Mobile phone networks

EE, a subsidiary of BT Group, is the largest network in the UK, with an estimated 26% market share. Originally founded in 2012, EE is renowned for launching the first 4G network in the country, maintaining its lead with the current best 4G availability. In recent years, EE has achieved several awards for being the fastest 5G network, with an expanding presence throughout major towns and cities across the UK.

EE offers a diverse range of pay monthly and pay as you go plans, including phone and SIM only deals. Despite its large market share, EE is infamous for being one of the more expensive networks, especially when compared to smaller MVNO providers. However, EE is consistently ranked as the best network when it comes to coverage, download speeds and reliability. In addition, EE is one of the few networks that have not outsourced their call centres overseas, with a UK and Ireland only presence.

O2 is the second most subscribed network, with an estimated 19% market share in the UK. With a particular focus on delivering coverage to more rural locations, including smaller towns and villages, O2 is often considered the first choice for those who live in areas where people feel like they’ve been left behind by the other networks.

Nonetheless, O2 still delivers excellent 4G and 5G coverage throughout major towns and cities, competing neck to neck with the other major providers. With O2 Priority still going strong, plus free EU roaming included with all plans, O2 delivers excellent value for money, particularly when compared to EE, Vodafone and Three. We can’t forget to mention O2 Refresh either, which were some of the first plans in the UK to deliver flexible phone contracts, offering separate airtime and device agreements.

Vodafone is the ideal network for those seeking peace of mind, offering excellent customer support and an extended warranty with all pay monthly phones. You can rest assured that you’re in good hands.

In addition, Vodafone is the only network to offer 5G Ultra, which uses standalone technology to deliver 5G throughout the UK, providing lowering latency, fastest download speeds and improved reliability. Vodafone also claims their 5G Ultra technology is 25% more battery efficient when compared to other 5G networks.

With VeryMe Rewards and generous trade-in offers, Vodafone is a tempting network for many. However, no free EU roaming and only average download speeds might be a bit off-putting. Furthermore, Vodafone is joint with EE for being one of the more expensive networks in the UK, with limited data for your money.

Three is often stereotyped as the worst network in the UK, delivering inferior coverage and slow download speeds. However, independent research has consistently shown opposite results, with Three being ranked as the fastest 5G network in many studies, all while maintaining some of the best availability throughout the country.

Three was previously renowned for being the cheapest network in the UK, with their competitive pay as you go rates and flexible 1 month rolling SIMs. Despite remaining the cheapest of the 4 major networks, Three no longer maintains its position as the best network for overall value. Many low-cost MVNOs have popped up in the past few years, offering more data and free EU roaming. However, with flexible phone plans and a generous loyalty scheme with Three+ Rewards, Three still has a lot to offer, together with fast 5G speeds and excellent coverage.

Tesco Mobile is the largest MVNO in the UK, with over 5.5 million customers. Founded as an equal 50% share venture between Tesco and O2, Tesco Mobile is powered by O2’s vast network infrastructure.

With free EU roaming and no mid-contract price increases with Clubcard Price deals, Tesco Mobile is an enticing network for many. However, Tesco Mobile are no longer the cheapest network in the UK - a position they once held for many years. Newer networks, including Lebara and iD Mobile, offer better value for money.

Regardless, with excellent customer support and customisable phone contracts, you can’t go wrong with Tesco Mobile. They are a reliable and consistent network, having built a solid reputation since its founding in 2003.

A pioneer in flexible 1 month rolling SIMs, giffgaff was one of the first UK networks to capitalise on the smartphone boom. Founded as a subsidiary of O2 in 2009, giffgaff became renowned for their cheap SIM only deals, particularly among young adults at the time.

Despite still offering decent value for money, giffgaff has struggled to compete with newer MVNOs in recent years, and often seems neglected at times, particularly following the Virgin Media and O2 merger.

While you can probably get better value from other MVNOs, giffgaff is still a reliable and consistent provider backed by O2. In addition, their phone plans often have some hidden gems, with 0% interest financing for many of the latest devices.

iD Mobile has some of the cheapest pay monthly phones around. They consistently rank at the top of our comparison results for the latest phones, delivering excellent value for money with generous amounts of data. In addition, there are plenty of SIM only deals to choose from, with a total of 26 plans spanning 1 month, 12 month and 24 month contracts.

Together with free EU roaming and fast 5G speeds powered by Three, you’ll struggle to find a better network at such low prices.

However, many may be put-off by online only support and a lack of flexible phone contracts. Furthermore, phone contracts are subject to mid-contract price increases every year, which is atypical of most MVNOs.

Regardless, iD Mobile is particularly popular among budget conscious consumers, and has grown to become one of the largest MVNOs in the UK. Despite online only support, they rank fairly well in Ofcom’s yearly complaints data, and are highly rated on review sites such as Trustpilot.