Customers in 14 locations across the UK will benefit from a major upgrade in 5G coverage from Virgin Media O2.
A new Standalone network is now available to consumers with 5G Standalone compatible SIMs and devices. Customers will seamlessly switch between 4G, 5G or 5G Standalone to ensure they experience the best connectivity wherever they are.
Unlike existing 5G services which have relied on parts of the 4G network to send and receive data, Virgin Media O2’s 5G Standalone network is a completely new network built using the latest future-proofed radio infrastructure and a totally cloud-based core.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “The launch of 5G Standalone is the culmination of a multi-year programme and is a real leap forward in the evolution of our mobile network. While it’s still early days, our customer-centric rollout will continue throughout 2024 with some consumer customers seeing the immediate benefits including increased reliability and coverage.”
The service is available in Manchester, Liverpool, London, Lincoln, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Belfast, Cardif, Nottingham and Slough. The operator now provides 5G coverage to 50% of the population.
5G Standalone will increase network capacity, cut latency, and support a massive increase in the number of connected devices. This will unlock many of the innovative use cases associated with 5G, including autonomous transport solutions, remote healthcare and fully robotic factories. It will also enable network slicing and pave the way for Virgin Media O2 to offer dedicated services for things like augmented reality, gaming, advanced robotics and other business use cases.
Kester Mann, director of consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, said: “The launch of 5G Standalone is an important milestone for Virgin Media O2 as it opens the door to it offering a host of new services. Many of these are associated with the long-term vision of 5G, such as network slicing and super low-latency applications. With availability in 14 cities across the UK, many customers will already be able to enjoy the benefits of faster speeds and enhanced network capacity.”
The 5G Standalone network also uses more energy efficient technology, helping Virgin Media O2 to cut its energy use and emissions in line with its ambitious Better Connections Plan.
Virgin Media O2 will continue its rollout of 5G Standalone to more towns and cities throughout the UK in 2024, as it continues investing in its network to improve mobile connectivity for even more of its customers. Last year, the operator upgraded its 4G network in over 465,000 UK postcodes.