O2 Boost 4G and 5G Cover Across Over 40 Major UK Motorways and A Roads
Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has revealed that they’ve recently boosted 4G and 5G based mobile (mobile broadband) coverage across 590 miles of road in the UK (i.e. major motorways and A roads, including the M1, M4, M6, M8 and M25). The move aims to improve network reliability and help drivers with navigation, charging apps and calls to breakdown services etc.
As part of the network optimisation work, many routes have received upgrades including a 4G boost for 311 sites and 338 brand-new 5G builds, “significantly enhancing network performance and reliability for road users“. Further improvements are also being planned for the A14 (Rugby–Ipswich), the M20 (London–Folkestone) and the A75 (Gretna–Stranraer).
At the same time, the Liberty Global-backed EV charge point operator, Believ, is installing up to 30,000 new public charging points nationwide to expand its charging footprint, including in areas where O2 has recently boosted mobile coverage.
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In addition, VMO2 recently commission Strand Partners to conduct a nationally representative online survey of 1,000 people, including a sub-sample of 298 EV drivers between 29/08/2025 – 01/09/2025. This revealed that 76% of EV drivers worry about losing mobile connectivity, which can also make it difficult to access charging apps (you can usually charge without these, but some services adopt a subscription).
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at VMO2, said:
“Connectivity underpins a huge part of the driving experience today, but particularly for EVs. By optimising coverage on more than 40 motorways and A roads as part of our £700 million investment in our Mobile Transformation Plan, we’re helping make every journey safer and more reliable. Alongside Believ’s new charging points, this is about removing barriers so more people can make the switch to electric with confidence.”
The upgrades form part of VMO2’s wider £700m Mobile Transformation Plan, which is expanding 4G and 5G coverage, rolling out Small Cells in dense urban areas, and tackling persistent network pain points along railways, airports, stadiums and now main roads.
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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