The United Kingdom mobile data use has climbed to over 1.2 billion gigabytes each month as mobile networks delivered ‘full 5G’ to 83 percent of the United Kingdom to meet rising demand, communications regulator Ofcom said yesterday.

Full-fibre rollout continues, while Starlink increases customers by more than a quarter, the British regulator said, adding that the UK is an increasingly data-hungry nation, with mobile networks rushing to roll out ‘full 5G’ to keep up.

Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report finds that Brits used nearly a fifth (18 percent) more mobile data in 2025 than the previous year, totalling over 1.2 billion gigabyte each month. That’s the equivalent of streaming 400 million football matches in HD, watching 315 billion TikToks, or sending 1.3 quadrillion text-only WhatsApp messages.

While 4G still accounts for the majority of mobile data traffic, 5G data use grew by more than half (53 percent) this year, the Ofcom said, adding to keep up, mobile networks are deploying ‘full 5G’, also known as ‘5G standalone’, providing users with a faster, better, and more powerful experience. Unlike ordinary 5G, which still depends on parts of the 4G network, ‘full 5G’ runs on a separate, dedicated network, providing 5G end-to-end.

Ofcom’s report, which includes new and exclusive data on full 5G coverage for the first time, reveals that 83 percent of the UK has access to full 5G from at least one mobile network.

Natalie Black, Ofcom’s Group Director for Infrastructure and Connectivity, said in a statement: “The UK’s demand for data continues to grow as we live increasingly connected lives. For years, operators have been delivering 5G services while using old 4G networks to do most of the legwork. But now, the race to deliver the UK’s full 5G future is on.”

The report, which covers the full range of the UK’s communications networks, also contains other key findings like overall 5G coverage on the outdoors, which is available from at least one operator in 97 percent of the UK (up from 95 percent) last year. It ranges from 64 percent to 89 percent between the mobile networks nationally.

Although over 17 million landlines remain, people may increasingly be using services like WhatsApp, or their mobile network, to make calls, the Ofcom study revealed.

The year 2025 has seen a surge in satellite broadband with Starlink increasing their UK customers to over 100,00 for the first time.

Starlink connections rose by over a quarter, from around 87,000 to over 110,000. A majority of these were in rural areas and more than 12,000 were in places that can’t get decent fixed line or wireless broadband.

Fibre’s flying too, but many are still not making the most of it. The rapid rollout of full fibre broadband in the UK continues, with 78 percent of homes (23.7 million) now having access, up from 20.7 million (69 percent) last year.