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The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. Read more >
Vodafone is the UK’s oldest mobile network, having launched way back in 1985. In fact, Ernie Wise made the first public mobile phone call on the network in a publicity stunt in early January of that year.
So, it has pedigree, but is it still the network of choice more than forty years later? Not according to our readers, with Vodafone propping up the table of the eight mobile networks in our recent survey. Vodafone’s scores are by no means terrible, but there’s little here to convince potential switchers to leap on to the network, especially when compared with rivals.
Vodafone has always been a “premium” network, and though its prices aren’t outrageous, especially on unlimited data deals, it is considerably more expensive than the award-winning Lebara, which also uses the Vodafone network. Its cheapest tariff is more than double the price of Lebara’s, and though it does include more data, Lebara’s cheapest 5GB deal will be more than enough for many people.
There’s also a complexity to Vodafone’s offering, with different speeds, different features and varying degrees of roaming charges, depending on which tariff you opt for.
We surveyed 1,022 Telegraph readers across the UK* to find out who provided their mobile network and what they thought about the service. Readers provided their verdicts for the three master brands (EE, O2 and VodafoneThree), as well as virtual networks (MVNOs): Tesco Mobile, Lebara, Sky Mobile, BT Mobile and Giffgaff.
We excluded any provider used by fewer than 20 per cent of our readers. In addition, we categorised providers with an average rating of three stars or lower as “below average”.
As well as speed, reliability, value for money and ease of contact, we asked our readers how helpful their providers were once they got through to them, as well as their experiences using data roaming while abroad.
Score: 3/5
As mentioned previously, Vodafone isn’t the cheapest network. Certainly, if you’re the kind of person who only has a mobile phone for emergencies, you’ll want to look at rivals such as Lebara or Tesco Mobile for far cheaper entry-level deals.
That said, some of Vodafone’s pay-as-you-go SIMs are competitively priced, and the ‘Unlimited Plus’ deal is right up there with the cheapest unlimited data deals. However, that brings us to a gotcha to watch with Vodafone’s contract deals: varying speeds and features.
That Unlimited Plus deal is limited to 100Mbits/sec download speeds. In the real world, that’s unlikely to cause you any problems, but other more expensive tariffs have their speeds uncapped. Other tariffs have device care, extra roaming destinations, unlimited picture messaging (is this still a thing in 2026?) and entertainment subscriptions thrown in. In other words, you need to pick carefully through Vodafone’s huge range of tariffs.
Telegraph readers weren’t blown away by the value on offer. A satisfaction score of 67 per cent was the worst of any network in our round-up. Note: BT Mobile scored lower, but the network is no longer available for new customers.
Score: 3/5
Vodafone also recorded the worst speed satisfaction score of any network in our test, with only 69 per cent of customers happy.
It’s worth noting that customers of Lebara, which also uses Vodafone’s network, gave a speed score of 85 per cent, so it may be Vodafone customers’ perception of speed is being clouded by cost. It might also reflect that not all Vodafone tariffs offer the fastest possible speeds.
Ofcom’s latest figures put Vodafone’s outdoor 5G coverage at between 51 per cent and 64 per cent of UK premises, so there is also a large chunk of the country that has no access the top speeds yet.
Score: 3.5/5
A reliability satisfaction score of 76 per cent is by no means disastrous, but it is again the worst of any of the networks on test. For context, Lebara customers were 94 per cent satisfied, so it may again be a case of customers expecting more for their money when prices are higher.
Score: 2.5/5
Vodafone’s customer service scores are pretty dismal, the worst of any provider. Only 58 per cent of the Vodafone customers we surveyed were happy with the ease with which you can reach customer support and the same percentage were satisfied with the quality of the support when you do finally get through. For context, Tesco Mobile scored 94 per cent and 93 per cent on those two metrics.
Score: 3/5
Roaming is not a given on Vodafone, as it is with some other networks. The Pay As You Go Plus plans don’t include roaming, for example, meaning you’ll need to pay for “Roaming Extra” add-ons when travelling. On those tariffs, an eight-day pass offering 3GB of roaming data in 52 European destinations costs £9.60. To include countries such as the US and Canada, you’re looking at £18 for only 2GB.
Some of the more expensive pay monthly contracts do include roaming, but you’ll need to check your tariff carefully before signing up. Telegraph readers aren’t exactly blown away by the roaming deals, with 64 per cent satisfied with the value on offer.
(Note: this is just a sample of the SIM-only deals available from Vodafone)
Yes, if:
No, if:
The Research Method
*Online survey of adult Telegraph readers conducted on The Telegraph Contributors Panel, 27th November - 11th December 2025, conducted by Strat7 Researchbods. Survey sample: 1,022 total respondents. Respondents consisted of:
Providers with fewer than 40 respondents were excluded from the individual analysis as their sample sizes were not significant.
Respondents rated their mobile network providers across 13 key attributes using a 10-point scale. These individual ratings were then aggregated to produce an overall performance score based on our proprietary benchmark.
The key attributes evaluated were:
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