On the fixed side, the operator also reshapes wholesale division under unified leadership
Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is advancing its nationwide 3G shutdown with Watford becoming the latest area to lose access to the legacy network on 17 September. The move is part of the operator’s plan to retire 3G services by the end of 2025 and reallocate spectrum towards faster, more efficient 4G and 5G services.
The operator has already completed switch-offs in Durham, Norwich, Telford, Guildford and Torquay. In Watford, vulnerable customers have been offered free 4G-ready devices, while others without compatible handsets are being encouraged to upgrade. Mobile virtual network operators that run on VMO2’s infrastructure – including Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile and giffgaff – are also impacted.
Jeanie York, chief technology officer at VMO2, said the retirement of 3G “enables us to focus our investment on upgrading faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient 4G and 5G networks”.
Commenting on the move, Kenneth Hardat, telco strategy lead at Proximus Global, said: “The 3G switch-off was always going to be a necessary evil. With 3G usage on VMO2’s network under 2%, the timing is right, as it would be difficult for any operator to justify the operational overhead of maintaining legacy infrastructure when you could be freeing up the spectrum from 3G and reallocating it towards newer technologies like 4G and 5G.
“However, operators must be careful to avoid unintended consequences, especially for roamers that depend on older technologies. Everyone needs equal, uninterrupted access to emergency services, but without standardised efforts, like Voice over LTE roaming agreements, there’s a risk that vital services become unavailable to people who travel to other countries with legacy network technologies, and vice versa. The telecoms industry has an obligation to ensure we are closing, not widening, the digital divide.”
5G SA kicking on
The shutdown coincides with rapid expansion of the operator’s next-generation 5G Standalone (SA) service. VMO2 said it now offers SA coverage across 500 towns and cities, reaching over 70% of the UK population. Unlike non-standalone 5G, SA operates on a fully cloud-based 5G core, paving the way for advanced use cases such as autonomous transport, remote healthcare and industrial automation.
The SA rollout forms part of VMO2’s £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan, which also includes targeted small cell deployments and coverage improvements along transport routes and in high-density locations. The operator is investing around £2 million a day into its mobile infrastructure.
York said the 5G SA expansion “will pave the way for exciting customer-led innovations”, with the majority of flagship devices already supporting the technology.
Wholesale shake-up
Alongside its network upgrades, VMO2 has announced a new structure for its fixed wholesale business, unifying its consumer and enterprise wholesale units under the leadership of Julie Agnew, managing director of fixed wholesale and customer delivery.
Reporting to Agnew, Diego Tedesco takes the role of executive director for fixed wholesale, tasked with accelerating growth in both B2B2C and B2B2B markets. The new division will provide access to VMO2 and nexfibre’s fibre footprint, which currently passes more than 7 million premises.
VMO2 said the unit aims to challenge the status quo in the UK’s fixed wholesale market with digital-first systems, streamlined partner engagement and faster delivery. Giffgaff has already launched fibre broadband services using the operator’s wholesale platform. Agnew said the combined team is “uniquely well-positioned and ready to support our wholesale partners and offer a viable alternative to the status quo”.
