EE, Vodafone, Three and O2 might be among the best-known UK providers, but they seem to be being eclipsed by many of Britain’s smaller networks. The consumer team at Which? has just released new rankings based on a survey of thousands of smartphone owners across the country. According to the report, lesser-known platforms are offering far better value for money and customer service.

“Which? surveyed more than 5,000 mobile customers about their experiences to find out which providers are impressing and which are falling short,” the consumer team said.

“The results show that the ‘Big Four’ networks – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – continue to be outperformed by many smaller providers”

Coming top of the pile is Talkmobile, followed by Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff and SMARTY. EE was down in a ninth position with O2 and Three coming bottom of the league.

One of the main reasons to shop around is cost, with Which? advising that smaller providers often offer significantly lower prices. Confirmed in its latest survey, respondents using one of the ‘Big Four’ paid an average of £16 for a SIM-only contract, compared with just £9 on smaller networks – that’s almost half price.

And cheap deals don’t mean a bad signal. Many of these smaller firms ‘piggyback’ on the infrastructure of the ‘Big Four’, meaning that customers get the same coverage, proving there is no reason to pay a ‘brand tax’ for a major network contract.

Switching is often thought of as a time-consuming task, but escaping an expensive contract can take as little as 10 minutes.

As an example of the money that can be saved, one Which? member confirmed that they ditched O2, after being a customer since 2018. Monthly bills had crept up from £17 to £27 so they switched to an £8 Smarty deal in just ten minutes, saving £200 a year.

Speaking about the latest update, Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “Our latest research shows that smaller providers are consistently outshining the industry’s largest mobile firms by offering better customer service and far cheaper deals.

“Many top-rated challengers avoid mid-contract price hikes, offering households struggling with the cost of living much-needed certainty.

“Any customers nearing the end of their contract who are unhappy with their service, or simply looking to save money, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a provider that actually delivers on value.”