However, when it comes to overall experience – factoring in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks – EE remains in the lead across all “experience” tests: video, games, voice app, download speed, and upload speed. OpenSignal’s report arguably provides Three with some real-world evidence to back its 5G superiority claims. UK telecoms regulator Ofcom informed ASA that “while all other things being equal Three might be able to offer higher peak speeds than other operators, they would be achievable only in certain ideal conditions and would rarely be experienced by consumers everywhere in a mature 5G network.” Three has offered some theoretical explanation for its claims but no clear real-world evidence. National advertising rules in the UK require claims of superiority over a competitor to be backed with clear evidence.
Three is the only UK operator to have 100 MHz of contiguous 5G spectrum holdings.
The GSMA, however, says that each operator should have at least 80-100 MHz of contiguous spectrum. Global 5G standards body the ITU states 5G must be able to harness 100MHz of spectrum-which all operators aside from Vodafone (with 90MHz) achieve, as of the latest auction. The claim, although controversial, isn’t completely unfounded. Three has come under fire from the Advertising Standards Authority for marketing its latest network as “real 5G” in campaigns. While not quite as large a lead, Three also beat its rivals in 5G availability and reach: Three UK customers saw average 5G download speeds 75.1 Mbps higher than second-placed EE: Average 5G download speeds in the US are 50.9Mbps, a nice step up from average 4G speeds but far behind several countries where 5G speeds are in the 200Mbps to 400Mbps range. With the rollout of 5G now fully underway, Three is making a serious effort to secure its leadership. When it came to 4G, many reports found that Three often fell behind rivals in speed and availability. The UK’s smallest mobile operator by subscribers got its name from being the first to launch a 3G network in the country.
Three UK has achieved some impressive 5G results in OpenSignal’s latest Mobile Network Experience Report.