Mobile network performance researchers at market leading analysis firm STREETWAVE have published their latest findings from a survey of the London - Edinburgh rail service.
Using their in-house developed analysis tools, the STREETWAVE team independently evaluated mobile experience for rail passengers when browsing the internet on each of the four main mobile networks in the UK: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.
The research found some users without a useable internet connection for over 2 hours of their 4 hour 40-minute journey. Internet connectivity dropped regularly for every network, with coverage gaps up to 31 miles long limiting passengers’ ability to browse online whilst on the train.
Overall, the data showed that EE was the network that provided the least interruptions for passengers when browsing the internet during the survey. EE was also found to offer the fastest average speeds along the line, with download speeds up to twice as fast as the other mobile networks.
Details about the survey:
Streetwave completed an independent survey measuring the quality of the mobile networks for internet browsing along the LNER Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross train service. The survey compared the user experience offered to rail passengers by EE, O2, Three and Vodafone.
The railway line was surveyed on the 17th of March 2023. The mobile networks were judged to have internet browsing ‘not-spots’ if they were unable to load a web page within 3 seconds.
The results show that every mobile network had periods where its customers were unable to browse the internet without delay. When analysing the 4 hour and 40-minute journey, the following results were found:
|
Mobile Network |
Time Spent in Internet Browsing Not-Spots (Minutes) |
Average Download Speed (Mbps) |
Average Upload Speed (Mbps) |
|
EE |
94 |
10.3 |
4.8 |
|
O2 |
140 |
5.5 |
3.1 |
|
Three |
130 |
5.8 |
1.4 |
|
Vodafone |
148 |
5.1 |
2.7 |
Andrew Shaw, a passenger
I frequently travel between London and Edinburgh and struggle to connect to the internet. I know the onboard WIFI is temperamental, so I tend to give up on working and take a book.
Angus Hay, CEO of Streetwave
One of the key advantages rail should have over other transportation means is that it should enable passengers to stay connected for work while on the move. We hope that the findings from Streetwave’s independent survey can be used by stakeholders to identify the locations where mobile coverage can be improved for passengers travelling between London and Edinburgh.
