London mobile networks fall to bottom of Europe’s capital league as capacity struggles deepen

London trails European capitals

Ookla’s Q3 2026 tests placed London last among European capitals for median mobile download and upload speeds, and found it had the highest latency under load. Download speed measured 109.43 Mbps and upload speed 11.40 Mbps.

The city was among the first European capitals to receive 5G coverage. Ookla’s records show London’s 5G median speed peaked at 200 Mbps in Q2 2021, dropped to 102 Mbps in Q3 2023, then recovered slightly. Paris has remained above 225 Mbps since mid-2021.

Barriers to adding capacity

Applications for new street masts in London have declined since 2022, and about three quarters of applications filed since 2019 were refused, the research says. Planning restrictions, especially in conservation areas, can hinder installation and upgrades.

Rooftop sites and other factors

UK mobile operators own few of their antenna sites, according to Ookla, and many sites are on rooftops in built-up areas. Operators may receive notices to quit when buildings are redeveloped; an estimated 7 percent of London’s rooftop sites are unavailable at any time.

Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini of KAUST told The Register last year that replacing network equipment supplied by China-based Huawei had diverted funds from capacity building. The reporting identifies this as another explanation for poor service, while noting that people elsewhere in the UK still without a 5G signal may have little sympathy for London.