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Virgin Media O2 to begin 3G switch-off in April 2025
City of Durham to become first part of operator’s plan to focus on 4G and 5G, and deliver faster and more reliable connectivity for customers by moving away from legacy mobile
After first announcing in September 2023 that part of its plan to evolve its network to enhance customer experience and improve services, it was pulling the plug on legacy mobile, Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has named the city of Durham as the first area where its 3G services will be switched off.
In December 2021, the UK government and the leading UK mobile network operators (MNOs) – Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media O2 and Three – agreed on 2033 as the year by which all public 2G and 3G networks in the UK will be switched off to free-up and reallocate the required amount of spectrum to allow for the mass roll-out of more efficient 4G and 5G services and other future networks, such as 6G.
The UK government sees the latter two platforms as providing the bedrock for use cases such as autonomous vehicles and drones, immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences, and innovations in tech to achieve net-zero targets and improve healthcare.
Virgin Media O2’s 4G network currently covers 99% of the UK population, and by the end of 2023, 5G services had become available to more than half of the country. The 2G networks will remain in place to carry calls and texts after 3G is switched off, and will themselves ultimately be turned off by 2033, in line with the UK government target.
As it made its announcement in September 2023, Virgin Media O2 added that 3G switch-off would also reduce energy consumption, thereby contributing wider plans to reach net-zero by 2040, as well as delivering enhanced speeds and reliability for customers.
The VMO2 UK-wide 3G switch-off programme is set to be completed by the end of 2025, and the Durham move is regarded as a key milestone in VMO2’s programme to end 3G networks that were first launched more than 20 years ago, but currently carry less than 3% of all network data, a figure that continues to fall.
In the Durham area specifically, VMO2 has upgraded 4G and 5G masts over the past year, with further improvements planned in 2025. Moreover, VMO2 said it would use any lessons learned in the city to inform the wider programme when 3G sites across the UK will be turned off.
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While it said the “vast majority” of its customers will not have to take any action as a result of the switch-off, VMO2 has said it’s directly contacting the small proportion of customers in the area who don’t currently have a 4G or 5G device to let them know that, from April, they will require a 4G SIM and handset to continue using mobile data.
As part of the company’s plan to support the small number of customers who will be impacted, known vulnerable customers have already been offered a 4G-ready device free of charge, helping them stay connected, while all other customers who don’t currently have a 4G handset or SIM will be offered a new device at a reduced price. Customers of VMO2’s virtual network operators, such as Tesco Mobile and Giffgaff, will also be impacted by the switch-off, and be contacted directly by their provider.
