UK Mobile Speeds

[dlovett]

Hi,
For my new job I'm going to need to send large amounts of data to a cloud server. Somewhere in the region of 40-100gb per day. Where I will be working has wifi, but it's shared and not fast, so that's not really an option as I'll need to send 50% of it from lunchtime and the rest during the afternoon. Once I am done for the day and go home, I'll have to send the rest from home. The cloud can take it pretty much as fast as I can supply it, they say up to about 100gb/s + speeds. I've maxed out my home broadband with them, which has 35Mbit/s upload so I believe them. I can increase the speed of my home upload speed, but I need to get as much data sent from site as possible. The location seems to have good 4G signal with the four major networks , so can anybody that does upload a lot give me an idea on their networks' real world upload speed so I can try to pick the fastest one.

EE says typically between 5–6 megabits per second (Mbit/s), with a maximum of 15 Mbit/s
The others have either hidden their speeds in their website somewhere I cannot find or don't spec them for uploads.

I'd rather get some honest opinions before I shell out on a load of sims to start testing.

[voodoo_simon]

iPhone 15 Pro on EE and 5G according to the phone


Edit - attachment doesn’t work so
Upload 20.7
Download 41.9

No idea if that’s good, bad, or whatever

Second edit - used google speed test for results

[johnnystorm]

Not sure there's much point telling what I get in rural Suffolk if that's not where you are.

If it's for work and mission critical buying a batch of PAYG or one month SIMs and using then for the actual task is the only sensible way to do it. You've got some serious data volume requirements so that'll narrow down the options.

[dlovett]

iPhone 15 Pro on EE and 5G according to the phone


Edit - attachment doesn’t work so
Upload 20.7
Download 41.9

No idea if that’s good, bad, or whatever

Second edit - used google speed test for results

Thanks Simon.

Ok for 4g but for 5g that sounds pretty slow compared the the speeds that the networks claim it can do. Tbh that’s the reason for asking, never found their speeds are anything near what they say apart from Telstra in Aus, who I used to send a lot of data with, but I’d an external modem with antennas to make that work in the sticks.

[dlovett]

Not sure there's much point telling what I get in rural Suffolk if that's not where you are.

If it's for work and mission critical buying a batch of PAYG or one month SIMs and using then for the actual task is the only sensible way to do it. You've got some serious data volume requirements so that'll narrow down the options.

Yep that’s one option and I’ve bought a load of sims ready to try it. However Vodafone has three sets of speed alone on their PAYG and monthly plans. Plus you have all the virtual ops as well to consider who offer much better value, Smarty is £20 per month unlimited data yet Vodafone is £40 per month unlimited, theoretically both using the same Vodafone 4g network!

Of course my external modem is now refusing to see any sims in it.

Any good recommendations for an unlocked replacement non usb but run on battery??

[jBay]

Just an idea

https://www.starlink.com/gb/roam

Or an E-Sim so you can try different networks, this provider uses O2 in the UK - Airalo and you can get an e-sim for a week.

[PaulE]

Lebara 5g here, which uses Vodafone data. 23Mb/s download, 35 upload. If you look via some of the comparison sites, there are extremely cheap deals for the first 3 months on various providers, I think mine was about £2 for 15Gb but there was unlimited for not too much more

[dlovett]

Just an idea

https://www.starlink.com/gb/roam

Or an E-Sim so you can try different networks, this provider uses O2 in the UK - Airalo and you can get an e-sim for a week.

Star link is £1 per gb so just too pricey. Unfortunately most uk providers don’t do eSIMs in PAYG and the modem will most likely require a standard sim. This is for perhaps six months tops 1/3 days per month when I am at this site, so no don’t want a contract for 24 months.

I’ll just have to get an another 4g modem to replace mine as it always says sun joy present and actually try each network and see what one is reliablely the fastest. I am concerned about doors as at home on 25mn/s it took a long time to upload test files and I will want to leave the site as quickly as I can whist having sent at least 10-25gb of data if I am to send the rest from the car and then at home. The only other option I guess is to actually buy another phone handset that does 4/5g but that’s not going to be cheap as my own phone isn’t 5g.

[dlovett]

For reference on an O2 normal contract (no speed shaping that I am aware of) in and my home area not the site area, with 2/4 signal bars on iPhone upload speed is 4.7mb/s.

[jBay]

Can be PAYG
https://www.airalo.com/united-kingdom-esim

I’m with Vodafone and buy one for remote areas as a back up for 7 days as O2 are the emergency service provider.

Starlink do a limit less contract for £90 a month, appreciate that’s not cheap!

[dlovett]

Updated Test Results, Same location a bit later on.

O2 on an iPhone SE 2020 (IOS Beta 18.2)
Google speed test Download 27.3-37.5 mb/s and Upload 0.94-18.3mb/s.
Fast.com download 25-35 mbps and upload 14-15 mbps.
Ookla Download 18.3-19.4 mbps Upload 5.62-8.04 mbps
Av Download 27mbps Upload 13mbps

However when tethering the iphone with usb
Google Download 29.1-36.2 mbps and Upload 11.7-13.5mbps.
Fast.com 21 -30mbps download and 8.8-12mbps upload.
Ookla Download 17-38 mbps Upload 13-14 mbps
Av Download 29 mbps Upload 12mbps

Slice, who use EE with eSIM and 1week 1gb free trial. Same iPhone and exact same location as o2.
Google Download 33.2-55.9mbps Upload 1.41-3.99mbps.
Fast.com Download 37-59 mbps upload 6.1-15mbps.
Ookla Download 71-79 mbps Upload 0.80-1.24 mbps
Av Download 56 mbps Upload 7.2mbps

Now need to try 3 and Voda, to see how they compare then repeat on again on site under work conditions.

[johnnystorm]

Not sure there's much point telling what I get in rural Suffolk if that's not where you are.

If it's for work and mission critical buying a batch of PAYG or one month SIMs and using then for the actual task is the only sensible way to do it. You've got some serious data volume requirements so that'll narrow down the options.

Yep that’s one option and I’ve bought a load of sims ready to try it. However Vodafone has three sets of speed alone on their PAYG and monthly plans. Plus you have all the virtual ops as well to consider who offer much better value, Smarty is £20 per month unlimited data yet Vodafone is £40 per month unlimited, theoretically both using the same Vodafone 4g network!

Of course my external modem is now refusing to see any sims in it.

Any good recommendations for an unlocked replacement non usb but run on battery??

I bought a Vodafone sim before opting for Voxi which is their in-house NVMO.

Smarty is Three's. I tried them for a while having been on three.

I haven't tried a mobile router but if you aren't planning on using your phone Three do deals with a 4G or 5G router.