Mobile users in the UK have had a tough year in terms of mobile speeds. As per research company OpenSignal’s data shared with Financial Times, UK mobile users had an average 5G download speed of 118.2 Mbps from August 1 to October 29, 2023.
With each year passing, technology is supposed to improve and give us better but this was not the case. During the same period in 2022, the subscribers had 136.5 Mbps download speed in the 5G network.
5G brings a host of advantages, from extremely high download/upload speed to minimal latency and industrial applications, but its development has been a topic of debate. Despite being amongst the advanced economies, the UK struggled to improve broadband speed in this network.
UK mobile users had the slowest 5G speed in G7
To compare, it was significantly slower than the 5G speeds experienced by users in other G7 countries. In France, the average download speed on 5G was recorded at 221.1 Mbps, OpenSignal reported. Italy, which stood above the UK had 131.9 Mbps average 5G download speed rising from 97.6 Mbps in 2022.
The slow speed was also noticed in the upload. The UK was second to last in 5G upload speed with users getting an average of just 14.6 Mbps between August and October 2023.
Japanese users got 12.5 Mbps upload speed during the same period.
Also read: Ofcom UK tells companies to stop using the term “full fiber”
Reasons behind UK mobile users getting reduced 5G download speed in 2023
There are reasons the island country’s fifth-generation network saw reduced download speed capacity. One of these is attributable to the UK government’s ban on telco gears made by Huawei. The country has barred companies from importing and using Huawei-made telecom infrastructure amidst national security concerns.
But there is another interesting factor behind it. Despite 5G being the next-generation network with incredible promises, users are not eagerly opting for it. Dean Bubley, director at advisory firm Disruptive Analysis said that there’s a lack of a “real pull for the average user to deliberately seek it (5G) out.”
The permission rules for erecting 5G towers have also factored into the decreased 5G speed in the region.
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Huawei’s gear restriction was another reason
Sam Fenwick, principal analyst at OpenSignal, said that the extra traffic on the UK’s 5G networks, which had created “some congestion during the busiest times of day” was another reason for the speed regress. Also, plans and regulations are yet to be finalized to upgrade 5G sites after Huawei barring and this hasn’t helped in transforming mobile communication with 5G.
The UK government has said that it plans to bring 5G to the majority of the population by 2027. Additionally, the state has set a target for nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to enable applications in healthcare and self-driving cars to all at the end of 2030.
5G is said to contribute £159 billion in productivity by 2035.