EE on top, Vodafone at bottom in tests on mobile networks

A comprehensive set of tests conducted on mobile networks in the UK, has seen EE take the top spot with Vodafone taking the last.

Mobile measurement firm RootMetrics which conducted over 840,000 checks, ranking operators for reliability and speed of voice, data and text services revealed that while EE dominated for speed, Three was a close second on reliability during last year's six-month study.

Vodafone said that it could not take the report seriously and neither should its customers.

According to the telco, evidence suggested a number of tests were "carried out in an inconsistent manner".

O2 came in second on the speed index, but its reliability score was lower than that of EE or Three in the tests.

Each operator was rated out of 100 across a number performance parameters- overall performance, call performance, mobile internet, text, network reliability and network speed.

EE topped all categories, Three was second in terms of mobile internet, text services and network reliability.

O2 came second in the call performance and network speed categories.

Vodafone came in last across all categories apart from network speed, where it beat Three.

RootMetrics said average speeds for networks were not given as they ranged so vastly from area to area, RootMetrics said.

The study also did not offer details of network coverage and mobile hotspots, although consumers could look at individual network performance at street level via its coverage map.

CIO quoted RootMetrics CEO and president Bill Moore as saying, the results gave UK consumers and businesses the most accurate view of mobile performance in the UK that had ever been made available.

He added, from nation to neighbourhood, people now had access to data showing them the best network in their area.

The tests were conducted using off-the-shelf Android handsets with the RootMetrics' analytics software installed.

Market leader EE claimed in January that it had attracted more than two million customers to its 4G network since its launch in October 2012.

Meanwhile, Vodafone and O2 are looking to catch up with EE, which launched its 4G networks 10 months ahead of the two.

Vodafone and O2 launched their 4G networks at the end of last August.

EE was able to get a head start thanks to industry regulator Ofcom granting it permission to use its existing 2G spectrum to roll out 4G services.

Three was the last major mobile phone operator to lauch 4G with its faster network last December.

However, unlike the other operators, the telco said it would offer 4G to existing customers at no extra cost and offer unlimited data.