Summary
- Opensignal’s 2025 UK Fixed Broadband Experience report uses user testing data collected from 3 July to 29 September 2025.
- Virgin Media takes first place across every UK-wide category Opensignal publishes (including quality, speeds, video streaming and reliability).
- Nationally, Virgin Media records an average download speed of 187.7Mbps and a Reliability Experience score of 747 points.
- Vodafone ranks second for average download and upload speeds nationally, and places second for Consistent Quality.
- In London’s city snapshot, Community Fibre leads for average download speed at 208.7Mbps, ahead of Virgin Media and Hyperoptic.
Opensignal has released its 2025 broadband experience report, based on performance tests carried out by users across the UK. The data — collected between 3 July and 29 September — offers a detailed look at how providers perform in different parts of the country.
Where the results come from
Opensignal uses crowdsourced performance data, measured through user devices. That means these results reflect what real people experience at home. But it also means performance figures can vary due to factors like:
- the broadband package someone chooses — faster speeds might be available, but some users go for slower, cheaper options
- home setup — Wi-Fi signal strength, router placement, older internal wiring and number of devices in use can all affect results
- local congestion — especially during peak hours when usage is highest
So the numbers give a realistic picture of user experience — but they don’t guarantee what any individual home will get.
Five categories of performance
The report scores each provider across five main areas. Some are based on Mbps speeds, while others are score-based experience ratings:
- Consistent Quality — a score out of 100
- Download Speed — average Mbps
- Upload Speed — average Mbps
- Video Experience — score-based
- Reliability Experience — score-based
These reflect not just how fast a connection is, but how consistently it performs across typical tasks like browsing, video calls and streaming.
Virgin Media leads the national results
Virgin Media takes the top spot in all five UK-wide categories.
Two figures stand out clearly in the national results:
- Average download speed: 187.7Mbps
- Reliability Experience: 747 points
That puts Virgin Media well ahead of the rest of the market in overall performance.
Consistent Quality: all providers drop compared to last year
Consistent Quality scores, which reflect how reliably a connection performs across common tasks, are lower for every provider listed compared to their earlier results.
Consistent Quality score (out of 100), with previous year in brackets:
- Virgin Media: 81.6 (90.4)
- Vodafone: 78.7 (88.4)
- BT + EE: 74.6 (BT 86.6 / EE 83.1)
- TalkTalk: 72.8 (82.6)
- Sky Broadband: 70.7 (76.9)
- Three UK: 62.6 (72.3)
Despite the drop across the board, Virgin Media keeps the top spot, with Vodafone just behind.
Download speeds: Virgin Media takes the lead again
Download speeds are up across the board compared to the earlier results listed, with Virgin Media leading by some distance.
Average download speeds (Mbps), with previous year in brackets:
- Virgin Media: 187.7Mbps (157.4Mbps)
- Vodafone: 105Mbps (77.5Mbps)
- BT + EE: 75.3Mbps (BT 62.0Mbps / EE 45.9Mbps)
- Sky Broadband: 70.4Mbps (52.5Mbps)
- Three UK: 63.2Mbps (54.8Mbps)
- TalkTalk: 55.1Mbps (48.8Mbps)
Virgin Media’s average is nearly double that of Vodafone in second place.
Upload speeds: a tighter race at the top
Upload speeds show a closer contest between the top two, with Virgin Media and Vodafone nearly level.
Average upload speeds (Mbps):
- Virgin Media: 36.5Mbps
- Vodafone: 34.3Mbps
- BT + EE: 24.9Mbps
- Sky Broadband: 20Mbps
- TalkTalk: 19Mbps
- Three UK: 15.7Mbps
There’s a significant drop between the top two and the rest of the field, with BT + EE nearly 10Mbps behind Vodafone.
Why some providers score higher than others
The averages in this report are shaped by the technology mix each provider uses and promotes.
Providers like Virgin Media, who offer faster packages on cable or full fibre connections to most customers, naturally show higher speeds. Others — especially those with more customers on older copper-based connections — tend to have lower averages.
Customer choices also matter. Many users still opt for slower plans to save money, which pulls down the average even if faster options are available.
Vodafone’s shift towards full fibre shows in the numbers
Vodafone takes second place nationally for average download speed (105Mbps), upload speed (34.3Mbps), and Consistent Quality (78.7).
That reflects its increasing focus on full fibre availability, delivered via wholesale partnerships. Vodafone now offers broadband using networks from Openreach, CityFibre and Community Fibre.
These partnerships are helping Vodafone grow its coverage of full fibre areas without having to build its own infrastructure.
A very different picture in London
Opensignal also breaks down results by city — and London’s data looks very different from the national averages.
In London, full-fibre providers with strong urban coverage take the top spots, ahead of the big national names.
Average download speeds in London (Mbps):
- Community Fibre: 208.7
- Virgin Media: 167.0
- Hyperoptic: 164.3
- Three UK: 78.9
- Vodafone: 72.5
- BT (including EE): 64.7
- Sky Broadband: 57.7
- TalkTalk: 44.3
Opensignal also reports that Community Fibre’s average upload speed in London reaches 164Mbps — equal to its download speed.
That’s one of the benefits of full fibre networks, especially where symmetrical speeds are offered.
A fixed broadband report with a mobile broadband provider included
Although the report focuses on fixed broadband, it still includes results for Three UK. That’s notable because Three mainly offers mobile broadband using 4G and 5G.
Including Three gives an extra comparison point, but it does mean the results don’t always reflect like-for-like fixed-line services.
More full fibre means changing averages
These results come at a time when UK broadband networks are still changing quickly. According to Ofcom’s 2025 Connected Nations report:
- Full fibre is available to 78% of UK premises
- Gigabit-capable broadband is available to 87%
That expansion helps explain why city-level results often look different from national averages — especially in places where smaller full-fibre providers are widely available.
Using these results to compare providers
If you’re deciding between providers, these kinds of results can be useful — but only if you apply them to your specific situation.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Always check which providers and plans are available at your premises — not just in your town or postcode area.
- Compare broadband deals with similar speeds when you can. Averages across all users don’t show how fast a provider’s top packages really are.
- If your home relies heavily on Wi-Fi, don’t overlook your router and setup. A fast connection won’t deliver fast results if your Wi-Fi signal is weak or poorly placed.
