Virgin Media O2"s Chief Technology Officer, Jeanie York, has penned a blog post giving the public an update on its plans to switch off its 3G network. It announced plans to switch it off last year and is now saying it"s on track to stick to this schedule following successful switch-off trials.
With the 3G switch-off coming next year, the company also said it"s assessing the viability of turning off its 2G network as well. The CTO said that under 1% of its customers are still using 2G-only devices, and the network carries less than 0.1% of data traffic.
From next year, Virgin Media O2 will attempt to move almost all the remaining traffic away from its 2G network; how it plans to do this short of replacing people"s phones is unknown. Perhaps it plans to upgrade so-called notspots where people struggle to get a good signal.
While it will try to reduce the usage of its 2G network, it will not be turned off for several years because it plays a role in carrying emergency calls in remote areas that have no 4G coverage. The 2G network will also be used to help send data between smart energy meters and the energy provider to help the UK move to a "lower-carbon economy."
Virgin Media O2 said this switch to 4G and 5G will be seamless for most customers, but a small proportion of customers will receive messages telling them what they need to do. People who will get messages include those with a very old device that doesn"t support 4G, if they need a new SIM, or if they need to turn on 4G calling.
To help support the transition, Virgin Media O2 is investing £2 million every day into its networks, and it is already delivering 5G to more than half of the UK.
Source: Virgin Media O2