- Virgin Media O2 has optimised 4G and 5G coverage across almost 600 miles of major motorways and A roads including the M1, M4, M6 and M25, improving network reliability and helping support drivers with navigation, charging apps and making calls to breakdown services
- The improvements will help support EV vehicle adoption, giving drivers the connectivity they need to access public chargers, including the 30,000 being installed by charge point operator Believ
- New polling reveals “signal anxiety” tops “range anxiety” as one of the main concerns for EV drivers
Virgin Media O2 has today announced 4G and 5G coverage improvements on more than 40 major UK motorways and A roads, supporting the digital infrastructure needed to help boost electric vehicle adoption. The improvements cover 590 miles of road, which is roughly the equivalent of driving from Exeter to Inverness.
Mobile coverage has been optimised on road corridors including the M1 (London–Leeds), M4 (London–Bristol), M6 (Coventry–Carlisle) and Scotland’s M8 (Glasgow–Edinburgh) – linking ports, cities and regions and helping drivers stay informed and safe on the move. As part of the optimisation, many routes have received upgrades including a 4G boost for 311 sites and 338 brand-new 5G builds, significantly enhancing network performance and reliability for road users.
In parallel, the Liberty Global-backed EV charge point operator, Believ, is installing up to 30,000 new public charging points nationwide to expand its charging footprint, including in areas where O2 has recently boosted mobile coverage. This reliable mobile coverage is essential for customers to locate charging points and make payments seamlessly.
The areas identified for optimisation were determined through the operator’s drive testing programme which measures real-world network performance across the UK’s road network. These tests allow teams to pinpoint weaker coverage areas, implement targeted improvements, and prioritise upgrades or new sites where required.
Virgin Media O2 is set to extend the optimisation programme, with further improvements planned on the A14 (Rugby–Ipswich), the M20 (London–Folkestone) and the A75 (Gretna–Stranraer).
The rise of “signal anxiety”
New national polling by Virgin Media O2 reveals a major shift in what electric vehicle drivers worry about most. While range anxiety, the fear of running out of charge, remains the biggest concern for non-EV drivers (90%), those already behind the wheel of an EV now see signal anxiety as their top fear.
More than three-quarters of EV drivers (76%) worry about losing mobile connectivity, which would cut them off from maps, charger updates and location information, and even the ability to pay – higher than the 68% who cite range anxiety.
The findings show that connectivity is becoming as critical to EV adoption as charging infrastructure itself, underlining the importance of network improvements on motorways and A roads across the UK.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Connectivity underpins a huge part of the driving experience today, but particularly for EVs. By optimising coverage on more than 40 motorways and A roads as part of our £700 million investment in our Mobile Transformation Plan, we’re helping make every journey safer and more reliable. Alongside Believ’s new charging points, this is about removing barriers so more people can make the switch to electric with confidence.”
Guy Bartlett, CEO at Believ, said: “This is a brilliant example of private industry coming together with the shared purpose of helping drivers make a seamless transition to electric vehicles. The enhanced connectivity is great news, giving drivers even more reason to feel confident and excited about switching to EVs.”
These upgrades are part of Virgin Media O2’s £700m Mobile Transformation Plan, which is expanding 4G and 5G coverage, rolling out small cells in dense areas, and tackling persistent network pain points along railways, airports, stadiums – and now motorways and A roads.
This expansion of mobile coverage aligns with Liberty Global’s wider push into EV infrastructure, with £300m committed to Believ, the UK charge-point operator delivering 30,000 new public chargers focused on on-street access and rapid hubs in underserved areas. Together, the programmes show how Liberty Global and Virgin Media O2 are investing across both the digital and physical backbones of Britain’s road network, pairing stronger signal with more charging access to unlock confidence in the EV transition.
ENDS
Methodology:
Strand Partners’ specialist research team conducted a nationally representative online survey of 1,000 people, including a sub-sample of 298 EV drivers between 29/08/2025 – 01/09/2025. The survey was representative by age, gender and NUTS 1 region. Strand Partners is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
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