O2 UK Set to Start 2G Mobile Network Switch Off in Summer 2029
Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning revealed that they will start switching off their “decades-old” 2G network starting in Summer 2029. The move follows their “successful” 3G switch off programme, which was completed at the end of 2025. But removing 2G is a slower and more complex process due to the many services that still depend upon it.
Just to recap. O2 and other mobile operators are currently in the process of preparing to switch off their legacy 2G mobile networks, although it’s expected to take several years longer to completely retire 2G as it remains necessary for various devices (e.g. Energy Smart Meters / IoT) and as a fallback in areas of poor 4G or 5G signals. Suffice to say that more time has to be allowed for the transition to go smoothly.
As with the prior 3G switch-off, the move will free up radio spectrum so that it can be re-farmed to further improve the network coverage and the 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 2G network today carries less than 0.5% of all data on VMO2’s mobile network and is already closed for international roaming. But on the flip side, 2G also accounts for more than 10% of the company’s total cell site energy consumption, while 4G and 5G networks are said to be “10 times more efficient“. The move will thus contribute to VMO2’s wider plans to reach net-zero by 2040.
Jeanie York, CTO at Virgin Media O2, said:
“We’re investing £700m this year to transform our mobile network and ensure it can keep pace with growing consumer demand. As we look to the future, we’ll be switching off the old 2G network so we can double down on providing all customers with the reliable and efficient 4G and 5G mobile services they expect.
Having recently switched off our 3G network and signed up to the government 2G switch-off charter, we know exactly how to do this responsibly and without disrupting customers. While most customers won’t need to take any action at all, some businesses might need to start planning for this now.
We will communicate with customers directly and ensure we support everyone as this essential upgrade takes place.”
The operator states that the “vast majority of customers won’t need to take any action during this switch-off period“, but anyone relying on the network, including organisations using it to connect IoT devices, will need to take action before summer 2029 to avoid disruption.
VMO2 said they’re committed to helping those who may need additional support – for example those who still use older devices (many of these will have been helped during the prior 3G switch-off, but not all). The company will be contacting customers well in advance to ensure they are aware of these changes and will aim to clearly outline the steps they need to take and their options, with support pages and trained agents on hand to help.
The switch off will also affect O2 Business customers, as well as customers of O2’s various virtual operator partners (MVNOs), such as giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile. According to the Public Accounts Committee (here), an estimated 7 million Smart Meters may need to have their 2G/3G modules upgraded to 4G to avoid a huge connectivity problem. The programme to do this began last year (here).
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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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Hope the energy companies pull their finger out with the upgrade of the coms hubs to 4G & preferably with Wifi too. Given how far they are behind with the smart meter roll out I’m not holding my breath.
They’re probably waiting for the telecom companies to come up with a solution for them. It’s the same with the Digital Voice roll-out, surely if you’re prone to regular power cuts it should be down to your electric supplier to provide you with a battery backup and not BT?
“Successful” 3G switch off. It’s still live in Canary Wharf!!
Still live in Shrewsbury town centre to my knowledge & Cwmbran alongside quite a few other areas. O2 Boostboxes are still running too, got a message the other day from someone who is still happily using a Boostbox.
Still live in my local Tesco extra!
I assume that this will mostly affect IOT devices such as security alarms, electronic gates, security cameras etc?
These values don’t add up. If 2G accounts for more than 10% of the company’s total cell site energy consumption, then 4G and 5G networks said to be “10 times more efficient“ would leave you with a share of 45% each (power consumption). How are they 10x more efficient?
You are missing out the factor of the number of users. If 0.5% of users are consuming 10% of the power then then 95.5% are using the other 90%
So it’s actually slightly more than ten times more efficient.
Just to point out that (as reported previously here) O2 started the process of migrating customers with 2G devices back in 2024. Business voice customers were migrated by summer 2025 with other voice customers nearly completed so that 2G is reserved for emergency calls, M2M and IoT until summer 2029.
Perhaps the article could be rephrased so as not to concern people who are likely already to have been migrated.
Nope. I can still call on O2 2G, with personal and business. It’s not just limited to emergency, M2M and IoT.
Not the case. My business and personal O2 can still work on 2G. It definitely is not limited to emergency, M2M and IoT only.
Only move I’ve seen is for roaming SIMs. SIM roaming from Plus PL can’t connect to 2G or 3G on O2 now
O2 seem to be forgetting that they’ve also been saying a bunch of stuff about “restricting” 2G to IoT/metering-only uses, and their indications up until now have been that human voice and SMS traffic gets kicked off 2G much earleir than 2G gets shut off… are we still to take the piblu technologies link (talks of Oct 2026 as start of restrictions, says Oct 2025 was when inbound roaming to 2G was due to get blocked) as the gold standard for truth about what is really going on with the 2G switch off on O2? I have a 2G-only handset (just for voice/SMS) which I like and don’t want to replace with some rotten pile of 4G compatibility, looking to know if I should move to EE who seem to be keeping 2G fully functional until they close off 2G entirely, EE sounds like they’re shutting 2G overall sooner than O2 is, but whilst O2 appears to be removing human users of it EE sounds like it would be keeping human use until the final end date. Can anyone enlighten on these matters?