Virgin Media O2 to pump £700m into massive network upgrades

Virgin Media O2 plans to spend £700 million this year improving all aspects of its network.

Around £2 million every day will be spent on improving reliability, speed, and coverage to meet increasing demand, with mobile traffic having more than doubled in the past five years.

The investment is part of Virgin Media O2’s wider £2 billion commitment in 2025 to boost fixed and mobile services across the UK.

Chief Technology Officer Jeanie York, said: “Our Mobile Transformation Plan is a significant investment in the UK’s connectivity. By combining financial investment with technological innovation, we aim to ensure a reliable and high-performing network for our customers.”

VMO2’s big budget will boost 4G and 5G coverage in rural and coastal areas, deploying small cells in dense urban locations, and enhancing connectivity along transport routes such as railways, motorways, and airports. Satellite technology will be used to improve coverage in remote areas.

As part of the upgrade, Virgin Media O2 will integrate its mobile and fixed networks to improve efficiency and deployment speed.

Key areas for network improvements include:

Enhanced connectivity at stations and on trains, strengthened coverage along motorways and major routes, Increased deployment of small cells to boost capacity, satellite backhaul to address coverage gaps.distributed antenna systems to support high-traffic environments such as sports stadiums.