By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
UK mobile download speeds lag behind other countries
A new report reveals that the UK's mobile download speeds and 4G availability lag behind those of other countries, including Australia, Canada and Spain.
South Korea scored best for both while the UK ranked mid-table, according to the latest global report from mobile analytics company Opensignal.
Opensignal's analysis looked at 87 countries in total, crowdsourcing more than 139 billion measurements from over 43 million devices between January and March this year.
Download speed and 4G availability are both crucial when you're choosing a mobile network. But it's also worth considering customer service, value for money and more.Find out the best and worst UK networks in our comprehensive reviews.
Download speeds: who outranks the UK?
South Korea had the fastest download speed, with an average of 52.4Mbps. At this speed, you could download a HD movie that's 750MB in 1 minute 54 seconds. It was the only country in the report to achieve more than 50Mbps download speed.
Norway (average speed of 48.2Mbps) and Canada (42.5Mbps) were next-fastest.
The UK finished in 26th place for download speeds with an average speed of 21.7Mbps. Bulgaria (22.5Mbps), Greece (23.3Mbps) and Hungary (31.5Mbps), were also all faster than the UK, on average.
4G availability: who outranks the UK?
The UK ranked one place higher overall for 4G availability, finishing 25th. Mobile users can access a 4G signal 84.7% of the time that they try to do so. Reliable 4G signal is crucial for internet-based apps, for example map directions and video calls.
Top for 4G availability was South Korea where users can access a 4G signal an impressive 97.5% of the time. Next were Japan (96.3%) and Norway (95.5%).
Users in the USA were able to access a 4G signal 93% of the time. This is perhaps surprising when you consider the geographical challenges and sheer size of the USA, so it's an impressive feat.
Read more - Which mobile network offers the best signal?
What is the mobile signal like in your area?
Our coverage map shows you what the signal is like in your area for all four major mobile networks (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone). Use it to find the network with the best signal where you live.
Our mobile networks survey also asks customers of the 13 biggest providers their experience, not only when it comes to issues with signal, but also customer service and value for money.
Check out our provider reviews and find out what real customers think.
If you are looking for the best mobile deals, head on over to our pages on getting the best pay-as-you-go phone deal, the best contract deal or the best sim-only deal.
