Three: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show
Hutchison 3G UK Limited's person with significant control on the Companies House register is Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited. In the 15 months to March 2025 Hutchison 3G UK Limited reported turnover of £3,323m.
These accounts cover 15 months, not the usual 12, so Three's turnover growth against the year before is not a like-for-like comparison.
- In the 15 months to March 2025, Three had turnover of £3,323m.
- It made a pre-tax loss of £7m.
- Three changed its year end: these accounts cover the 15 months from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2025, against the 12 months to 31 December 2023 before, so turnover of £3,323m is not comparable with the prior year's £2,500m. They end before Three UK and Vodafone UK merged on 31 May 2025 to form VodafoneThree, so they cover Three on its own (Hutchison 3G UK accounts to 31 March 2025, pp. 4, 5 and 42).
- It employed an average of 4,734 people, with staff costs of £359m.
- Hutchison 3G UK Limited is controlled by Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited, according to the Companies House register.
- These figures are from Hutchison 3G UK Limited's accounts for the 15 months to March 2025, filed at Companies House on 31 December 2025.
- Registered name
- HUTCHISON 3G UK LIMITED
- Company number
- 03885486
- Status
- Active
- Incorporated
- 29 November 1999
- Registered office area
- Reading
- Industry code on the register
- 61200: Telecommunications
- Accounts
- Single company accounts, this company only
- Accounts type
- Full accounts
- Latest accounts
- 15 months to March 2025, filed 31 December 2025
What does Three do?
Three is a mobile network selling pay monthly and pay as you go plans, SIM-only deals and 5G home broadband across the UK. It makes money mainly from monthly mobile contracts and airtime, with further income from handset plans, mobile broadband and business customers. It launched in March 2003 as the UK's first 3G network and is based in Reading, Berkshire. Since 31 May 2025 it has been part of VodafoneThree, the joint venture of Vodafone Group and CK Hutchison. These figures are for HUTCHISON 3G UK LIMITED (company 03885486).
In brief: mobile network · 5G home broadband · Reading, Berkshire · part of VodafoneThree
Source: Spark Intel editorial, checked 9 November 2026. Official website: three.co.uk.
Who owns Three?
The Companies House register records Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited as the person with significant control of Hutchison 3G UK Limited, company number 03885486. Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited is itself company number 03918124.
That places Hutchison 3G UK Limited inside a larger group. The accounts on this page are the company's own, not the wider group's.
The full ownership record is on the Companies House register. Control is given in the bands the register uses, not as exact shareholdings.
Who runs Three?
The Companies House register lists 5 current officers for Hutchison 3G UK Limited.
All 5 current officers
| Officer | Appointed |
|---|---|
| Stephen Daniel Lerner | 31 May 2025 |
| Stephen Lerner | 31 May 2025 |
| Darren Martin Purkis | 31 May 2025 |
| Nick Gliddon | 31 May 2025 |
| Max Taylor | 31 May 2025 |
Every current officer, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
What did Three file?
This accounting period ran for 15 months because the company changed its year end, so the figures are not directly comparable with a twelve-month year.
Hutchison 3G UK Limited reported turnover of £3,323m in the 15 months to March 2025.
It reported 4,734 employees. The year before it reported 4,813.
It filed a pre-tax loss of £7m for the period, against a pre-tax loss of £143m the year before.
Staff costs came to £359m. That is an average of £76,000 a head. It ended the year with £123m at the bank and net assets of £6,472m.
| Measure | Mar 2025 | Dec 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £3,323m | £2,500m |
| Pre-tax profit | -£7m (filed) | -£143m (filed) |
| Employees | 4,734 | 4,813 |
| Staff costs | £359m | £278m |
| Average staff cost per head | £76,000 | £58,000 |
| Bank and cash | £123m | £45m |
| Net assets | £6,472m | £6,568m |
| Interest paid | £118m | |
| Interest received | £4m | |
| Directors' pay | £5m |
What these figures cover: Three changed its year end: these accounts cover the 15 months from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2025, against the 12 months to 31 December 2023 before, so turnover of £3,323m is not comparable with the prior year's £2,500m. They end before Three UK and Vodafone UK merged on 31 May 2025 to form VodafoneThree, so they cover Three on its own (Hutchison 3G UK accounts to 31 March 2025, pp. 4, 5 and 42).
Read the accounts to March 2025 (PDF, Companies House) · every accounts filing
What do these figures mean? Turnover vs profit · Profit per £100 · Cash vs profit · Net assets
Are there any charges against Three?
