The UK is home to dozens of mobile companies – but did you know they all use one of four possible carrier networks?
Knowing which carrier network your phone uses is crucial for checking your coverage and tracking outages. However, phone companies don’t always make it obvious which network they’re a part of.
Check our table below to find out which network your SIM supplier uses, and learn more handy information about carrier networks.
What is a carrier network?
Mobile carrier networks and also known as mobile network operators (MNOs) and wireless carriers.
Mobile phone services such as calls, texts and internet access all rely on an infrastructure of mobile towers and masts, and use licensed frequencies on the radio spectrum.
Rather than every mobile company operating its own network, a select few companies own and operate the UK mobile infrastructure. These companies then rent access to their networks to smaller mobile companies.
Every company using the same MNO offers the same network coverage, and will experience outages if there’s a problem with their carrier network.
Top tip! Mobile network carriers are also responsible for upgrades to the network, like the rollout of 6G
What are the UK carrier networks?
The four mobile carrier networks operating in the UK are EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three.
All other mobile providers, including phone companies and mobile broadband suppliers, will use infrastructure managed by one of these four companies.
What carrier network am I on?
Find your mobile supplier in the table below to learn which UK mobile carrier network they use:
| Carrier Network | Mobile SIM supplier |
| EE | 1GLOBAL, 1pMobile, CMLink, CTExcel, Ecotalk, Lyca Mobile, spusu, Utility Warehouse, Your Co-op |
| O2 | Giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile |
| Vodafone | Asda Mobile, Lebara, Talkmobile, VOXI |
| Three | Honest Mobile, iD Mobile, SMARTY, Superdrug Mobile |
Vodafone and Three have merged networks
Earlier this year, Vodafone and Three merged to create a new company called VodafoneThree.
The two providers have merged their networks, though they still operate two separate mobile brands. This means that customers of both Vodafone UK and Three UK can use both mobile networks.
Customers’ phones will automatically use whichever network connection is best in their area. It’s estimated this has brought better mobile coverage to 16,500 square kilometres of the UK.
Which carrier network has the best coverage?
In 2024, EE won Open Signal’s award for best 5G Coverage Experience and 5G availability. They are generally considered to be the UK’s best carrier network.
However, every carrier network offers coverage to more than 97% of the UK.
It’s more important to check which mobile networks have good signal strength in your local area. Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker shows network availability and speed across the UK by postcode. Use it before switching providers to check you can get a good 4G or 5G signal on the new network.
Tip: Mobile broadband provider Connectivity offers free network switching, allowing their customers to use whichever mobile carrier has the best signal in their area, even if they move mid-contract
