The best mobile phone networks in the UK right now

Unless you plan to only use your phone where there’s Wi-Fi, you’ll need to be able to connect to a network.

This gets you access to calls and texts in most areas, plus mobile data so you can still access the internet. For the latter, make sure you go with either 4G or 5G, with networks beginning to switch off older 3G networks.

On social media or TV, you’ve probably seen lots of different companies marketing SIM-only deals or contracts on the latest smartphones. However, only EE, O2, Three and Vodafone actually have their own networks in the UK, with all other ‘piggyback’ operators paying one of them to use its service.

But will you get a better deal with one of the piggybackers, or should you just stick with one of the big four? In this article, we’ll run through all of the most popular providers to help you decide which is best for you.

If you need a smartphone to go with your new network, see our round-ups of the best budget, mid-range and flagship handsets you can buy. Alternatively, most basic phones are compatible with all the networks and other providers that operate in the UK.

What’s the best phone network in the UK?

First, let’s have a look at the options. There are actually only four phone networks in the UK:

That could go down to three, if the proposed Vodafone and Three merger goes through. The UK has conditionally approved it, pending the results of an investigation.

However, there are lots of ‘piggyback’ providers, officially known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). They rent network space from one of the companies above, but offer their own set of contracts and specific perks. Learn more in our separate article on piggyback phone networks.

Here are the most popular piggybackers and the network they use:

• EE – BT Mobile (owned by EE), Utility Warehouse, 1pMobile, Lycamobile, Your Co-op, Ecotalk, IQ Mobile, RWG Mobile
• O2 – Giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile
• Three – iD Mobile, Smarty, FreedomPop, Honest Mobile, Superdrug Mobile
• Vodafone – Voxi, Asda Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Talkmobile, RWG Mobile

It’s worth keeping this in mind when considering which provider you’d like to use, as coverage for the network you use may differ depending on where you are in the UK. Ofcom’s coverage checker is a useful guide, but that doesn’t guarantee good signal.

If possible, ask friends and family for their experience, or try a pay-as-you-go SIM from one of the main four networks first.

Of course, the problem with having only four networks is that if one goes down, all of its piggybackers are likely to suffer the same fate. According to RootMetrics, EE offers the most reliable service in the UK, followed by Vodafone, Three and O2.

Below, we’ll run through each of the ‘big four’ phone networks and all the providers which use their service.

EE (including BT Mobile, Lycamobile, Utility Warehouse & more)

EE’s network is comprised of the old T-Mobile and Orange frequencies, so there’s a lot of coverage nationally.

According to Uswitch, 99% of the UK population are covered by 4G – the best of any network. Meanwhile, 5G is available in 50 towns and cities. Use EE’s coverage checker to see what the service will be like where you are.

EE itself offers iPhone, Google, Samsung, Oppo, Motorola and Sony phones on contract. There are also lots of SIM-only deals, with prices currently starting at £14.50 per month and going all the way up to £47 per month. You can also choose between one-month, 12-month and 24-month plans.

However, EE does charge a fixed £2.47 per day to use your data for roaming in the EU and a few other countries – see the full list on the EE website.

But there are lots of other piggyback providers which use the EE network:

• BT Mobile – iPhone, Samsung and Google phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £9 to £34.30 per month, discounts available when combined with BT Broadband, free EU roaming
• Utility Warehouse – only two SIM-only deals available (£13 or £23 per month), free EU roaming
• 1pMobile – SIM-only deals from £7.50 to £20 per month, free EU roaming
• Lycamobile – SIM-only deals from £4 to £24 per month, free EU roaming, dedicated international plans for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Morocco
• Your Co-op – SIM-only deals from £11 to £23 per month, free EU roaming
• Ecotalk – SIM-only deals from £8 to £20 per month, roaming for £2 per day in Europe
• IQ Mobile – SIM-only deals from £7 to £25 per month, free EU roaming
• RWG Mobile – SIM-only deals from £2 to £60 per month, free EU roaming on plans over £3.50 per month, costs 1p per MB of data otherwise

O2 (including Giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile & more)

O2 has been operating as a phone network in the UK since 2002. And according to Uswitch, you can expect almost 99% UK 3G and 4G coverage.

Understandably, 5G is more limited, and generally only available in larger towns and cities. Use O2’s coverage checker to get an idea of what to expect.

O2 merged with Virgin Media (to make Virgin Media O2) in 2021, but there’s been no change to the core service. In fact, there are benefits available if you’d like to combine an O2 mobile contract with Virgin Media broadband in what’s known as Volt.

