O2 planning to switch on 1,000 sites with new 4G spectrum by end of year

10 cities will receive the 4G spectrum as transportation hubs and major shopping centres will be prioritised 

O2 has announced it will connect over 1,000 sites to new 4G spectrum by the end of 2018 and has started switching on sites within 24 hours of acquiring the spectrum.

The 4G rollout follows on from O2 purchasing 40MHz of 2.3GHz 4G spectrum at the spectrum auction earlier this month, held by Ofcom.

By the end of April O2 will have switched 100 new sites on in the UK, including in London, Leeds and Nottingham.

The 4G spectrum will reach 10 cities by the end of the year and will prioritise improving performance on major transportation hubs and shopping centres. Westfield shopping centres in White City and Stratford will see this new 4G spectrum as a result of the public calling for better service.

Additional 4G spectrum will help O2 to meet the growing demand for mobile data in the UK, as more people use their mobile device for watching shows and accessing the Internet.

According to an Ofcom report last year, there has been a 46 per cent increase in consumers choosing to access Internet and television from a mobile phone rather than via a laptop or television.

O2 invest over £2 million per day to maintain and improve the network and over the last year has grown its 4G coverage to 98 per cent of the UK.

O2 chief operating officer Derek McManus said: “We know how important a fast and reliable connection is to our customers which is why we’re putting our new 4G spectrum to use as quickly as possible.”

“We were able to switch on the first sites within 24 hours. Our swift deployment of new 4G spectrum will further enhance the O2 experience for all of our UK customers.”