LONDON, AACHEN and HAAR, Germany, October 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Vodafone improves significantly and ends up in second position for voice and data separately, overtaken in the total score by Three, due to their leading voice position. Telefónica shows good results in highly frequented areas in big cities.

Video introduction:  

http://www.p3-group.com/Video-P3-connect-Mobile-Benchmark-UK-2015

Benchmark report: 

http://www.p3-group.com/Report_P3_connect_Mobile_Benchmark_UK_2015

Image material:  

http://www.p3-group.com/Image-Material-P3-connect-Mobile-Benchmark-UK-2015

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278286-INFO )

Today, the international leader in mobile benchmarking P3 communications and the renowned European telecommunications magazine connect have published the P3 connect Mobile Benchmark UK 2015 on connect-testmagazine.com. It objectively compares the UK's four mobile networks - Telefónica, Three, EE and Vodafone. Compared to last year's benchmark, the testing scope was extended and more cities were measured. Also, walk tests in six big cities were included to even better reflect the end user experience.

The benchmark measures smartphone voice and data performance based on weeks of extensive drive tests around the country - from major metro areas through to smaller cities and connecting highways. Also, walk tests were executed in big cities with special focus on highly frequented spots and indoor measurements. Test metrics include voice call quality, success rates, file upload and download speeds, website access as well as SD and HD mobile video performance.

Thanks to the brand-new Antenuatr technology, developed by P3, testing is even closer to actual end user experience. The Antenuatr, a compact piece of patent-pending hardware, fits in a small suitcase and is very quick to set up. That has made it possible to include indoor measurements in malls, airports or train stations into this year's testing scope along with the regular drive tests.

All operators have invested in their networks this year - and that's been reflected in some significant improvements in their benchmark results. EE, the winner of last year's benchmark can defend its leading position and takes the "best in test seal" again. Its investment in providing carrier aggregation as the first operator in the UK was rewarded with the most obvious lead in data performance. Regarding voice services, EE had to admit the field to Three showing the best results for voice services in big and small cities and thus, reaching the second place. Vodafone manages to deliver a balanced performance in both voice and data services, showing better voice services than EE and better data performance than Three. In the overall results, this brings Vodafone to the third place. Telefónica is staying slightly behind competition showing good results in walk tests in big cities but a lack of performance in small cities and on connecting roads.

With its dense population, London is a special terrain to deploy a mobile network. P3 and connect had a closer look at the capital to see if operators manage to cover the city as good as the rest of the country. Again, EE emerges best in data performance but shows low results in voice services. Three shows the best voice services but lacks good results in data performance. Telefónica, however, shows that its network works much better in big cities overtaking EE in voice and Three in data performance. The balanced performance of Vodafone - in voice and data - also shows in the London results. With a voice performance clearly better than EE and just one point behind Three and a data performance outrunning Three by more than a hundred points, they have received the highest test score for London.

"The benchmark revealed some very well performing services and some very well served areas of all operators reflecting their network strategies and investments," says Bernd Theiss, editor of connect. "However, compared to the leading operators in Europe and all over the world, all the UK networks revealed room for improvement."

"The operators have been very busy and invested heavily in their networks. To see how this affects the user's experience, we have reduced the size and complexity of the test hardware - making it much more portable, and much quicker to set up. This way, we were able to include walk tests with indoor measurements," says Hakan Ekmen, Managing Director of P3 communications.

P3 and connect have been executing the leading network benchmark in Germany for more than 10 years, so it was a logical step to extend this partnership to the benchmarks in Europe. With the annual benchmark, P3 and connect will keep track of how the operators' network plans play out in practice.

Press Contact
P3 communications
CREAM COMMUNICATION
+494043179126
P3@cream-communication.com
 
connect - WEKA MEDIA PUBLISHING GmbH
Bernd Theiss
+4989255561205
btheiss@connect.de

SOURCE P3 communications