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Articles for Category Tag - 3G

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Poverty Alliance Warn Vulnerable Users at Risk from UK 2G and 3G Mobile Switch Off UPDATE

10th November, 2025 (22 Comments)

A new report from the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has warned that the ongoing switch-off by mobile operators Vodafone / Three UK, EE and O2 of legacy 3G and 2G networks “exposes a deep fault line in digital inclusion,” which they say could risk disconnecting vulnerable users (e.g. those with telecare systems and safety devices) from essential communication and support.

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Energy Smart Meters May Soon Link via UK Home Broadband Connectivity

24th October, 2025 (53 Comments)

A new Government consultation has revealed that the Data Communications Company (DCC), which is in the process of working to upgrade existing Smart Meters in UK homes with a new 4G Communication Hub (here and here), will in 2026 also launch a Virtual WAN service. This will mean that home broadband can be used to connect premises not covered by their normal wireless network.

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Virgin Media O2 Expand UK 3G Mobile Switch Off to Scotland

29th September, 2025 (3 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning revealed that customers in Scotland will be the next to go through their 3G mobile (broadband) switch-off programme on 5th November 2025. The announcement follows completed withdrawals across various other locations in England (Durham, Norwich, Telford, Watford etc).

BT Study Claims UK Digital Network Upgrades to Deliver £3bn in Economic Benefits

25th September, 2025 (6 Comments)

Broadband, mobile and telecoms giant BT has today published a new economic modelling study from Assembly Research, which examines how the ongoing migration from legacy networks (PSTN/WLR, 2G mobile etc.) to All-IP (Internet Protocol) services could “deliver billions in benefits” (£3bn) to the UK’s critical national infrastructure sectors.

VodafoneThree Sign Outside UK Office Building in June 2025

Vodafone UK Set to Switch Off 2G Mobile Services During 2030

22nd September, 2025 (18 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone UK (VodafoneThree) has revealed that they intend to switch off their now ancient 2G based mobile network “during 2030“, roughly three years ahead of the government’s official 2033 deadline for the phasing out of both 2G and 3G services (here). The operator has already shut down its 3G network (here).

O2 UK Issue Progress Update on Removal of Inbound 2G and 3G Roaming

11th August, 2025 (2 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has issued a progress update on their preparations for the imminent withdrawal of 2G and 3G inbound roaming services for business customers, which is due to occur in just two months’ time on 1st October 2025.

Virgin Media O2 Expand UK 3G Mobile Switch Off to Watford

6th August, 2025 (8 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today revealed that customers in the large Hertfordshire (England) town and borough of Watford will be the next UK location to go through their 3G mobile (broadband) switch-off programme on 17th September 2025. This follows completed withdrawals in Durham, Norwich, Telford, Guildford and Torquay.

Virgin Media O2 Joins Age UK to Help Raise Awareness of 3G Switch-Off

31st July, 2025 (6 Comments)

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning announced that they’ve partnered with leading charity, Age UK, to help raise awareness of the 3G switch-off and provide customers using older devices with “tailored guidance and support” to help with the transition to more modern (4G, 5G) networks.

Ofcom Study Examines UK Speed and Coverage of 4G and 5G Mobile Networks

17th July, 2025 (6 Comments)

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has today published their 2025 Mobile Matters report, which uses Opensignal’s crowdsourced data (collected between October 2024 and March 2025) to benchmark the performance of UK mobile broadband networks by both technology (2G to 5G), nation and operator choice – including Three UK, O2, Vodafone and EE.

O2 UK Warn Customers with Incompatible Mobiles as 3G Switches Off

30th May, 2025 (16 Comments)

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) recently started emailing customers with handsets that are “not fully compatible with the UK’s 4G or 5G network” in order to notify them of their imminent 3G switch-off and offer an upgrade. But it’s worth noting that these notices will sometimes still get sent to people with technically compatible phones too, often leading to confusion.

JT 5G Mobile Network Starts to Go Live on the Channel Island of Jersey

27th May, 2025 (3 Comments)

State-owned broadband ISP and telecoms operator JT (Jersey Telecom), supported by technology partner Ericsson, have today confirmed that their c. £80 million project to deploy a new 5G based mobile network across Jersey (English Channel Island) has finally started to go live across its first area.

O2 Expand UK 3G Mobile Switch Off to Norwich, Telford, Guildford and Torquay

22nd April, 2025 (12 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today begun to notify customers about the next batch of four UK locations to go through their 3G mobile (broadband) switch-off programme, which recently started with a pilot in Durham (here). Norwich, Telford and Guildford will be the next areas to have 3G withdrawn on 16th July, with Torquay to follow on 4th August 2025.

O2 UK See Significant Inbound 2G and 3G Roaming Traffic as Switch-Off Looms

10th April, 2025 (19 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today warned that they’re still seeing “significant inbound roaming traffic” on their legacy 2G and 3G networks in the UK. This comes ahead of their rapidly approaching plan to withdraw the service from 1st October 2025.

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Mobile Operator Spusu UK Enables VoLTE Calling for Google Pixel

7th April, 2025 (9 Comments)

SIM-Only UK mobile provider spusu, which holds a virtual operator (MVNO) agreement via BTWholesale to harness EE’s national 4G and 5G network, has today confirmed that they’ve finally resolved calling problems (here) on Google’s popular Pixel Smartphones by enabling Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) calling support.

O2 Reminds Durham Over Start of UK 3G Mobile Switch Off in April 2025

19th March, 2025 (5 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has today issued a reminder about how they intend to start switching off their old 3G mobile (broadband) services across the United Kingdom from next month, which is a process that will start in the city (NOT county) of Durham and should complete nationally by the end of 2025.

Three UK Provide Brief Progress Update on 3G Mobile Switch Off

17th January, 2025 (18 Comments)

Mobile operator Three UK, which was previously aiming to complete the process of switching off their old 3G (mobile broadband) network by the end of 2024 (here), has told ISPreview today that the “vast majority” of their 3G sites were switched off in September 2024. But a “small number” of sites are still live to avoid customers losing service.

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O2 to Start UK 3G Mobile Switch Off in City of Durham in April 2025

13th January, 2025 (7 Comments)

Mobile network operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning revealed that they’ll begin the withdrawal of their older 3G mobile (broadband) services across the United Kingdom – the last major operator to do so – in April 2025, which will start with the city of Durham in England (not to be confused with County Durham).