UK: most used mobile network providers 2022

In a survey from the first quarter of 2022, EE (a subsidiary of BT) emerged as the most popular mobile service provider in the United Kingdom (UK), with about 26 percent of respondents reporting that they used that provider. With a mobile voice network that covers approximately 97 percent of indoor premises in England as of January 2022, EE also consistently scored highly in customer satisfaction surveys. In 2021, 91 percent of EE mobile subscribers surveyed reported being either fairly satisfied or very satisfied with the service.

EE customer base

EE, purchased by the BT Group in 2016, provided service to roughly 30 million customers in the UK as at March 2018, including machine to machine (M2M) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) customers. Of these customers, the vast majority subscribe on a post-pay basis, with 17.6 million customers on such a contract. In 2021, Vodafone reported having over 17 million mobile customers in the UK.

Shifting mobile landscapes

Mobile service providers have had to contend with seismic shifts in their industry, with an increase in the average revenue per user (ARPU) for mobile data and a decline in the ARPU for mobile voice services, amounting to an overall decline in mobile service ARPU. This is also evident in figures reported for the UK by Vodafone and Telefonica. Each of these companies reported a drop in mobile ARPU, most notably for customers on long-term contracts.