Ucell has taken first place in Uzbekistan for 5G network coverage, according to results published by measurement platform nPerf.

The ranking, reported by UzDaily.uz, is based on nPerf's crowdsourced testing methodology, which aggregates speed tests and coverage mapping performed by users across the country. Operators are scored on the extent and quality of their 5G footprints as measured by real-user devices rather than self-reported coverage maps.

Ucell, which operates in Uzbekistan under the Unitel corporate structure, has positioned 5G expansion as a core part of its network strategy. The nPerf result gives the operator an independent, third-party benchmark to cite as it competes with the country's other mobile players for data customers.

Crowdsourced measurement rankings such as nPerf's have become a standard reference point in emerging 5G markets, where operators often make broad claims about coverage that regulator-collected statistics may not yet corroborate at national scale. A first-place nPerf result reflects where subscribers actually recorded 5G availability and throughput, which can differ materially from licensed deployment zones.

Uzbekistan's mobile market has been gradually building out 5G since spectrum was awarded to the major operators, with coverage concentrated first in Tashkent and other large cities before extending to regional centers. Measurement-based comparisons like this one are likely to sharpen competitive pressure on operators to expand and densify their mid-band footprints in the coming rollout phases.