RootMetrics July 5G scorecard A look at 5G performance in Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle

5G in the UK is growing fast. To provide the best view of the consumer’s real-world 5G experience, our new 5G Scorecards look at both 5G-only and 5G mixed mode results and combine those into one view of Everyday 5G performance.

Our July 5G Scorecard looks at Everyday 5G availability and speed results from our first-half 2021 testing in Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle. For added context, the maps below also show 5G-only results and overall median download speeds recorded on all network technologies.

To learn more about Everyday 5G results, see below or read our new blog. To see more 5G results, visit our May and June 5G Scorecards.

High-level storylines

EE posted the highest Everyday 5G O2 (now Virgin Media O2) clocked availability in all four cities (including a tie the fastest Everyday 5G median download with Vodafone in Liverpool), along with speed in all four cities, topping out at a consistently fast Everyday 5G median speedy 153.4 Mbps in Leicester. While O2’s download speeds. EE also registered Everyday 5G availability wasn’t as improved Everyday 5G availability in all widespread as that of most operators, it four cities since 2H 2020, with faster showed nice improvement in each city Everyday 5G speeds in three of those cities. since 2H 2020.

Three showed good progress in 1H 2021, Vodafone didn’t register any 5G increasing its Everyday 5G availability in all results in Leicester, but the operator had four cities since 2H 2020 and delivering fast Everyday 5G median download faster speeds in three cities. While Three had speeds in its three cities with 5G. the slowest Everyday 5G median download Vodafone was especially impressive in speed in each city, its speeds were still Liverpool, tying with EE for offering the above 100 Mbps in three cities (and very highest Everyday 5G availability at close in the fourth). 51.5%, while clocking a strong Everyday 5G median download speed of 125.4 Mbps.

Everyday 5G availability, Everyday 5G median download speeds, and overall median download speeds

Everyday 5G availability (%) Everyday 5G median download speed (Mbps) Overall median download speed (Mbps)

Newcastle EE 54.4% | 102.2 | 71.8 O2 30.4% | 127.4 | 26.3 Three 16.0% | 97.3 | 16.0 Vodafone 24.0% | 100.0 | 25.1

Liverpool EE 51.7% | 125.5 | 83.8 O2 28.2% | 135.9 | 20.3 Three 34.3% | 114.9 | 29.0 Vodafone 51.5% | 125.4 | 69.4 Manchester EE 59.4% | 126.0 | 97.3 O2 20.0% | 151.5 | 12.1 Three 39.1% | 104.6 | 31.2 Leicester Vodafone 38.6% | 140.3 | 55.1 EE 57.8% | 121.5 | 79.0 O2 26.4% | 153.4 | 39.1 Three 33.0% | 100.5 | 26.3 Vodafone NA | NA | 28.6 5G-only availability, 5G-only median download speeds, and overall median download speeds

5G-only availability (%) 5G-only median download speed (Mbps) Overall median download speed (Mbps)

Newcastle EE 43.5% | 110.9 | 71.8 O2 19.5% | 148.9 | 26.3 Three 11.5% | 110.3 | 16.0 Vodafone 14.7% | 111.4 | 25.1

Liverpool EE 43.5% | 129.5 | 83.8 O2 21.5% | 156.2 | 20.3 Three 28.3% | 124.1 | 29.0 Vodafone 41.6% | 143.0 | 69.4 Manchester EE 50.6% | 133.2 | 97.3 O2 15.3% | 168.9 | 12.1 Three 32.5% | 115.7 | 31.2 Leicester Vodafone 32.6% | 150.2 | 55.1 EE 51.4% | 123.9 | 79.0 O2 19.7% | 171.7 | 39.1 Three 24.5% | 109.6 | 26.3 Vodafone NA | NA | 28.6

Contact us for additional performance metrics and insights. Improvement stories since 2H 2020 – by operator

EE in Manchester O2 (now Virgin Media O2) in EE’s Everyday 5G availability in Manchester Manchester expanded from 44.7% to O2’s Everyday 5G availability in 59.4% since 2H 2020. Likewise, its Manchester increased from just 0.3% in Everyday 5G median download speed in 2H 2020 to 20.0% this time. Further, O2’s the city increased from 110.7 Mbps in 2H Everyday 5G median download speed in 2020 to 126.0 Mbps in 1H 2021. the city more than doubled since 2H 2020, going from 60.3 Mbps to 151.5 Mbps in 1H 2021.

Three in Manchester Vodafone in Newcastle Three’s Everyday 5G availability in In 2H 2020, Vodafone didn’t record any Manchester nearly doubled since 2H 2020, 5G in Newcastle. But this time, the improving from 19.6% to 39.1% this time. operator delivered Everyday 5G Likewise, Three’s Everyday 5G median availability of 24.4%, while clocking an download speed jumped from 80.0 Mbps in Everyday 5G median download speed of 2H 2020 to 104.6 Mbps in 1H 2021. 100.0 Mbps.

A note about Everyday 5G results

The Everyday 5G results in this scorecard include a combination of results recorded on both 5G-only and "5G mixed mode," the user experience of switching between 5G and 4G LTE during the same data activity.

With 5G growing fast and users switching between 5G-only and 5G mixed mode more and more often, Everyday 5G results offer the most accurate picture of the daily 5G experience when connected to 5G for any amount of time. We've also included 5G-only results to provide a look at how 5G would perform if it were ubiquitous today.

The maps above also show each operator’s overall median download speeds. Overall median download speeds reflect speeds recorded on all network technologies, including 5G, 5G mixed mode, 4G LTE, and any sub-4G technologies. Until 5G becomes more widely available and reaches a point of ubiquity, overall median download speeds reflect a typical speed experience when moving back and forth between different network technologies.

To learn more about Everyday 5G results, check out our blog.

The fine print about our 5G scorecard results

The results in the scorecard offer a high-level snapshot of what we saw for each operator across four recently tested cities. These results do not imply which operator is offering the best 5G performance as a whole in any of the four cities included in this scorecard, across or within any of the 16 cities we test every six months, across the UK as a whole, or over a longer period of time.

For more on 5G performance in the UK, visit our June 5G Scorecard. You can also contact us to request additional metrics or information.