This guide answers one question for Derby: which mobile network gives the best signal, and where the answer changes. Every figure in it comes from the same May 2025 coverage measurements behind NetScan's Derby coverage checker, based on 1,343 addresses in 57 sampled postcodes across 11 postcode districts (DE1 to DE15). Nothing here is estimated, and no network is called best where the data does not say so.
Across Derby as a whole, no network wins on coverage: the overall scores are EE 100, O2 98, Three 98, Vodafone 98 out of 100, a spread of 2 points, which is too close to call a winner. Outdoors they are level: all four reach good outdoor 4G and the top 'enhanced' outdoor grade at 100% of the addresses sampled. Indoors they are not: good indoor signal ranges from 90% of addresses (Vodafone) to 99% (EE).
The real differences are local. In 5 of the 11 districts, at least one network's indoor figure sits 5 or more points behind the others, and the gap can be large: in DE5, 45% of the 232 addresses sampled get good indoor Three signal. This guide maps those districts, so you can see whether yours is one of them before you pick a network.
Derby at a glance: the four networks side by side
These are the Derby-wide figures, pooled across all 11 districts and weighted by the number of addresses sampled in each. They are the same numbers the Derby coverage checker shows. The order is the checker's (overall score, ties broken alphabetically); it is not a recommendation.
What the columns mean: Each sampled address is graded for its predicted signal. '5G-grade outdoor' is the share of addresses at the top 'enhanced' outdoor data grade, a signal-strength grade rather than a promise of 5G service on your plan. 'Good outdoor 4G' is the share with good or better outdoor data signal, and 'Good indoor' the share with good or better indoor data signal. 'Overall' blends the three (35%, 50% and 15%).
| Network | Overall | 5G-grade outdoor | Good outdoor 4G | Good indoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE | 100/100 | 100% | 100% | 99% |
| O2 | 98/100 | 100% | 100% | 90% |
| Three | 98/100 | 100% | 100% | 90% |
| Vodafone | 98/100 | 100% | 100% | 90% |
Based on 1,343 addresses in 57 postcodes, DE1 to DE15 (May 2025 data).
Where the networks differ in Derby: district by district
The Derby-wide averages hide the districts where one network falls behind indoors. The table lists every district where the four networks' good-indoor figures are 5 or more points apart. The lowest readings are Three in DE5 (45% of 232 addresses), Vodafone in DE12 (53% of 83 addresses), Vodafone in DE7 (59% of 145 addresses) and O2 in DE5 (66% of 232 addresses).
It is not the same network everywhere. Trailing by 5 or more points indoors: Vodafone in DE4, DE5, DE7 and DE12; O2 in DE5, DE7 and DE13; EE in DE4; Three in DE5. That is why a single 'best network in Derby' answer does not hold up, and why the district you live or work in matters more than the city.
In every one of these districts all four networks are level outdoors; the difference is indoor signal only.
| District | Addresses | EE | O2 | Three | Vodafone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE4 | 91 | 89% | 100% | 100% | 93% |
| DE5 | 232 | 100% | 66% | 45% | 88% |
| DE7 | 145 | 100% | 77% | 100% | 59% |
| DE12 | 83 | 96% | 99% | 99% | 53% |
| DE13 | 85 | 96% | 69% | 94% | 94% |
Good indoor data signal, share of sampled addresses. May 2025 data.
The Derby districts where all four measure the same
In 6 of the 11 districts (DE1, DE3, DE6, DE11, DE14 and DE15) the figures are identical for EE, O2, Three and Vodafone on all three measures: 5G-grade outdoor, good outdoor 4G and good indoor. If your address is in one of these, the coverage data gives you no reason to prefer one network, so the useful comparison is plan price, contract length and roaming, including the cheaper SIM brands that share each network's masts.
Choosing a network in Derby with this data
Start with your district rather than the city. If it is in the table above, look at which network trails there and treat that as the one to check hardest, especially if you use your phone mostly indoors. A figure like 45% means most sampled addresses in DE5 are not predicted good indoor Three signal; it does not mean yours is one of them, so check your own postcode.
If your district is not in the table, the four networks measure within 5 points of each other indoors there and are level outdoors, so the decision moves to price and terms. Either way, the network you choose also decides which SIM brands you can use on it: giffgaff and Tesco Mobile run on O2's masts; SMARTY and iD Mobile on Three's; VOXI, Talkmobile and Lebara on Vodafone's; and 1pMobile on EE's. A SIM brand gets its host network's coverage, so the district figures above apply to it as well. Plan prices change often, so check the provider's own site for today's price.
What these figures can and can't tell you
The data is a prediction of signal at each sampled address, not a speed test, and the sample per district ranges from 73 to 232 addresses in Derby. Indoor signal in particular depends on the building: thick walls, basements and foil-backed insulation all cut it. The figures cover the 11 districts from DE1 to DE15 that NetScan holds measurements for.
Two practical checks close the gap. Run your full postcode through NetScan's scanner to see the four networks for your own district, then confirm on the operator's own coverage checker. If indoor signal is the problem at home, Wi-Fi calling on a compatible phone and plan routes calls over your broadband instead.