Building a stronger mobile network for you
We’re dedicated to making your mobile experience the best it can be. On average, we invest £2 million every day into our network to bring you cutting-edge technology and reliable connectivity. We’re committed to keeping you connected, no matter where you are.
Rural connectivity
In June 2024, we completed the first phase of our Shared Rural Network programme, bringing reliable 4G coverage to 227 rural communities across the UK.
After working with local communities, we used helicopters, ferries and more to enhance rural connectivity. Now, our customers are free to lace up their boots and tackle the great outdoors.
Improving urban areas
Small cells are an innovative way to add extra network capacity where it's most needed. We have one of the country's largest small cell networks, with over 1800 sites live across the UK.
These small bits of radio infrastructure, often disguised on streetlamps, post-boxes, or phone boxes, can be deployed quickly to boost urban connectivity.
Our small cells are already live in Coventry, Nottingham, Birmingham, Reading and many more areas across the nation.
Moments that matter
From music festivals and sporting events to staycation hotspots, we can deploy our Cells on Wheels (COWs) to keep you connected in the most Instagrammable places, so you can share the moments that matter without a hitch.
Our COWs have supported the British Grand Prix, Glastonbury, Wimbledon, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and many more events and locations.
Less gaps to mind on the tube
No more worrying about missed calls or buffering podcasts while you travel below the city. O2 customers can get coverage in more than two thirds of tube stations. But it doesn't stop there, because uninterrupted coverage is being rolled out to every station. By the end of 2025, 80% of the London Underground network - including connecting tunnels - will be connected.
Motorway upgrades
In 2023, we jump-started an initiative to improve coverage along key motorway routes, with upgrades already completed on the M5, M11 and M60. More routes will get a boost throughout the coming year, helping to keep you connected on the road.
Railways solutions
With tens of millions of passengers travelling through transport hubs each year, railway stations depend on reliable connectivity. Using a dedicated indoor 5G solution, we've enhanced connectivity at key stations like Manchester Piccadilly and London's Fenchurch Street, keeping you in touch while you're on the move.
We're switching off 3G
Our 3G network carries less than 4% of our total mobile data traffic, but uses 11% of our total energy consumption, so we'll begin to switch it off in 2025. It's part of an agreement between the Government and all UK network operators, and we'll be able to reuse the frequencies it frees up to enhance our newer 4G and 5G networks.
5G Standalone
In February, we launched the next generation of our 5G network - 5G Standalone. This complete overhaul of our 5G network paves the way for future technological advancements, from remote surgeries to the metaverse and autonomous vehicles. More routes will get a boost throughout the coming year, helping to keep you connected on the road.
Starlink
To extend our network’s reach, we're using Starlink's technology to connect rural sites, providing coverage in more places than ever before. Using a dedicated indoor 5G solution, we've enhanced connectivity at key stations like Manchester Piccadilly and London's Fenchurch Street, keeping you in touch while you're on the move.
Can't find what you're looking for?
Coverage claims ‘5G in more places than ever’:
* Based on a threshold of 50% population coverage in a town or city
** Based on outdoor population coverage for customers using a 5G Standalone compatible device
Additional upgrade and improvement claims:
Nottingham: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 7,397 postcodes in Nottingham from August 2023 to August 2024. Network performance improved by 3.55% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Glasgow: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 3,237 postcodes in Glasgow from August 2023 to August 2024. Network performance improved by 4.39% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Solihull: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 314 postcodes in Solihull from August 2023 to August 2024. Network performance improved by 2.15% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Coventry: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 2,086 postcodes in Coventry from August 2023 to August 2024. Network performance improved by 4.74% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Derby: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 1,515 postcodes in Derby from September 2023 to September 2024. Network performance improved by 2.94% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Aberdeen: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 633 postcodes in Aberdeen from September 2023 to September 2024. Network performance improved by 1.50% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).
Wolverhampton: Additional 4G and 5G capacity added to 851 postcodes in Wolverhampton from September 2023 to September 2024. Network performance improved by 1.80% over a 6-month period (February 2024 to July 2024).