UK’s biggest mobile provider to shut down service after 20 years | UK | News
Customers of the UK’s biggest mobile providers are being urged to upgrade their technology to avoid losing access to the mobile internet. It comes after O2 announced this year that it would soon shut down its 3G services, claiming it had become a “relic of a bygone era”. The operator, now part of Virgin Media O2, will continue to operate 4G and 5G services.
The change will only affect customers who have an older phone and use 3G-only devices. Only 2% of O2’s mobile data usage is 3G, which no longer meets the demands of modern technology. Users with these devices will already have received messages outlining their upgrade options. Delays in switching to a newer device with 4G or 5G technology may result in customers being left without web services. Scrapping the service means O2 will reclaim radio spectrum on its wireless networks, allowing it to increase speeds and improve 4G and 5G coverage.
Many other service providers, including Vodafone, EE and Three, have also removed 3G access in the last few years. Multiple attempts have been made to ensure successful shutdown of the service in 2025.
Virgin Media O2 Chief Technology Officer Jeanie York said: “We are now more connected than ever, thanks to significant investment in faster, more reliable 4G and 5G networks.
“As a result, 3G has become a relic of a bygone era.
“Our 3G network has already been withdrawn in many parts of the UK, with the remaining areas set to be withdrawn shortly.
“Although a 3G signal may still appear briefly in some locations in early 2026, the network will soon be completely shut down. Anyone still using a 3G-only phone should upgrade as soon as possible.”
Mobile internet works by sending and receiving signals through cell towers using radio waves, allowing you to stay online while on the go. Unlike Wi-Fi, which only works near a router, mobile networks cover large areas, and some connections in remote locations can be interconnected via satellites in space to carry data long distances.
The arrival of 3G first brought reliable mobile internet to users in the early 2000s. This was followed by 4G, which became widespread since the late 2000s.
This meant a major leap forward, powering smartphones, social media and high-quality video streaming. The latest step, 5G, which started to emerge in the UK in 2019, came with even faster speeds, minimal latencies and the capacity to handle millions of connected devices.
