Virgin Media O2 plans 2029 shutdown of 2G network to accelerate spectrum shift to 4G and 5G

Virgin Media O2 has announced it will begin shutting down its 2G mobile network in summer 2029, aiming to free up spectrum for faster, more energy-efficient 4G and 5G services amid industry-wide transitions in the UK.

Virgin Media O2 will begin shutting down O2’s 2G mobile network in summer 2029, bringing to an end a service that traces its roots back to Cellnet and the launch of 2G in December 1993. The company said the move forms part of a wider effort to free up spectrum for faster 4G and 5G services, as the old network approaches 36 years in operation.

According to the company, the 2G network now carries less than 0.5% of data traffic on O2’s mobile network, and international roaming partners have already been taken off it. Virgin Media O2 also said the service accounts for around 10% of its cell-site energy use, while 4G and 5G are roughly ten times more efficient, even though some of the recovered spectrum will be used to expand those newer networks.

Jeanie York, Virgin Media O2’s chief technology officer, said the operator is investing £700m this year to modernise its network and that most customers will not need to do anything when the change happens. However, she said some businesses may need to plan ahead, especially where older handsets or IoT devices still depend on 2G. The company said it will contact customers directly and support the transition.

The move follows the wider UK mobile industry’s staged withdrawal from legacy networks. EE has said it will begin closing its 2G network from May 2029, while Vodafone has set a target of spring 2030. Ofcom has said all UK operators have committed to phasing out 2G and 3G services by 2033, as the country shifts towards more efficient and reliable 4G and 5G infrastructure. Consumer groups and industry bodies have repeatedly urged users with older devices to upgrade before services disappear.

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Source: Fuse Wire Services