What "99% coverage" doesn't mean
Population coverage figures describe predicted outdoor signal for that percentage of UK residents — not 99% of the country's land area.
2026 independent test results
EE leads overall at 920/1,000. Vodafone is 2nd at 808/1,000. Three is 3rd at 799/1,000. The combined VMO2 figure sits at 768/1,000, though it was named Europe's most-improved network last year.
O2's satellite layer
O2 became the first UK network with direct-to-mobile satellite coverage in 2026, extending effective landmass coverage from 89% to 95% — though this does not extend to Tesco Mobile or Sky Mobile, which run on O2's network but not this newer feature.
Where MVNOs fit in
Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile inherit O2's exact coverage. iD Mobile inherits Three's. None appear separately in independent test rankings since they don't operate their own infrastructure.
Checking your own address
Every network offers an online coverage checker — always confirm signal at your specific address before switching.
Independent guidance notice: Onuhiowise (onuhiowise.online) is an independent information and guidance website covering all major UK mobile networks equally — Three, O2, EE, Tesco Mobile, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, and iD Mobile. We are not any of these companies, not a reseller, not an agent, and not an authorised partner of any of them. We do not sell SIM cards, contracts, or airtime, and we do not display or quote pricing anywhere on this site. If you contact us by phone or form, you are reaching Onuhiowise's own independent guidance team — never a network's official customer service line. Our team will always introduce themselves as Onuhiowise, an independent service, and will never claim or imply that we are O2, Three, EE, Tesco Mobile, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, iD Mobile, or any other network. Network names and colours used on this site are trademarks of their respective owners, used only so you know which network a page is about — this does not imply any partnership or endorsement. Always confirm final pricing, contract terms, and account-specific matters directly with your network.