Virgin Media O2 is offering free 4G phones and discounted upgrades to people in the Durham area whose 3G devices will no longer receive service from April 2. To minimise disruption, the company is offering free 4G-ready devices to vulnerable customers and discounted upgrades to others in the area who still rely on 3G technology.

The phase-out of Virgin Media O2’s 3G network could generate electronic waste worth £13m, including £10.3m from just 146 kilograms of gold, according to new research from BusinessWaste.co.uk. The analysis highlights the environmental and economic implications of decommissioning legacy network technologies, with millions of devices rendered obsolete and valuable raw materials at stake. The report

Durham will be the first location to lose Virgin Media 3G coverage in the company’s transition toward more reliable 4G and 5G announced in 2023. Vodafone, Three, and EE have already completed the switch-off, with O2 the last mobile network operator left to turn its 3G network off.  The switch-off is expected to have minimal

In our increasingly connected world, the demand for faster, and more reliable, energy-efficient mobile services continues to grow writes Virgin Media O2 chief technology officer Jeanie York Following our announcement last year that we’ll phase our 3G services in 2025, we’ve recently completed successful switch off trials. We remain on track to switch off the

Ofcom is holding a consultation over its plan to overhaul the licensing and configuration regulations governing customer-installed indoor mobile phone boosters.

Virgin Media O2 will start a phased 3G shutdown in 2025 in line with Government and industry edicts that all networks have to shut down 3G by 2033.

Virgin Media O2 will start a phased 3G shutdown in 2025 in line with Government and industry edicts that all networks have to shut down 3G by 2033.

Half the UK population is unaware of the imending 3G network switch off according to an Opinium survey sample of 2,000 UK adults last December, Respondents were asked:  ‘In 2023 mobile providers will start to switch off their 3G networks to focus on 4G and 5G. Were you aware of this before today? Fifty one

2G network remains in place for voice and texts 

But the good news is the effect of turning off 2G and 3G will have a negligible effect on consumers

The closure will start in specific areas and expand regionally  Vodafone has told subscribers it will be starting the 3G switch-off in January. The 3G closure will start in specific areas, and then expand regionally, with the full national 3G switch to be completed by the end of September. Customers have been told: “Switching off

One year on, BT is well on its way to completing its ambitions in 5G and the PSTN switch-off

The operator also claims to have the fastest 5G network in the UK

Announcement comes as 5G usage has increased by over 358 per cent on Three’s network in the last year

Less than four per cent of current data traffic across the network is delivered through 3G compared to over 30pc in 2016.

The government has agreed with UK mobile network operators Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media O2 and Three that 2033 will be the date by which all public 2G and 3G networks in the UK will be switched off.

CCS Insight looked at the future of mobile, revealing its latest predictions for the years ahead

Network will offer 5G anywhere in the UK by 2028

The safety of 5G has been scrutinised in recent months 

Ericsson continues partnership with O2 following 5G launch last year

Checker covers 2G, 3G, and 4G for all networks

Phones come with a three-year warranty

Operator says 2G still has a future due to IoT applications

The capital has been among the worst affected according to DownDetector but EE has since resolved the issue 

Huawei’s two-day mobile broadband forum at the ExCel attracted nearly 1,000 industry guests

EE customers now make more calls over 4G than 3G for the first time ever

Anticipation and excitement is mounting. But what will the new technology mean in reality?

Current 3G customers will still be able to use their devices.

The V-Auto, V-Camera,V-pet and V-Bag require a special SIM card to work and can be bought for either £3 or £4 a month alongside an upfront fee

Prepaid the 3310 3G is available for £59 from Carphone Warehouse and O2

The Gatwick-based company was the first, and currently the only, to launch inflight 3G connectivity

Politicians are calling for voice and data connectivity on the London Underground to support business and bring it in line with networks in other cities but operators are not keen, as Samantha Tomaszczyk reports