Virgin Media O2 UK Updates on Yorkshire Broadband and Mobile Upgrades

Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) has issued a general progress update on their various mobile and broadband ISP network upgrades, investment, and digital inclusion initiatives across Yorkshire in England, which among other things also confirms that Skipton (North Yorkshire) is the home of their first XGS-PON (FTTP) trial users.

In case anybody has forgotten, the merged business has already committed to invest a further £10bn into the UK by 2025/26 (here). The money will be used to help acceleration the deployment of ultrafast 5G mobile (mobile broadband) and to expand their gigabit-capable home broadband network using XGS-PON powered Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology.

The new update helps to put their current position into some context, at least with respect to Yorkshire, which some readers may find useful. But what it doesn’t do is set any kind of solid future 5G or FTTP broadband build targets for the region. Otherwise, the announcement is stuffed with a shotgun blast of details about different projects, and so we’ve opted to simply summarise the key points below.

VMO2’s Network Progress in Yorkshire

➤ 5G coverage now reaches 50% of Yorkshire’s population – across 100 locations (e.g. Leeds, York, Sheffield and Wakefield). Just to give this a little more context, VMO2 is targeting 50% population coverage for the entire UK in 2023, thus Yorkshire is running ahead of other regions.

➤ The operator boosted 4G network capacity in over 61,000 Yorkshire postcodes over the last year (13,700 postcodes in North Yorkshire, 15,200 in South Yorkshire, 25,700 in West Yorkshire and 6,400 in East Riding of Yorkshire).

➤ Gigabit-capable fixed line broadband has been made available to over 324,000 additional premises across Yorkshire through the company’s Project Lightning programme (24,500 premises in North Yorkshire, 128,600 in South Yorkshire and 171,100 in West Yorkshire) – reflecting an investment of over £188 million.

➤ VMO2 employs over 900 people across the region, rising to over 3,000 people when you factor additional jobs created and secured via local construction partners.

➤ Collaboration with Sheffield City Council led to a ‘Barrier Busting Charter’ that has unlocked further digital investment to over 24,000 premises in 2022.

➤ The operator kicked off trials last month in Skipton, North Yorkshire, of their new XGS-PON based full-fibre broadband network for a few hundred lucky recipients (here). The plan is to upgrade their entire network by 2028.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2 said: “[We’re] committed to bringing the best experience and seamless connectivity to all its customers around the UK. Through our investment, employment, collaboration with local authorities and continued support in local communities, we’re proud to be connecting residents and businesses across Yorkshire and playing our part in helping it continue to be the fastest growing digital industry in the UK“.