That’s on top of the existing perks for all O2 customers: priority booking at O2 venues, shopping and experience offers and thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Then there’s the big one – free EU roaming up to 25GB. O2 is the only one of the four main networks to have not reintroduced charges after the UK left the European Union, though plenty of piggybackers offer the same perk.

Alongside iPhone, Doro, Google, Motorola, Nokia, Oppo, Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi phones on contract, SIM-only deals range from £17.99 to £32.99 per month, but there are often other free subscriptions included.

Here are the piggyback providers which use the O2 network:

• Giffgaff – iPhone, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Nokia, Doro, Google, TCL and Xiaomi phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £6 to £35 per month, free EU roaming up to 5GB per month, 10p per MB thereafter
• Sky Mobile – iPhone, Samsung, Doro, Fairphone and Nokia phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £5 to £30 per month, all spare data rolls over for up 12 months (previously three years), roaming for £2 per day in EU and some other countries, including USA and Australia
• Tesco Mobile – iPhone, Samsung, Google, Nokia, Motorola, Doro and Alcatel, IMO and TCL phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £7.50 to £30 per month, cheaper Clubcard prices on some plans, free EU roaming

Three (including iD Mobile, Smarty, Honest Mobile & more)

As its name suggests, Three launched back in 2003 with 3G as its big selling point. That will be turned off at the end of 2024, but the company has long since shifted to the newer connectivity standards.

It has an estimated 99% of 4G coverage, while Ookla has rated it as the UK’s fastest 5G network. Use the Three coverage checker to get an idea of what the service is like where you are.

Three agreed to merge with Vodafone in June 2023, but nothing is changing for customers until the UK government makes a final decision on whether to approve it.

Three offers iPhone, Samsung, Doro, Google, Xiaomi, Honor, Nokia and Motorola phones on contract, plus SIM-only deals ranging from £9 to £38 per month. The more expensive plans include Three+ rewards for access to event pre-sales and discounts.

However, it costs £2 per day for roaming in Europe (up to 12GB per month), or £5 per day elsewhere in the world. But that’s not the case for all the piggyback providers which use Three’s network:

• iD Mobile – iPhone, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Motorola, Nothing, Honor, Doro and Alcatel phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £5 to £17 per month, unused data rolls over to next month, free EU roaming up to 30GB per month
• Smarty – SIM-only deals from £6 to £20 per month, get money back for unused data on some plans, free EU roaming up to 12GB per month
• Honest Mobile – SIM-only deals from £12.15 to £25 per month, loyalty discount of 5% per year (up to max 30%), five days of free EU roaming then £2 per day thereafter
• Superdrug Mobile – only two SIM-only deals available (£10 or £20 per month), unused data on non-unlimited plan rolls over to next month, free EU roaming up to 12GB per month

Vodafone (including Voxi, Asda Mobile, Lebara Mobile & more)

Vodafone was the UK’s very first cellular telephone network all the way back in 1985, but a lot has changed since then.

Its 4G service currently covers around 98% of the population, with its 5G in 46 towns and cities across the UK (plus 70 more in Europe for roaming). Use Vodafone’s service checker to get an idea what it’ll be like for you.

Three agreed to merge with Vodafone in June 2023, but nothing is changing for customers until the UK government makes a final decision on whether to approve it.

You can buy phones on contract from plenty of brands at Vodafone: iPhone, Samsung, Google, Motorola, Honor, Fairphone and Doro. SIM-only deals range from a £7 per month Basics plan (4G only) to £45 per month for a premium option.

Some include extra benefits, such as free subscriptions or included EU roaming. Most people will have to pay £2.42 extra per day for EU roaming, though you can get 8-day (£12) or 15-day (£17) passes that work out cheaper.

But not all of Vodafone’s piggyback providers charge extra for roaming:

• Voxi – iPhone, Samsung, Google and Xiaomi phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £10 to £35 per month, unlimited use of selected social media apps (also music and video streaming services on some plans), EU roaming from £2.45 per day (up to 20GB per month), though two-day (£4.50), eight-day (£12) and 15-day (£17) passes are also available
• Asda Mobile – iPhone, Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Doro, Nokia, TCL and Alcatel phones on contract, SIM-only deals from £5 to £24 per month, free EU roaming up to 5GB per month, 10p per MB thereafter
• Lebara – SIM-only deals from £4.50 to £30 per month, free roaming in EU and India (up to 30GB per month)
• Talkmobile – SIM-only deals from £6.95 to £32 per month, free EU roaming

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