Which mobile networks have the best 4G coverage in UK cities?

EE came out on top across the board, dominating its rivals

Coverage is not a reflection of speed or performance, simply meaning that a network connection can be established (REUTERS/Neil Hall)

EE is the best mobile operator for 4G coverage in 14 of the most populated areas in the UK, says a new report.

The network dominated rival firms O2, Vodafone and Three, according to statistics from RootMetrics.

It assessed coverage in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Bradford, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield.

EE, which last year announced plans to move its heavily criticised customer services to the UK, delivered at least 90% coverage in 11 of the 14 areas, while Three failed to hit that figure in any of the cities included in the report.

O2 and Vodafone, meanwhile, only hit the 90% mark in three areas.

Below are the 4G coverage results (%) for each area included in the report:

Belfast

1. EE: 98.1

2. O2: 94.6

3. Vodafone: 91.9 

4. Three: 75.1

Birmingham

1. EE: 98.3

2. O2: 89.6

3. Vodafone: 89 

4. Three: 76.3

Bristol

1. EE: 92.2

2. O2: 69

3. Vodafone: 68.1

4. Three: 56.7

Cardiff

1. EE: 86.5

2. O2: 60.4

3. Vodafone: 60.4

4. Three: 43.1

Coventry

1. EE: 96.1

2. Vodafone: 87.4 

3. O2: 87.1

4. Three: 67.2

Edinburgh

1. EE: 89.1

2. Vodafone: 88.4

3. O2: 86.6

4. Three: 55

Glasgow

1. EE: 89.4

2. Vodafone: 77.2 

3. O2: 77.1

4. Three: 58.4

Leeds and Bradford

1. EE: 90

2. Vodafone: 82.1

3. O2: 80.8

4. Three: 61

Leicester

1. EE: 95.6

2. O2: 83.8

3. Vodafone: 82.1 

4. Three: 63.2

Liverpool

1. EE: 99.8

2. O2: 94

3. Vodafone: 92.9 

4. Three: 80.9

London

1. EE: 90.7

2. O2: 77.3

3. Vodafone: 76.5

4. Three: 65.1

Manchester

1. EE: 99

2. O2: 94.8

3. Vodafone: 92.6

4. Three: 81.7

Nottingham

1. EE: 95.6

2. O2: 81.2

3. Vodafone: 80.5

4. Three: 72.1

Sheffield

1. EE: 96.2

2. O2: 86.3

3. Vodafone: 85.9

4. Three: 71.4

RootMetrics says it also tested coverage in Newcastle and Hull, but didn’t collect enough samples to make an accurate assessment.

The report clarifies that coverage is not a reflection of speed or performance, simply meaning that a network connection can be established in a geographical location.

In this case, it’s an assessment of 4G coverage, which does not necessarily match up with call coverage.