TL;DR – Is iD Mobile Slower Than Other Networks?
iD Mobile uses Three’s infrastructure, so in theory, you get the same speeds. During peak times or in congested areas, you might see lower speeds because iD Mobile is an MVNO.
In the 7 months I’ve been with iD Mobile, I have NOT experienced this. I want to make that distinction. But it can happen (more on this below).
Three can in some cases (football matches, large concerts, festivals) prioritize its own customers first. But in normal, everyday life speeds will be what you’ll get with Three: 70Mbps+ on 4G and even faster on 5G in the right areas.
- ✅ Great value plans with 5G access
- ✅ No speed caps listed in T&Cs
- ✅ Potential slowdowns during network congestion
- ✅ No throttling unless you’re roaming or breaching fair usage
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Is iD Mobile Speed Capped?
iD Mobile doesn’t impose hard data speed caps on your connection; you can use as much as you like within the confines of your plan.
I switched from an unlimited plan with Three (25 quid a month) to a 60GB data plan with iD Mobile for 8 quid. I haven’t noticed any discernible difference in speeds, and I have yet to max out my allocated data, either.
If you’re in an area with good Three coverage (that’s like 98% of the UK nowadays), you’ll get the same 4G or 5G speeds as someone on a direct Three contract which means fast downloads, smooth video streaming, and overall snappy performance.
So Why Do Some People Report Slower Speeds?
The catch is this: iD Mobile is an MVNO. It rents access to Three’s network rather than owning the towers.
This means that during busy periods, Three might prioritise its own customers’ traffic. You’ll still get service, but potentially at reduced speeds—especially in places like train stations, stadiums, or central London during rush hour.
This kind of deprioritisation is pretty common across the MVNO space and isn’t unique to iD Mobile. It’s the trade-off for paying less.
What Kind of Speeds Can You Expect?
Based on our real-world testing as well as surveying our readers, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect with data speeds on iD Mobile:
- 4G Speeds: Often range between 20–70Mbps; very usable for most tasks
- 5G Speeds: In ideal areas, you can hit over 200Mbps
- Congested Times: May drop to under 10Mbps depending on location and load
In my experience, I’ve never had too much of an issue with this. I don’t live in a city, so my area is seldom congested. I’ve never had issues with streaming YouTube or Netflix content, tethering or downloading large data files while on mobile data.
Case in point: I went to see England in its last test match in Manchester. It was packed, a full house. My data speeds were fine. Now, I wasn’t doing much with my phone but I did run Instagram, X, and some YouTube (I wanted to show my friend a shot one of the players had made a few years ago), and it worked seamlessly.
But, slowdowns do happen with MVNOs; this is one of their downsides. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, stick to the mainline networks (although you’ll pay double for your data).
Is iD Mobile Throttled Abroad?
When roaming, especially outside the EU, iD Mobile applies fair usage limits and may slow your connection after a certain threshold.
The speeds you get will be dependent on the network your phone runs on while you’re aboard. Normally, data is usable and fairly speedy. But, again, it really depends on where you are; rural areas always suck.
EU roaming is included in your UK allowance in 50+ countries, but speeds can be variable abroad depending on local partnerships.
Bottom Line, Things To Keep In Mind
iD Mobile doesn’t have a blanket speed cap, but it’s not immune to network prioritisation. The only place you’ll usually encounter this is when you’re in massive crowds of people.
Festivals, concerts, football matches, that kind of thing. Most of the time, you won’t even notice anything. And the reason is that most of the time, there is no slow down because most people aren’t in super congested environments all that regularly.
If you live in a town or city, or even a small village like me, iD Mobile’s speed and coverage will be fine. I haven’t had any issues with either speed, coverage or sluggish downloads in the 7+ months I’ve been using iD Mobile.
I switched from Three to iD Mobile as well; you can read my full review on why I switched from Three to iD Mobile for more detail.
If you want guaranteed fastest speeds all the time, go direct with a major network like EE or Three.
But if you want to save serious cash and don’t mind the occasional speed dip in packed areas, iD Mobile is a cracking choice.
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