Virgin Media O2 will switch off its dedicated network early 2026, following in the footsteps of rivals which already abandoned the tech last year.
The UK’s final 3G shutdown will impact Virgin and O2 customers, alongside Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, and Sky Mobile accounts. It comes at a time when the majority of mobile users have already upgraded to 4 or 5G enabled devices, and follows a series of staggered, location-based closures in recent months.
Virgin Media O2 began its switch off in Durham, North East England, last April. Support for 3G in Scotland was then withdrawn early November. The rest of the UK will soon lose this form of connection, leaving anyone still reliant on the outmoded network unable to access mobile data. Calls and texts will continue to work normally.
BT/EE has already completely closed 3G in the UK, with the telecoms giant the first abandon the network early 2024. Vodafone then followed suit, with Three confirming full shutdown by November 2025. All providers have been asked to ensure 95% of Britons will be able to connect to 5G by the end of 2025, and 99% by the end of the decade. At the time of writing it is not clear if the first target was met, and concerns are high that work is behind on the second.
‘Our 3G network has already been withdrawn across many UK locations, with the final areas set to follow shortly,’ said Virgin Media O2 Chief Technology Officer, Jeanie York. ‘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.’
Image: VCRUGS / Unsplash
More Online Networks & Computing:
Department for Transport launches new connectivity app for planners
Staffordshire Council trials discount SIM cards for young people leaving care
Leave a Reply