London ranked the worst city in the UK for mobile network performance

London has been ranked the worst city in the UK for mobile network performance at a time when the rest of the country is speeding ahead with 5G connectivity.

Belfast and Edinburgh took first and second place respectively, largely due to improved download speeds from network carriers and strong reliability results across all networks. 

The report by IHS Markit's Rootmetrics measured overall network performance in the UK's 16 most populated cities through a combination of data, call and text results, network reliability and speed.

London's ability to perform well in mobile network performance was hampered by the number of tall buildings and sheer crowd density causing congestion in the city, which can cause disruption to network signals.

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However as 5G technology is rolled out, it is thought London's infrastructure makes it the most likely city to deploy the type of small cell tech needed to deliver widespread 5G coverage.

"As the capital city and business epicenter of the UK, you would expect connectivity that is equal to or better than rivals, but that hasn’t been the case to this point," said IHS Markit's executive director of performance benchmark Kevin Hasley.

"5G may well be the cure London needs, but currently, performance in other cities like Belfast and Edinburgh has been stronger."

Birmingham and Hull also brought up the rear-end of the rankings in 14th and 15th place respectively, as some larger metro areas began to experience mixed results.

However other large cities, including Manchester and Liverpool, finished higher overall with stellar ratings for call and text reliability.