Virgin Media O2 extends partnership with Zinkworks to accelerate automation across its mobile network and minimise downtime

• Virgin Media O2 is working with Zinkworks to deploy AI-driven automation technology to minimise downtime across its mobile network.
• Building on proven results in fixed broadband, where automation significantly reduced repair times and the need for engineer visits, the initiative will now be deployed on the mobile network to pre-empt issues and maximise network uptime
• The collaboration supports more resilient and reliable mobile connectivity across the UK, improving performance during peak demand and delivering a more consistent customer experience.

Virgin Media O2 has today announced it is deploying new artificial intelligence monitoring tools in its mobile network to predict and prevent network issues, helping deliver a more reliable and consistent experience for customers across the UK.

Building on two years of experience monitoring its fixed broadband network, where the technology reduced repair times by more than a third and cut the need for engineer visits by 12%, the operator is now extending this approach into its mobile network.

The expanded partnership with Zinkworks focuses on monitoring network performance, identifying patterns and behaviours, detecting and resolving issues faster, and anticipating faults before they escalate into service issues. It will help improve performance during periods of high demand and allow operational decisions to be made before customers are even impacted.

The technology will be deployed across key parts of the mobile network, including radio access, core systems and network operations. By combining real-time network data with intelligent automation, the network can continuously monitor itself, anticipate potential problems, and take corrective action, with engineers retaining complete oversight.

This work supports Virgin Media O2’s continued work to transform and evolve its networks as it moves toward more autonomous network operations, enabling greater resilience and performance as customer demand continues to grow.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “At Virgin Media O2, we are investing every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers. Greater automation will help us predict and prevent issues and allow us to better spot and fix problems when they arise, reducing downtime and ensuring customers can trust us to deliver the dependable mobile experience they rely on.”

Paul Madden, Chief Executive Officer, Zinkworks, added: “Mobile operators globally are looking for ways to harness AI at scale, and Virgin Media O2 is at the forefront of this shift. By combining Virgin Media O2’s ambition and our engineering expertise, we are building capabilities that will reduce outages, improve performance, and deliver tangible benefits to customers across the UK.”

This initiative is leveraging the core Google Cloud platform and features such as Gemini and Vertex AI to deliver AI-enabled autonomous network capabilities for Virgin Media O2.