O2 UK to Withdraw Inbound 2G and 3G Roaming on 1st October 2025
The business division of mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today confirmed that, as part of their plan to switch-off 2G and 3G services across the United Kingdom, they’ll also be withdrawing inbound roaming services on both of those older mobile networks from 1st October 2025.
Just to recap. Last year saw VMO2 become the final operator to reveal their plan for switching off their 3G mobile (mobile broadband) network (here), which will begin in 2025 and the withdrawal will then occur in phases, with completion by the end of that same year. O2 recently followed that by announcing that they’d also start shifting almost all remaining traffic and customers off their oldest 2G network in 2025 too (here), but they won’t be turning it off completely for “several years” because it’s still necessary for some vital services (e.g. Smart Meters – home energy tracking).
Both moves support an earlier agreement between the UK government and all major mobile operators, which jointly aim to phase-out existing 2G and 3G signals by 2033 (here). This will free up radio spectrum so it can be used to further improve the network coverage and mobile broadband speeds of more modern 4G and 5G networks, as well as future 6G services. The switch-off will also reduce the operators’ costs and power consumption.
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The latest update today is that, as part of these changes, O2 have confirmed they will be withdrawing inbound roaming services from their 2G and 3G networks on 1st October 2025. This typically reflects the service that allows subscribers from other operators to access O2’s local network and services.
Jo Bertram, Managing Director of VMO2 Business, said:
“In July, we contacted all our business customers, from small enterprises to wholesale partners, to make them aware of these plans and told them that they will need to upgrade any 2G and 3G only devices, so they can maintain seamless connectivity. We’ve also made our international roaming partners aware and instructed them to work with their customers to avoid disruption.
We know some organisations purchase connectivity solutions from other providers, including SIMs from overseas operators which roam on our network. Businesses should contact their connectivity provider to ensure any machines and applications that may use roaming to connect to our network, even occasionally, are upgraded to 4G / 5G or to find alternate ways to connect before October 2025.
Many organisations won’t need to do anything, or notice any change since their devices are already compatible with the 4G and 5G networks. To check if a device is compatible with 4G/5G and 4G Calling, also called VoLTE, we’ve published a list here under the ’Check your device’ section. There are also instructions on how to enable this function on devices.
With other operators also switching off older networks, we recommend that all businesses – whether they’re our customers or not – undertake an audit of their device estate to determine if they have any 2G or 3G only devices that need to be upgraded or are using any SIMs that could be roaming on our network. Your connectivity provider should be able to tell you this.”
The change shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given the operator’s prior announcements, but it does set a clear timeline for a key change within the process, and that should help with planning. But there’s always a risk that, in some limited areas and circumstances, this could contribute to localised problems with securing basic mobile / voice coverage.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Hopefully they’ll make rapid progress on VoLTE roaming in both directions then. It seems to be very much lacking at the moment.
Most of the people I know doesn’t know what VoLTE is. Many people thinks they are good because they are using 4G for data but their phone is not supported for VoLTE on their network. I think a significant amount of customer education will be needed prior turning off 2G (or ideally, a generic VoLTE profile, but I’m afraid I’m dreaming)
VoLTE is useful, if there is a place where getting a service from a mobile network is difficult, and you are connected to Wi-Fi, but it should not be something we should aim to using instead of networks. at the end of the day we pay Vodafone, O2, three and any other to supply a mobile network and if they can’t do that then maybe should get out of the business and get someone who can. I bet they would all love us to VoLTE and get rid of the mobile network, look at how much money they would save.
I disable it on my phone at home, only enable it when at my partner’s house as the signal there is naff.
As for 2G, need something to rely on, if 4G is all that is left that is semi reliable. 5G around here in most places is a waste of time and a lot of people still don’t have a phone capable of 5G anyway, like me, and I am certainly not going to buy a new phone just to get 5G.
When my phone goes belly up then i will.
Also, I know of people injured large cities like Birmingham who have dsiabled 5G on their phone as it is useless, go between some buildings it cuts out and tries to connect to 4G.
We don’t have hi-rise buidliongs here, but I hear people compalin about 5G here.
Retailers should be now withdrawing phones without VoLTE capabilities was having a look last night on the Argos website and you’d be surprised the amount they have on sale that aren’t VoLTE capable.
@Ad476uk you’ve confused VoLTE and VoWiFi, VoLTE uses the mobile network, VoWiFi uses WiFi
@Ad476uk What an odd statement to make. Considering that the big fixed line broadband offerings are also owned by the major mobile providers, it really does not matter whether the call goes via mobile or fixed.
VM02 has the biggest number of customers on its mobile network and it’s the second biggest fixed line service provider via its DOCSIS and FTTP networks.
You worrying about who is carrying your calls and switching off WiFi is a rather odd thing to worry about.
“VoLTE is useful, if there is a place where getting a service from a mobile network is difficult”
That word, I don’t think it means what you think it means.
@Ashley, LOL, yes, you are right, no idea what I was thinking of. Voice over LTE. 🙂
@AM, not worrying about who is carrying my calls, but i pay my mobile network to use their infrastructure, not to go the cheaper way and use Wi-fi.
I use Wi-fi for data because I only have 4GB of data on the package I pay for.
@Blue Shirt Guy, yeah, i got it wrong, for some reason. old age 🙂
Three are apparently auto-enabling VoLTE on phones that support it as they switch off 3G (SMARTY aren’t, you have to do it manually.)
Also some phones that are capable of VoLTE don’t have an option to enable it if they haven’t had recent android updates.
I have both 4G and 5G in my area but its so unusable I just use 3G as it’s quicker and reliable, hopefully they will improve both 4G and 5G before switching off 3G BH15 area
This is the problem, 4G around here is better than it was, but i have changed networks so that could be the reason I was on Plusnet, which used EE, now I am using Smarty that uses the 3 network. 5G seems to be bad from all providers around the city from what I have heard.
This is progress, so we are told, no doubt just a way for network providers to save money.
Nothing about improving security?
They just need sort out the 4G and 5G signals in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk first before switching off 3G in some areas like villages , 3G is the only signal you can get and that’s poor. in other parts you can’t get a signal at all. That’s on all network.! 02 is the best signal provider in Norfolk and Suffolk but that again 3G is still reliable, very slow but reliable.
All networks need to get out of the towns and cities and find out what is really like in the villages, in coastal areas is even bad during the summer holidays when all the campers and holiday makers are using the network you can actually say there is no network at all. At least there is Wi-Fi in the home..
In case of emergency, because Internet providers are slowly going over FTTP where some isp’s are not providing a telephone service, so mobile signals are going to be more relied on . so the government needs to either bringing a nationalise mobile telephone services, or The networks need to really invest heavily in providing a good reliable service everywhere. Just in case of emergencies and you’re needing a telephone asp!
Also big holiday companies not naming any with thousands of caravans on one site need to be forced to provide Wi-Fi on the premises , and in the caravans, and not for their customers to rely on the poor mobile phone signal in the area.