Virgin Media O2 has activated its 5G Standalone network in 14 cities promising broader coverage, increased bandwidth, and reduced latency.
Recent Samsung Galaxy phones and Sony Xperia devices are supported. ,But iPhone owners will not be able to access the service as Apple hasn’t released the necessary software updates.
Cities covered are: Manchester, Liverpool, London, Lincoln, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Belfast, Cardiff, Nottingham, Slough
Customers located in these locations will get seamless connectivity through compatible SIMs and devices at no additional charge. The stand-alone network architecture uses state-of-the-art radio infrastructure and a cloud-based cor for better reliability and broader coverage.
5G Standalone moves away from reliance on 4G data transmission facilitating applications such as self-drove cars, remote healthcare, and industrial automation.
5G Standalone technology is also more energy-efficient.
Virgin Media O2 will be continuing 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.
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. This new technology will future proof our mobile network for years to come and paves the way for exciting customer led innovations in the future.”
Virgin Media O2 plans to extend the reach of its 5G Standalone network to additional towns and cities throughout 2024 including upgrades to its 4G network.