O2 and Vodafone top mobile download speeds

O2 and Vodafone have emerged as the UK's fastest mobile broadband networks, according to a new study from radio engineering specialist Siroda.

The study measured the data download speed of all five UK networks Orange, Vodafone, O2, Three, and T-Mobile across the UK's largest 20 cities over a 60-day period ending in January. In each case, Siroda measured the time taken to download a typically sized music file, as well as the time taken to load a web page.

O2 came out on top in 12 of the 20 cities when it came to downloading the music file, with Vodafone a distant second with five. T-Mobile proved the fastest in two cities, and Three in a single city. Orange failed to come out on top in any of the regions measured.

When it came to loading the web page, however, the networks were more evenly matched. Vodafone narrowly took top spot with the fastest times in five regions, but all five networks took at least three.

To ensure accuracy, the study which was commissioned by O2 itself performed the tests repetitively at various times between 10am and 10pm and on every day of the week.

Both O2 and Siroda insisted the data had been overseen and independently verified by the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications (BABT).

O2 invested 30 million in its network infrastructure in the latter part of 2009, adding 40 new masts around London. And sure enough, Greater London was one of the four locations where it proved the fastest at loading the web page. Its loading time of 1.3 seconds in London was 30 per cent faster than any other network.

"We're very pleased with these conclusive findings, which have been independently verified," O2's chief technology officer Derek McManus said in a statement. "Our London customers are now seeing the benefits of the investment we made before Christmas.

"Outside London, where network quality is shown to be strong, we continue to scale our investment and have committed to deliver a further 1,500 new sites by the end of this year, building ahead of the demand for data services."

Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield were also tested. While the same tests were repeated over all five networks and in all locations, Siroda didn't specify the size of the music file, the web page used to measure loading times or the data speed used.