London’s mobile networks fall to bottom of Europe’s capital league
London's mobile networks have fallen behind other European capitals in performance metrics. The city ranked seventh of 18 European capitals for median download speed in 2021 but has since slipped further, now showing the slowest median download speeds (109.43 Mbps) and highest latency under load among major European cities. Testing firm Ookla's Q3 2026 data shows congestion as the primary cause, with central London experiencing 27% speed drops during weekday commute hours. Key obstacles include a decline in new mobile mast applications since 2022, with approximately 75% of applications filed since 2019 refused. Despite being early for 5G rollout, London's 5G median speed peaked at 200 Mbps i
Key points
- London ranks 7th of 18 European capitals for mobile download speeds
- Now slowest for median download speed (109.43 Mbps) and upload speed (11.40 Mbps)
- Congestion worsens peak-hour speeds by 27% in central London
- Regulatory hurdles: 75% of mast applications since 2019 refused
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