EE’s average upload mobile internet speed in Newcastle matches the fastest average speed RootMetrics has ever recorded by any operator in any UK city. And in a boost to industry and flexible working in the city, its overall mobile internet performance is even better than in London. EE clocked average download speeds of 14.7 Mbps and the fastest upload speeds by any operator in any UK market of 9.7 Mbps. The latest London figures were 13.6Mbps (download) and 8.4 Mbps (upload). In tests it took EE just 3.5 seconds to download 10 emails and under a second to load a typical web page.
At the same time, Three and O2 have also improved their speeds. Three’s average mobile internet download speed has nearly tripled to 6.8Mbps since the same tests were carried out in September 2012. This download speed is the fastest speed RootMetrics has recorded by Three in any UK city to date. O2’s average download speed – 3.6Mbps – was nearly twice as fast as the speed found in September 2012.
Three was the only other operator to show average time to load a webpage of under second, but when it comes to the average time to download 10 emails it was the slowest of all the operators at 6.6 seconds. Vodafone demonstrated the slowest average time for loading a typical webpage or app at 3.7 seconds.
On overall network reliability – how often each operator successfully connected to the network and once connected, how reliable each operator was at completing speed tests, successfully downloading emails, and loading webpages or apps – Three’s network was most reliable with a score of 98.3 (out of 100). Vodafone was last with a score of 90.2.
Bill Moore, CEO and President of RootMetrics commented: “The results of our 28,000 independent tests in Newcastle can only be good news for locals. Not only is EE’s mobile internet better than in London – mainly thanks to its 4G network - but Three and O2 have also made some significant improvements to speeds since we lasted tested in Autumn 2012. This is going to be important for people who work remotely, and who want to be connected at all times. It will certainly be interesting to see how much better the mobile service in Newcastle gets over the next few months as rival 4G services are also launched.”
For Newcastle locals, the increased speeds offered by the operators is a huge benefit, Chi Onwurah, MP Newcastle upon Tyne Central, said: “Mobile is increasingly a business as well as a social and entertainment platform. Having good 4G coverage brings economic benefits to the city, as well as enabling us to keep in touch.”
“High speed online connections are just as important as road and rail infrastructure and is an essential component rather than an optional extra for many firms, so it is good for our members that Newcastle I such a well-connected city,” added Mark Stephenson, North-East Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Policy Specialist.