UK lags for 5G mobile availability

A recent study by Ookla and its internet connection measuring service Speedtest.net has revealed where the UK stands in Europe regarding availability for 5G mobile broadband.

The research uncovered that Britain is trailing most nations in the continent and has a poor level of availability for the latest generation in mobile broadband.

The UK finds itself at the bottom of a table ranking the percentage of mobile users that have 5G-capable devices that spend most of the time connected to a 5G network, with a score of only 42.2 per cent.

Due to the increased capacity of smart phone technology and the ease of use and accessibility of hand-held devices, mobile broadband is an essential service for many businesspeople today. Whether they are conducting video conferences on the hop or sending work emails from home or the office, fast and dependable mobile broadband is a necessary asset.

Nordic countries performed much better in the report. All four found themselves in the top 10, and three nations led by Denmark – Europe’s current leader for 5G availability – placed in the top five.

While Denmark topped the table overall at 83.4 per cent, it only just beat Switzerland – the only European country other than Denmark to surpass the 80 per cent milestone.

It is worth noting that making service comparisons between countries is notoriously tricky, but regardless, the latest result for 5G availability in the UK still falls short by European standards. Experts cite the UK government’s move to ban Huawei as a major impact on the current situation.