MedUX analysed data from millions of smartphone users across the continent for its 5G Quality of Experience report, revealing that Blighty trails most of its neighbours in download speed, upload speed, latency and packet loss. Even streaming a simple video is more likely to stall here than almost anywhere else in Europe.

The numbers are grim. UK 5G availability clocks in at a measly 34 per cent, meaning you only get a 5G signal about a third of the time. In contrast, countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland sit comfortably at the top of the league table.

When it comes to gaming, British players might as well be tethered to a potato. UK mobile networks report the highest average jitter in Europe at 33.48 milliseconds, which turns fast-paced gaming into a jerky, unplayable mess.

London, often assumed to be the country’s connectivity flagship, came near the bottom in a previous MedUX study comparing 15 major European cities. So much for the global tech hub hype.

Part of the problem is that many of the UK’s 5G deployments are still “basic 5G” setups, bolted onto legacy 4G infrastructure rather than built from the ground up with standalone 5G gear. That limits performance from the start.

Another issue is spectrum. The C-Band, between 3.7 and 4.2 GHz, is considered the sweet spot for 5G, but not everyone is using it effectively. Many UK networks are operating in lower frequency bands, which offer wider coverage but sluggish speeds.

MedUX CEO Luis Molina said the company aims to help countries like the UK “transform basic connectivity into an impactful tool for long-term societal development.” Given the current state of affairs, that transformation can’t come soon enough.

The report warns that Europe’s uneven 5G rollout has created a two-speed continent, with rural areas and some urban black spots still stuck in the digital slow lane. If the UK wants to meet the EU’s Digital Decade 2030 goals, despite being outside the bloc, it will need to invest properly and pick up the pace.