O2 UK Extend 5G Standalone Mobile Broadband Across East Sussex

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today announced that they’ve recently switched-on their next-generation 5G Standalone (5GSA / 5G+) mobile broadband network in 14 large towns and cities, 16 smaller towns and 252 rural villages across East Sussex (England), including Brighton and Hove.

The new 5G+ network is now live across an overall total of more than 700 locations (over 70% of the UK’s population). The technology offers a pure end-to-end 5G network that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for IoT devices, increased reliability and security etc. By comparison, early 5G networks used a Non-Standalone (NSA) approach, which was hobbled by being partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure.

O2’s 5GSA rollout – available to customers with compatible devices “at no extra cost” – first began in February 2024 (here) and aims to reach “at least 90% outdoor coverage” in every location they reach. The operator’s rollout in East Sussex can now reach more than 830,000 residents in key towns and cities including Brighton & Hove, Peacehaven, Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Seaford and Rye.

Professor Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said:

“Our new 5G+ network is now live across East Sussex, including Brighton & Hove, providing an impressive upgrade for local people and businesses and creating new opportunities in and around the region. We are investing every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers, futureproofing our connectivity and paving the way for exciting innovations that lie ahead.”