Despite its status as the UK’s economic hub, London is lagging behind other major cities across the country when it comes to mobile network performance, according to new data research released by Ookla.
The new report reveals that the capital ranks lowest among key UK urban areas for both 5G download speeds and network consistency. Worryingly, Londoners are also spending more time in areas with no mobile signal compared to residents elsewhere in the nation.
In the first quarter of 2025, London (and Belfast) recorded the slowest median 5G download speeds in the UK, averaging a mere 115 Mbps. This figure stands in stark contrast to Glasgow, which topped the list with a median download speed of 185 Mbps. Furthermore, London registered the lowest 5G consistency score among all major UK cities, indicating that fewer mobile users in the capital can rely on stable, high-speed connections for everyday online activities such as browsing the internet, streaming videos, and playing games.
Luke Kehoe, industry analyst for Europe at Ookla, said: “London’s underperformance makes the UK an outlier in Western Europe, where it is highly unusual for the capital to be the primary laggard.”
The research underscores the growing frustration experienced by Londoners, who frequently encounter poor mobile coverage indoors, on the Underground, and in densely populated areas. While efforts have been made to expand coverage on the London Underground network and increase network density through the deployment of small cells, significant challenges persist. These are particularly acute in deep urban environments characterised by dense building materials and limited availability of rooftop locations for infrastructure.
Ookla, which has offices in Guildford, used analysis via its Speedtest Intelligence data to find that just 0.7% of mobile users in London spent the majority of their time in complete signal blackspots in early 2025. While this represents a notable improvement from the 3.7% recorded two years prior, it still remains higher than other UK cities, highlighting the continued presence of coverage black holes across the capital.
The rollout of 5G technology in London has also faced headwinds due to policy decisions dating back to 2017. Reforms to the Electronics Communications Code, intended to streamline and reduce the cost of land access for operators, inadvertently triggered thousands of legal disputes. This has been particularly problematic in cities like London, where access to rooftop sites is crucial for network deployment.
Mr. Kehoe explained: “Instead of accelerating 5G deployment, these reforms created uncertainty, delayed site upgrades, and discouraged landlords from hosting mobile equipment. In some cases, rental income was slashed by up to 90%, making rooftop space far more appealing for solar panels or rooftop bars than for antennas.”
In contrast, Glasgow has emerged as a leading city for 5G performance in the UK. This success is attributed not only to its lower urban density compared to London but also to proactive support from the local government. Glasgow was among the first cities in Europe to establish a dedicated Telecoms Unit, which streamlined the planning process and site access for mobile infrastructure.
As the UK’s older 3G networks are gradually phased out, more mobile users in urban areas are experiencing a fallback to slower 2G connections when 4G and 5G coverage is patchy. This fallback has become increasingly common in cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.
Mr. Kehoe concluded: “The UK’s telecom environment has become more challenging in recent years. But unless structural and regulatory barriers are addressed, cities like London risk falling further behind—not just in domestic terms, but on the global stage.”
Image source: Ookla
