Virgin Media has unveiled plans for a £700m investment this year aimed at enhancing mobile reliability and speed for its UK clientele.
This funding will also enable the broadband behemoth to bolster its 4G and 5G coverage in rural regions, as reported by City AM.
As part of its mobile transformation strategy, the company intends to implement thousands of upgrades, including new mobile masts and small cells in urban areas where customers grapple with weak signals.
Major upgrades
Virgin Media O2 is directing its investment towards locations where connectivity is paramount and where customers have long demanded enhancements.
This encompasses rail travel and motorways, with the aim to improve signal strength at stations and reduce dead zones for drivers utilising GPS or streaming on the move.
The investment will also extend to live events, stadiums, and city centres, increasing capacity to prevent slow speeds when large crowds are online.
The commitment to invest £2m daily will result in fewer dropped calls, quicker downloads, and superior performance in these areas.
Phasing out 3G
Virgin Media O2 is also phasing out any obsolete 3G networks that are no longer effective, freeing up bandwidth to enhance faster, more energy-efficient 4G and 5G networks.
The firm has also revealed its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to boost efficiency, ensuring customers enjoy a consistently reliable and stronger mobile experience in the forthcoming years.
Investment in the face of growing demand
This £700m upgrade to the mobile network forms part of Virgin Media O2's broader £2bn investment in connectivity for 2025, encompassing both mobile and broadband services.
The announcement comes in response to a significant surge in mobile network demand, which has hit an unprecedented high, with traffic more than doubling over the past five years.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, stated: "We know how frustrating patchy signal can be, so we're making sure our customers get the reliable, high speed mobile service they expect – whether they're commuting, working, or just streaming on their sofa."
She further added, "This investment isn't just about upgrades, it's about creating a network that's ready for the future". In contrast, the government unveiled a £23m investment in telecoms research and development on Monday.
Supercharging connectivity
Since its £31bn merger in 2021, Virgin Media O2 has emerged as one of the nation's largest and most innovative telecom providers. Coupled with O2's mobile network, the company is now a key contender in fixed and mobile connectivity, vying directly with BT, EE, Vodafone, and other major providers.
The firm has also pledged to upgrade its entire network to full fibre by 2028.
