By Jeanie York, Virgin Media O2’s Chief Technology Officer
A little over 20 years ago, the concept of browsing the internet, checking emails or getting real-time navigation while out and about – not connected to a home Wi-Fi network – was completely alien to almost all of us.
With the pace of technological innovation and change constantly accelerating, it’s easy to forget the huge impact that 3G mobile networks had on our day-to-day lives when they first launched all those years ago. It was genuinely transformational.
The early 2000s were a far cry from today. Whether it’s passengers playing games on their commutes, families driving down the motorway distracting their children with their favourite TV show, music or sport fans arranging to meet before a big event, or somebody simply walking down the street streaming their favourite music, today we’re all constantly using and relying on mobile data, often without even thinking about it.
We’re now more connected than ever before thanks to the significant investments made by mobile network operators like Virgin Media O2 in faster, more reliable 4G and 5G networks.
It’s therefore not a surprise that 3G is increasingly a relic of a bygone era. It was built to support basic web browsing – not to power the high bandwidth activities like zoom calls, video streaming or browsing pictures on social media that people increasingly expect to do seamlessly on the go.
Today the 3G network accounts for less than 2% of mobile data usage on our network. It was against this backdrop of declining usage that the industry and government agreed in 2021 that 3G networks would be withdrawn, allowing mobile spectrum to be reallocated to 4G and 5G services that give customers a better overall experience – for example through faster data speeds, more reliable streaming and higher quality voice calls.
Fast forward four years, the other operators have completed their switch-offs and, at Virgin Media O2, we’re set to complete our programme in the coming weeks following a series of successful pilots throughout 2025.
We know that the majority of our customers, and those of giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile which use our network, already have a 4G or 5G device and don’t have to take any action as a result of 3G being withdrawn. Our number one priority, however, is supporting those customers who do need to upgrade to a compatible device. That’s why we’ve been writing directly to all of these customers, offering heavy discounts on replacement phones and entirely free upgrades for those we know are vulnerable. Many have already taken advantage of these offers and are now benefitting from easy-to-use devices they can count on for years to come.
Our 3G network has already been withdrawn across many UK locations, with the final areas set to follow shortly. You may still see a 3G signal in some places for a short period in early 2026, but the network will soon be switched off entirely, so I’d like to take this opportunity to urge anybody who is still using a 3G-only handset to please visit your local store, or call us, to upgrade as soon as possible.
Anyone who doesn’t upgrade before 3G is switched off in their area will still be able to make calls and send text messages as they do today, but they won’t be able to use mobile data.
When you do upgrade, you’ll be joining the millions of other O2 customers benefitting from our Mobile Transformation Plan, which will see us invest £700m into our mobile network this year alone – equivalent to £2m every day – to provide faster, more reliable services.
Whether it’s through recent network upgrades we’ve carried out at major venues like the Allianz Stadium, Wembley and Stadium of Light, upgrading coverage on major roads and motorways and in coastal areas, or deploying dozens of small cells to improve connectivity in the busiest city centres and tourist destinations, our investment in 4G and 5G networks is powering the moments that matter to our customers.
Just like 3G once did – only now faster, more reliably and more efficiently.
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