Virgin Media O2 introduced 782 upgraded postcodes in Edinburgh and main enhancements in protection throughout the Highlands
In sum, what to know:
13,000+ postcodes – Virgin Media O2 has enhanced 4G and 5G companies throughout 13,000 Scottish postcodes over 12 months.
£700m funding – The upgrades are a part of its £700m infrastructure overhaul for 2025, as knowledge visitors doubles.
City + rural – The undertaking consists of 4G/5G small-cell densification in cities, stadiums, railways and airports.
U.Ok. operator Virgin Media O2 has accomplished main enhancements to its cell community throughout Scotland, enhancing 4G and 5G companies in additional than 13,000 postcodes over the previous 12 months. It stated the upgrades prolong to fashionable vacationer locations, with 782 upgraded postcodes in Edinburgh and main protection enhancements throughout the Highlands.
The works are a part of Virgin Media O2’s £700 million ($954 million) transformation plan for 2025, aimed toward future-proofing its mobile infrastructure to satisfy rising demand for cell knowledge. Cell visitors on its U.Ok. community has greater than doubled within the final 5 years, it stated
The improve consists of 4G and 5G enlargement and densification. The latter, utilizing small cells, is targeted on city zones. It is going to additionally ship tailor-made options for hard-to-reach areas comparable to stadiums, railway traces and airports.
Robert Joyce, director of cell entry engineering, at O2 stated: “Scotland has at all times been some of the lovely and distant locations within the U.Ok. however now it’s higher related than ever earlier than. Because of O2’s cell transformation plan, guests can keep related when and the place it issues most.”
Virgin Media O2 lately introduced a spectrum switch settlement with rival operator Vodafone UK that can see Virgin Media O2 purchase 78.8 megahertz of spectrum for an funding of £343 million. Virgin Media O2 will purchase 20 megahertz within the 1400 MHz band, 18.8 megahertz within the 2.1 GHz band, 20 megahertz within the 2.6 GHz band, and 20 megahertz within the 3.4 GHz band.
The deal follows the completion of the merger between Vodafone UK and Three UK.
In February, Virgin Media O2 activated its 5G Standalone (5G SA) community for enterprise prospects within the U.Ok., making it accessible to giant enterprises, public sector organizations, and small and medium-sized companies on eligible plans. The corporate stated its 5G SA rollout now reaches 500 cities and cities throughout the nation.
The brand new infrastructure helps superior use circumstances comparable to autonomous transport, distant healthcare, and totally automated manufacturing. It additionally allows community slicing – permitting for the creation of devoted connectivity for particular functions comparable to augmented actuality, gaming, and robotics.
In November 2024, Virgin Media O2 claimed to be the primary operator within the U.Ok. to modify on 5G SA small cells. At launch, these had been put in in central Birmingham, enhancing connectivity in a number of the metropolis’s busiest areas. The compact cells had been mounted on present avenue furnishings to focus on zones with the very best knowledge demand.
The deployment was carried out in partnership with Ontix and Alpha Wi-fi, using A number of Enter A number of Output (MIMO) know-how.
Virgin Media O2 formally launched its 5G SA community in 2024, with preliminary protection throughout London, Manchester, Liverpool, Lincoln, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham and Slough.
The operator was shaped in June 2021 as a 50-50 three way partnership between Liberty World and Telefónica, following a merger authorized by the U.Ok.’s Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) in Might 2020.
Virgin Media O2 stated its cell community now delivers 5G protection to over 75% of the U.Ok. inhabitants.
