London’s mobile networks fall to bottom of Europe’s capital league
Rooftop rent cuts, planning refusals and congestion leave Ookla ranking the UK’s capital last for speed and latency
London's mobile networks have fallen to the bottom of Europe's capital cities, according to a recent report by mobile network testing firm Ookla. In 2021, the city ranked seventh out of 18 European capitals for median download speed, but since then, demand has outpaced the capacity available to meet it. London now suffers from the slowest speeds and highest latency under load compared to other major cities, with Ookla pointing to obstacles mobile operators face in adding extra capacity.
These include a decline in applications for new street masts, with only 25% of those filed since 2019 being approved. The city was an early adopter of 5G coverage, but its median download speed dropped to 109.43 Mbps and median upload speed to 11.40 Mbps in Q3 2026, while Paris maintained speeds above 225 Mbps. Congestion in Central London, exacerbated by UK mobile operators' limited ownership of antenna sites and planning restrictions, is also a significant factor.
City Hall has acknowledged the issue, with a draft plan for the capital proposing measures to improve mobile connectivity, including requirements for developers to maintain mobile service during construction and work with operators on sites in conservation areas.
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