A major new study has revealed which internet service providers are delivering the best and worst broadband experiences to homes across the United Kingdom. The comprehensive analysis, conducted by the global analytics firm Opensignal, tested key performance metrics including download and upload speeds, video streaming quality, and overall reliability.
Virgin Media Dominates Across the Board
The clear winner of the latest assessment was Virgin Media. The provider secured first place in every single category measured, establishing a significant lead over its competitors. Principal Analyst at Opensignal, Andrey Popov, attributed this success to the company's network infrastructure. "Amid the UK’s ongoing transition to full-fibre networks, Virgin Media has the strongest overall broadband experience across all measures that we track," Popov explained.
He highlighted that Virgin's upgraded cable-to-fibre network sets it apart from ISPs relying on the Openreach wholesale platform. The data shows Virgin Media achieved a leading average download speed of 187.8Mbps and a top score of 747 points for Reliability Experience.
The Challengers and Their Strategies
Securing a strong second place overall was Vodafone. The report notes that Vodafone benefits from a dual-network strategy, operating across both the Openreach and CityFibre networks, which appears to give it an edge over providers using a single platform.
BT/EE performed well, taking third place in categories like Consistent Quality and Download Speed. Sky also received recognition, coming second only to Virgin Media for Video Experience, which measures the quality of streaming services like Netflix and YouTube.
Providers Lagging Behind
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Three found itself at the bottom of the league table. The mobile network turned home broadband provider scored the lowest for Consistent Quality, Upload Speed, Video Experience, and Reliability Experience.
TalkTalk also struggled in the download speed category, averaging just 55.1Mbps. This is in stark contrast to Virgin Media's winning score of over 180Mbps, illustrating a substantial performance gap for consumers.
Full Opensignal Ranking Results
Consistent Quality:
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
- BT/EE
- TalkTalk
- Sky
- Three
Download Speed:
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
- BT/EE
- Sky
- Three
- TalkTalk
Upload Speed:
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
- BT/EE
- Sky
- TalkTalk
- Three
Video Experience:
- Virgin Media
- Sky
- Vodafone
- BT
- TalkTalk
- Three
Reliability Experience:
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
- Sky
- BT
- TalkTalk
- Three
The findings, published on December 23, 2025, offer a crucial snapshot for consumers considering a switch and highlight the widening performance differences between UK broadband networks.
