The benchmarking specialist’s 2026 report places the Netherlands first for overall Quality of Experience (QoE), a measure of user satisfaction, with a score of 4.51 out of 5. Denmark (4.43) and Norway (4.39) complete the podium, while Switzerland (4.34) rounds out the top tier.
The study was conducted in Q4 2025 across more than 33 European countries, spanning a population of 656 million. It draws on more than 180 million performance tests and 39 billion radio samples gathered from real users, offering an independent view of network performance as 5G matures across the region.
Comprehensive strength
The Netherlands led across multiple categories, securing awards for Best Overall Experience, Best Reliability, Best Data & OTT Experience, and Best Value for Speed.
It recorded a reliability score of 91.1%, alongside 91.3% for data and OTT services, reflecting consistent performance across use cases. The country also topped the value for speed metric, delivering balanced download and upload performance for data-intensive applications such as cloud services, file transfers and real-time communications.
Denmark showed particular strength in data and OTT services, scoring 89% in the category and 88.9% for value for speed, while leading Europe in social media performance.
Norway stood out for video, winning the Streaming Award with a score of 88.1%, underpinned by high 4K playback rates and minimal buffering. Switzerland co-led Europe for network responsiveness alongside Luxembourg and shared the top spot in gaming, highlighting strong low-latency capabilities.
5G maturity varies
Northern and Central European markets, including Sweden and Finland, dominate the rankings, supported by high levels of 5G deployment. In the Netherlands and Denmark, around 87% of usage is on 5G, with the Nordics and Switzerland exceeding 80%.
Elsewhere, 5G availability remains uneven, particularly in parts of Southern and Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, 5G now carries the majority of mobile traffic across most of the continent, with 4G continuing as a fallback layer.
“This report showcases European excellence in mobile connectivity,” said Jaime González, CMO at MedUX.
“The Netherlands leads the way with truly exceptional performance, joined by Denmark, Norway and Switzerland in demonstrating what world-class 5G can deliver. High-quality mobile experiences are not only possible but are already being delivered across multiple European markets. As Europe advances its Digital Decade objectives, focusing on quality alongside coverage will unlock the full potential of 5G.”
MedUX said it is expanding its international benchmarks through a new Connectivity Observatory, designed to translate large-scale QoE data into comparable country indicators and track performance over time.
RELATED STORIES
Unlocking the future of 5G: Insights from Rafael Gonzalez, SVP EMEA at MedUX
Capacity Europe 2026
The 24th anniversary edition of Capacity Europe 2025 will bring together 3,500+ decision-makers from the global connectivity and digital infrastructure community.
