Are my speeds being capped or reduced for some reason?

[sevensamurai22]

In recent months, I've noticed that my EE speeds are being capped or inexplicably reduced. I suspected this was the case because I've never gotten a speed test to go over 150-200 Mbps for months. It's hardly unusable, but still somewhat annoying, considering I'm on an unlimited, uncapped plan.

Yesterday, I activated a Lyca SIM card on my phone which now also uses EE's network.  It is clear from the results that my EE SIM card is reduced. The below tests were carried out using eSIM on a Galaxy S23 Ultra from the exact same location (Belfast) and time using Speedtest.net. I also used Fast.com and results were very similar:

EE - 140Mbps / 60.2 Mbps
Lyca - 629 Mbps / 60 Mbps

EE - 199 Mbps / 60.2 Mbps
Lyca - 672 Mbps / 52.8 Mbps

I thought Lyca was supposed to be inferior considering it doesn't have all of EE's available bands, but speeds are considerably faster when compared to my unlimited, uncapped EE SIM. I contacted EE Support and they told me that there was nothing they can do because my speeds are above average. So why can I get more than 3 times the speed with a cheap MVNO at the exact same location? It is not a single mast. It has been like this for many months from various locations throughout NI where I could comfortably get well above 200 Mbps on both 4G and 5G. A friend of mine has the exact same issue and I've just asked someone else to test.

I appreciate this hardly makes it unusable but still, an explanation would be nice. Thank you!

[EssexBoyEE]

Looking at your Lyca Sim Speed Tests this appears to be connected to 4/5G in order to reach those Speeds, your EE Sim may be on 4G+ or 4/5G, if you look at your Speedtest.net Results History (It needs to be the Ookla App not the Speedtest.net Web Site Test), under each Speed Test History Results you should see the Connection Type, it will say either LTE (4G) or 5G, Telling you which Connection method was used for each Test.

EE do Sleep the 5G Connection, in other words, just because the Device or Phone Signal is showing a 5G Signal or Symbol doesn't always mean your are actually Connected to a 5G Network Connection, there are Apps available to prove this but as said above the Ookla Speediest App is pretty good at confirming this.

Other posible reasons could be -

Is your EE Unlimited Plan a Older 4G Plan or a more up to date 5G Plan, if its the later is it a Full Speed Plan (Our best speeds, no max. Mbps), have you exceed the EE Monthly Data Use FUP, this will also restrict your Speeds, On the Device Settings is the Mobile Data set for 5G for the correct Sim Slot or eSim position (normally 5G is only available per 1 Sim Position at any one time), is the EE APN Settings correct for each Sim Position.

[sevensamurai22]

Thank you for the reply. I've just had a third person confirm the same issue. Interestingly, he was in France last week and speeds were completely uncapped - over 500 Mbps. I was in Dublin last month which would roam to the Ireland network and I was also getting well over 500 Mbps. It seems to be some sort of limitation on the UK network only and does not extend to roaming.

I did indeed test using the Speedtest.net app. Every test is using 5G. Also, even if I was only using 4G+, I could still easily get speeds well in excess of 200Mbps. I suppose for testing, I could switch my phone to 4G only, just to see if it is only related to 5G, but I think from memory, it is the same. As I said, this was working absolutely fine earlier this year, so not sure why all of a sudden the 5G connection would start sleeping, unless it's some sort of bug.

The plan I'm on is definitely 5G unlimited "Our best speeds, no max. Mbps". I took out the contract last year.

My monthly usage is around 30-40 GB. I have never been anywhere close to the FUP, which I believe is aound 600 GB.

I don't have any SIMs activated. Just the EE eSIM. When I switched to the Lyca eSIM for testing, I have to disable the EE eSIM obviously, because only one can be used at a time.  I will check the APN settings. That's a good idea, though I'm not totally sure how to do that on an eSIM. I imagine it's the same way.

It's interesting that I now know of at least 3 people this is impacting, each with a different model handset and all of us have had either an employee discount or a friends and family discount, so that may also be a factor.

[sevensamurai22 · Accepted solution]

After further testing, it looks as though the speed limitation only applies to Speedtest.net and the Speedtest.net app. This is even more baffling considering EE use this in their marketing when quoting fastest mobile speeds etc. Using a speed test app like Meteor, or downloading a few Linux ISO images does not show any such speed limitations. Very strange how/why they would do this. I've got at least 4 other people to try this and they are all showing the same behaviour. I don't know if this is specific to a particular type of contract but either way, it is strange.

[Benski-248]

Just tested my data speed without Wi-fi 

4.75 Mbps at home on a sim only deal, can confirm it’s been like that since I went to sim only and I only get approximatly 10Mbps in other peoples houses

Calls when at home are also poor used to be great when I had an EE signal box, but they switched the service off VERY unhappy 

[Benski-248]

My wife was offered a new phone on a contract part of the sales pitch was if phone is included she will get speed increases from 10Mbps to 100 therefor they have slowed it down once she moved to sun only deal

[AP78]

I've just changed my tarrif to a cheaper Sim only, all of a sudden I literally can't even make calls let alone use the Internet, only realised today as I haven't been out and about for the last week. Unless it's an ee network issue, I am getting non existent data and limited calls, will check further over the weekend, hope the problem goes away, it's killing me. 

[James_B]

Welcome to the EE Community, @AP78?

Does the Network Status Checker report any problems in your area?

What do you mean when you say limited calls? Is your ability to make calls intermittent?

James