Virgin Media O2 to begin 2G network transition

Having fulfilled its initial commitments for the UK’s Shared Rural Network programme to help improve 4G mobile coverage in rural areas across the country, Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has turned its attention to transitioning its customers away from its legacy 2G network, redirecting most “human” traffic to newer, faster and more energy-efficient networks.

In a blog post expanding on the company’s strategy, VMO2 chief technology officer Jeanie York remarked that in an increasingly connected world, demand for faster, more reliable and energy-efficient mobile services continues to grow. She noted that in 2023 alone, data use on the VMO2 mobile network grew by more than a quarter as customers relied on connectivity to stream, play, work, call, learn and bank, among other applications.

To meet the ever-growing need for connectivity, York said VMO2 was continuously investing in infrastructure and evolving services. “We invest £2m every single day into our mobile networks and have already brought 5G to over half of the UK. Earlier this year, we also launched next-generation 5G Standalone services in cities across the country and will expand this to more locations in the months and years ahead, offering more customers higher bandwidth and lower latency connections than ever before to power the applications of the future,” she said.

“This is all on top of having 4G available to 99% of the population already, with continued work taking place to address rural blackspots through the Shared Rural Network programme and boost capacity, which we did across hundreds of sites over the past year.”

As it embarked on its expansion of 4G and 5G, and as customers used these newer network technologies more intensively, VMO2 said it was necessary to review older networks and optimise where it could deliver on environmental goals while ensuring optimal coverage and capacity for customers. It said the newer networks were 10 times more energy efficient and central to its goal to reach net zero by 2040.

To reduce energy consumption and allow it to shift resources to more efficient 4G and 5G technologies, VMO2 announced in 2023 that it would phase out 3G services in 2025. York revealed that while the company was on track to switch off the 3G network, it was now assessing the future of the 2G network. Currently, less than 1% of VMO2 customers use 2G-only devices and the network carries less than 0.1% of data traffic.

By redirecting most ‘human’ traffic to newer, faster and more energy-efficient networks while reserving the older, slower network for some data-light ‘machine’ communications, our customers will get the best possible experience whether they are calling, messaging or using data on the go

With the UK government deciding in 2021 to switch off 2G and 3G networks by 2033 to free up mobile spectrum to allow for the mass roll-out of 5G and other future networks such as 6G, a plan agreed on by all of the country’s operators, VMO2 has now confirmed that in 2025 it will start work to move almost, but not all, remaining traffic away from the 2G network.

“Unlike our 3G network, we won’t be turning 2G off completely. In fact, we expect to continue operating it for several years and it will play an important role in carrying emergency calls in more remote areas without 4G coverage,” explained York. “We’ll also use it to support data traffic for smart energy meters, contributing to the UK’s transition to a lower-carbon economy. By redirecting most ‘human’ traffic to newer, faster and more energy-efficient networks while reserving the older, slower network for some data-light ‘machine’ communications, our customers will get the best possible experience whether they are calling, messaging or using data on the go.”

In recognition that a small proportion of VMO2 customers are using old devices that won’t work on 4G, need a new SIM or need to turn on 4G calling, York said VMO2 was committed to helping those who may need additional support and would be directly contacting any customers who need to take action, guiding them through the process and explaining the steps they need to take.