Hutchison 3G UK Limited has registered 20 charges at Companies House, of which 17 are still outstanding. A charge is security a lender takes over a company's assets; one is satisfied when the lending behind it is repaid or released.
All 17 outstanding charges
| Charge holder | Created |
|---|---|
| Dominion Corporate Trustees Limited and Dominion Trust Limited | 2 November 2011 |
| Venaglass Limited | 2 June 2010 |
| File Securities Limited | 6 February 2009 |
| T-Mobile (UK) Limited | 22 January 2008 |
| Glasgow City Council | 12 June 2007 |
| South Yorkshire Pensions Authority | 12 June 2007 |
| Bnp Paribas Jersey Trust Corporation Limited and Anley Trustees Limited | 18 May 2007 |
| Stylo Barratt Properties Limited | 28 February 2007 |
| Mail Nominee One Limited and Mail Nominee Two Limited | 23 February 2007 |
| Lazari Investments Limited | 10 January 2007 |
| Yorkshire Forward (Yorkshire and Humber Regional Development Agency) | 6 January 2007 |
| Elrick Limited | 21 December 2006 |
| Db Real Estate Investment Gmbh | 5 August 2004 |
| Venaglass Limited | 15 February 2003 |
| Prestbury West Coast Kensington Limited | 8 November 2002 |
| Bb&S (Overseas Investments) Limited | 5 September 2001 |
| Long Acre Developments Limited | 5 September 2001 |
Each charge, with its holder and dates, is on the Companies House register.
How Three compares
Of the 10 broadband and mobile, Three is 6th on turnover and 5th on profit margin. EE keeps the most of every £100 of sales: £26.80.
| Rank | Broadband and mobile | Turnover | Profit per £100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | BT | £19,654m | £10.60 |
| 6th | Three | £3,323m | −£0.21 |
| + 8 more broadband and mobile ranked |
Ranked by turnover. Profit per £100 is pre-tax profit for every £100 of turnover, shown only where the profit is filed.
Three files as Hutchison 3G UK Limited, whose person with significant control is Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited, with turnover of £3,323m in its latest filed year.
Questions about Three
What does Three do?
Three is a mobile network selling pay monthly and pay as you go plans, SIM-only deals and 5G home broadband across the UK. It makes money mainly from monthly mobile contracts and airtime, with further income from handset plans, mobile broadband and business customers. It launched in March 2003 as the UK's first 3G network and is based in Reading, Berkshire. Since 31 May 2025 it has been part of VodafoneThree, the joint venture of Vodafone Group and CK Hutchison. These figures are for HUTCHISON 3G UK LIMITED (company 03885486).
How does Three compare with its rivals?
By turnover, Three is 6th of the 10 companies in our battle of broadband and mobile, behind BT. The battle ranks them on turnover, pre-tax profit, margin, growth and net assets. The battle of broadband and mobile →
Who owns Three?
The Companies House register records Hutchison 3g Uk Holdings Limited as the person with significant control of Hutchison 3G UK Limited.
How much does Three make?
Hutchison 3G UK Limited reported turnover of £3,323m in the 15 months to March 2025. It filed a pre-tax loss of £7m.
How many people work at Three?
Hutchison 3G UK Limited reported 4,734 employees in the 15 months to March 2025.
Who runs Three?
The Companies House register lists 5 current officers for Hutchison 3G UK Limited. The full list, with appointment dates, is on the Companies House register.
- Figures come from Hutchison 3G UK Limited's filings at Companies House, company number 03885486, for the period shown at the top of the page.
- These are single company accounts: they cover this company alone, not any wider group.
- Pre-tax profit is the figure the company filed, for both years.
- A figure the filing does not disclose is shown as n/d. A zero in the filing is treated as not disclosed, never as nil.
- Rounding: below £0.1m in thousands, from £0.1m to £2m to one decimal place, from £2m to the nearest million.
- Ownership is shown in the control bands the register of people with significant control uses, not as exact shareholdings.
- Officers' names and appointment dates come from the Companies House register. Job titles come from the company's own website. The description of what the company does comes from its website, or is marked Spark Intel editorial where it is written from stable, checked facts, with the date either way.
Spark Intel, “Three: who owns it, who runs it and what the accounts show”, updated 9 November 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/three/. Figures from Companies House filings for HUTCHISON 3G UK LIMITED (03885486).
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