Mobile connectivity across the UK is improving on average, but a divide between urban and rural locations persists, according to a new report. The report, by analyst Ookla, used its own Speedtest Intelligence data based on billions of real-world tests via the Speedtest app, used by carriers, businesses and governments for benchmarking, monitoring and marketing. It focused on mobile connectivity across local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, identifying areas where progress had been made, and those where mobile ‘notspots’ persisted.
Comparing results from Q1 to Q3 2025 with the same period in 2024, it found that the average (median) mobile download speed across the UK increased by 15% to reach 63.03 megabytes per second (Mbps) in 2025. Upload speeds also improved from 7.80 Mbps to 8.21 Mbps, representing an increase of just over 5%. The average latency across the UK fell by 4% to 50 milliseconds (ms). This refers to the time it takes for data to travel from one part of a network, such as your smartphone, to another.
Average performance improved but there were some big disparities
While the national average performance improved across the board, there were some huge differences between local authority areas. Leicester had the fastest median download speed, at just over 100 Mbps, while the Shetland Islands achieved just over 10 Mbps. More than a quarter (28%) of local authorities had fewer than 60% of test samples meeting a 25 Mbps download threshold. This suggested that many people across the UK experienced persistently poor connectivity.
Outside the Shetland Isles, the weakest performers included Anglesey, Fermanagh and Omagh, Denbighshire, Pembrokeshire, Orkney and Cornwall. These areas had download speeds of somewhere between the teens and low 20s, with fewer than half the samples analysed reaching the 25 Mbps benchmark. When looking at the demographics of the local authorities being compared, it was found that “population density correlates strongly with better outcomes”. Specifically, high-density urban areas such as Leicester and Nottingham, with population densities exceeding 4,000 people per square kilometre, consistently deliver median speeds above 100 Mbps. By contrast, expansive rural areas such as the Scottish Highlands, with densities of less than 30 people per square kilometre, struggle to reach 30 Mbps.
Ookla said that the findings illustrated the urban-rural digital divide, demonstrating that “where you live in the UK largely dictates your mobile experience”.
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