Virgin Media O2 Mobile and Broadband Users Gobbled 39bn GigaBytes of Data

Customers of both Virgin Media and O2’s (VMO2) UK mobile and fixed broadband ISP networks have, since 1st June 2021 (the date their merger completed), used a total of 39 billion GigaBytes (GB) of data over the past year, with mobile users also totalling 116 billion minutes (equivalent to a call lasting 220,000 years).

Breaking that figure down for mobile, including Virgin Mobile and traffic from other providers that use O2’s mobile network (i.e. adding Tesco Mobile and GiffGaff etc.), some 1.8 billion GB of mobile data (mobile broadband) has travelled across their network since June 2021. Mobile users tend to consume considerably less data than fixed line users.

Meanwhile, on Virgin Media’s fixed line network, customers downloaded a staggering 34 billion GB of content – up 5% from the 12 months prior, and 16% from the record-breaking 2020 – and uploaded 3 billion GB. This is said to be equivalent to the average customer downloading 17.6GB of data every day.

The new data has been released as part of VMO2’s celebration of their first anniversary together, as a single merged company.

Summary of VMO2’s Other Data Highlights

➤ The TikTok video app grew by 98% in the past 12 months, taking up 6% of total network traffic on O2’s core network.

➤ Virgin TV customers watched 7 billion hours of TV live, on demand and on apps such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.

➤ Virgin Media’s landline customers spoke for a total of 52 million hours on their home phones.

➤ VMO2 has invested around £2bn in its network since June 2021 – upgrading 4G across more than 390,000 postcodes, delivering 5G to more than 450 towns and cities, while rolling out more FTTP and upgrading their older Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network across 14.3 million premises to gigabit speeds (DOCSIS 3.1 technology).

➤ Under the National Databank initiative, O2 has so far distributed 19,800 SIMs with free data to 356 centres nationwide and has committed to donating 46 million gigabytes of free mobile data by the end of 2025, which is usually offered to disadvantaged users and families.

Jeanie York, CTO of VMO2, said:

“Since bringing Virgin Media and O2 together we’ve seen the largest ever levels of data use in a single year and we’ve matched this enormous demand with billions of pounds of investment in the UK. These statistics demonstrate the importance of connectivity – both below and above ground – and the huge role our services play in people’s lives, whether that’s to work, socialise, learn or stay entertained.

Bringing together two incredible brands and networks is no easy task, but after just a year together we have knocked it out of the park. There’s lots more to come as we continue on our mission to upgrade the UK.”

VMO2 are continuing to deploy 5G mobile technology across the UK and they’ve also entered the building phase for Project Mustang, which reflects their plan to upgrade 14.3 million UK premises – those covered by their older HFC infrastructure – to the latest 10Gbps capable XGS-PON full fibre (FTTP) technology (here), which is due to complete in 2028.

On top of that, VMO2 plan to launch a separate company with unspecified investors, which will build FTTP broadband to another 7 million UK premises in new greenfield areas by 2027 (here) – extending total coverage to 23m premises. Access to this will be available at wholesale, with VMO2 itself being an anchor tenant ISP. But they’ll need to build a heck of a lot faster than they are today in order to stand any chance of reaching that.

VMO2 also has the “option” to separately wholesale out access to their existing fixed line network of 15.6 million premises (rising to 16m by the end of 2022), but they haven’t yet said when this will occur.