Short answer: according to Opensignal's February 2026 report, WE is Egypt's best mobile network, with eight awards, seven of them outright. Vodafone leads on 5G reach and e& has the fastest 5G. WE's lead is real on overall speed, with 25.5 Mbps against 17.3 Mbps for Vodafone, but travel eSIMs do not always use it.
The ranking in one table
Opensignal measures what its users actually experience. These figures cover 1 November 2025 to 29 January 2026, across the four operators.
| Measure | WE | Vodafone | e& | Orange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average download | 25.5 Mbps | 17.3 Mbps | 16.4 Mbps | 13.8 Mbps |
| Average upload | 5.9 Mbps | 5.7 Mbps | 4.6 Mbps | 3.7 Mbps |
| Reliability (out of 1,000) | 789 | 775 | 762 | 740 |
| Consistent quality | 59.2% | 48.0% | 48.6% | 45.6% |
| Video (out of 100) | 60.3 | 54.0 | 49.5 | 48.5 |
| Voice apps (out of 100) | 74.6 | 72.2 | 71.8 | 70.5 |
| Time on network | 97.8% | 96.7% | 96.2% | 97.7% |
Bold marks the best score on each line. Opensignal treats WE and Orange as joint winners on time on network, with 97.8% and 97.7%.
Who is fastest?
WE, clearly. Its average download is 47% higher than Vodafone's. Orange comes last on both overall speed measures.
Average download speed, Mbps
Source: Opensignal, 1 November 2025 to 29 January 2026. Coloured: networks our eSIM connects to.
Who has the best 5G?
That depends on the question. Vodafone reaches the most people, and e& is fastest when you are connected.
| 5G measure | Vodafone | e& | WE | Orange |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5G download | 57.3 Mbps | 75.8 Mbps | 72.5 Mbps | 70.6 Mbps |
| 5G upload | 12.6 Mbps | 14.3 Mbps | 12.2 Mbps | 14.5 Mbps |
| 5G availability | 37.5% | 29.3% | 20.4% | 20.0% |
| Time on 5G | 9.6% | 6.1% | 5.0% | 4.5% |
| 5G coverage (out of 10) | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
Vodafone users spend just 9.6% of their time on 5G, and that is the best figure in the country. Opensignal describes 5G in Egypt as still "largely an overlay", held back by spectrum. Vodafone grew from about 2,000 locations in June 2025 to over 3,000 urban areas by the end of the year. For a holiday, plan on 4G.
Share of time on 5G, %
Source: Opensignal, February 2026 report.
Which network suits your trip?
| Your priority | Best placed | The figure |
|---|---|---|
| Downloads and streaming | WE | 25.5 Mbps, video 60.3 out of 100 |
| A connection that holds | WE, Vodafone next | 789 and 775 out of 1,000 |
| WhatsApp and app calls | WE | 74.6 out of 100 |
| Finding 5G | Vodafone | 37.5% availability |
| Fastest 5G when connected | e& | 75.8 Mbps |
These are national averages, measured largely where people live. A Nile cruise, the Western Desert or a remote reef resort depends on the nearest mast. Check our guide to Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh or the Nile cruise connectivity guide for those trips.
What this means for a travel eSIM
Our eSIM connects to Orange Egypt, Etisalat (now e&) and Vodafone Egypt. It does not use WE. Your phone picks from those networks, so in a place where Orange is weak it can move to Vodafone or e&. That is the main benefit of a multi-network plan over a single local SIM: you are not tied to one operator's mast.
The trade-off is plain: you will not get WE's higher speeds. Our plans also give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps until the next day, so daily allowance often matters more than the network. For maps, messages and calls, 13.8 to 17.3 Mbps is enough. Netflix asks for 5 Mbps for HD, for comparison.
If you want WE or a 5G plan, you need a local SIM from that operator's shop. Our page on Vodafone and Orange eSIMs for tourists covers how that works.
How to get the best signal on any network
- Leave network selection on automatic, unless a network clearly fails where you are.
- If the signal is poor, try choosing another listed network by hand in your phone's settings.
- Toggle airplane mode for a few seconds after moving between regions.
- In a hotel with thick walls, step onto a balcony before you blame the network.
Our guide on why hotel Wi-Fi disappoints in Egypt helps when the problem is indoors.
What the ranking does not tell you
Opensignal's data comes from its app users, in the months covered, and scores differ by less than the margin in some categories. Results can change between reports: WE rose from 723 to 789 on reliability since the previous report and moved ahead of Vodafone. A network that wins nationally can still be the weakest in your town.
It is also worth separating the network from the plan. A low data allowance, a throttled speed or a busy resort at night can feel like a bad network even on the country's fastest operator. That is why our Egypt eSIM comparison looks at daily allowance and price alongside the networks each seller uses.
Our Egypt eSIM connects to the Orange Egypt, Etisalat and Vodafone Egypt networks, with 1 GB a day at full speed then 512 Kbps until the next day. The 7-day plan costs €33 and the 15-day plan €46. First check that your phone is eSIM compatible.