues are handled by the giffgaff community. And giffgaff customers are the joint happiest out of all the networks’, with 95% satisfied with the overall service.
The giffgaff network has built a reputation for doing things differently, and in 2022, 75% of all the phones it sold were refurbished. Plans are available on pay monthly and SIM only deals and giffgaff’s payg network won the prize for the UK’s best in 2024.
- Example deal: giffgaff’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £6 a month for a contract length of 1 month (rolling). With this you get 2GB data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 83%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 95%
- Trustpilot score: 4.1 stars (23,000+ reviews)
Talkmobile
Talkmobile piggybacks the Vodafone network to offer SIM only deals on 12-month and 30-day rolling contracts. It doesn’t offer rewards like some of the bigger names but offers all the basics at an affordable price. Expect 5G at no extra cost, inclusive roaming in 42 EU destinations and award-winning customer service.
- Example deal: Talkmobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £6.95 a month for a contract length of 30 days (rolling) or 12 months. With this you get 6GB data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Trustpilot score: 4.7 stars (6,000+ reviews)
BT Mobile
BT Mobile customers are now with EE and benefit from the same advantages.Sky Mobile
Sky entered the mobile world in 2017. It uses the O2 network to provide pay-monthly and SIM only contracts but doesn’t offer pay-as-you-go deals. Satisfaction with its services is slightly higher than average (87%), with 88% of customers happy with their overall deal.
Sky Mobile customers enjoy a range of benefits, including the option to switch data plans and to upgrade their phone mid-contract. ‘Piggybank’ allows customers to build a pot of unused data to use later, share with other Sky Mobile customers, or redeem against rewards.
- Example deal: Sky Mobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £5. With this you get 100MB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Satisfaction with reception: 79%
- Overall customer satisfaction: 88%
- Trustpilot score: 1.3 stars (500 reviews) for Sky Broadband
SMARTY
SMARTY is another no-frills network powered by Three. Although the cheapest deal (£5 a month) comes with no minutes or texts, for just £1 extra, customers get unlimited texts and calls. Unlike some networks, SMARTY has no fair usage limits or speed limits, so customers get a truly unlimited mobile data experience. Example deal: SMARTY’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £5 for a 30-day rolling contract. With this you get minutes or texts, but you can upgrade. Trustpilot score: 4.0 stars (35,000+ reviews)Lebara Mobile
Before venturing into mobiles, Lebara started life as a prepaid calling card business. Since then, the network, powered by Vodafone, has earned an Excellent rating on Trustpilot with its SIM only deals. Lebara offers a wide range of rewards including discounts on Gousto boxes and at supermarkets too. Existing customers can earn between £30 to £50 by referring a friend.
- Example deal: Lebara’s cheapest SIM only deal starts from around £4.50 a month for a contract length of 12 months. With this you get 5GB of data, 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts.
- Trustpilot score: 4.8 stars (36,000+ reviews).
Lyca Mobile (EE)
Lyca provides affordable pay-monthly and pay-as-you-go SIMs that work on the EE network. International minutes and EU roaming are standard on all deals, subject to a fair usage policy.
- Example deal: Lyca Mobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts from around £4 a month for a contract length of 24 months. With this, you get 5GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts
- Trustpilot score: 2.8 stars (17,000+ reviews)
ASDA Mobile (Vodafone)
ASDA Mobile uses the Vodafone network for its pay monthly, pay as you go and SIM only deals. The customer service team is available 365 days of the year and plans come with roaming in 46 European countries.
- Example deal: ASDA Mobile’s cheapest SIM only deal starts at around £4 a month for a 30-day rolling contract. With this you get 10GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Trustpilot score: 3.8 stars (7,000+ reviews)
VOXI
VOXI is an excellent mobile network for those who enjoy scrolling through social media. All plans come with unlimited use of seven of the biggest apps without eating into your data allowance. Customers also have the option to add unlimited music and video streaming without using their data.
A loyalty scheme called VOXI Drop rewards customers with treats such as two for £8 Odeon cinema tickets, freebies from Candy Kittens, and more. The Vodafone network sells SIMs and phones separately.
- Example deal: VOXI’s cheapest SIM only deal starts from around £10 a month for a rolling 30-day contract. With this you get 30GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts.
- Trustpilot score: 3.6 stars (22,000+ reviews)
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