O2 announces major free mobile upgrade – Vodafone & Three customers will also benefit

VIRGIN Media O2 has announced a major boost to 4G coverage in a bid to provide remote areas with better connectivity.

The telecom giant recently unveiled a major upgrade to tackle spam calls.

But now it has released another service update, stating that their shared 4G coverage has reached a new milestone and has become available in 100 locations nationwide across the UK.

Virgin Media O2's latest rollout will also benefit Three and Vodafone customers.

With so much of our modern life moving online, rural communities deserve the same standard of mobile connectivity as those in urban areas

Jeanie YorkVirgin Media O2

The upgrades provide all users with faster, more reliable mobile data and higher quality voice calls.

It's all part of a £1 billion Shared Rural Network programme, which will see networks work together to improve connections in rural areas notorious for patchy or slow services.

Virgin Media O2 claims it has gone further than any other operator to date to deliver new infrastructure as part of the plan.

The overall initiative between network operators and the government aims to extend 4G connectivity to 95 percent of the UK landmass by the end of 2025.

Of the 100 rural sites built or modernized by Virgin Media O2 to date, 78 are in some of the most remote parts of Scotland, including Shetland, Ardross and Argyll & Bute, while 19 are in rural parts of England, including parts of Yorkshire, Suffolk and Kent, and three in Northern Ireland.

Isle of Skye, Scotland's second largest island, became the 100th location to benefit from improved mobile connectivity, with helicopters used to deliver and install new 4G masts on the island.

Taking into account the progress of Three and Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 together, shared 4G services are now operating in 146 locations nationwide.

“We are going to great lengths to connect the most remote corners of Britain to deliver our part in the Shared Rural Network,” said Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.

“This investment is essential to ensure we can provide fast and reliable coverage in all parts of Britain.

“With so much of our modern life moving online, rural communities deserve the same standard of mobile connectivity as those in urban areas, and we are proud to be doing our part.

“The 100 sites we have delivered will ensure more residents, businesses and visitors in rural areas can benefit from better mobile coverage, with more sites to follow in the coming months.

“This work is vital in tackling the urban-rural digital divide that exists in Britain.”

The bill is rising

But it's not all good news for Virgin Media O2 customers, as the company has also announced that bills will increase from April 1.

The company uses January's inflation index plus 3.9% to determine mid-contract price increases.

RPI is an inflation measure that tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods over time, to see how prices have fallen or risen.

With January's Consumer Price Index at 4.9%, millions are expected to see their bills rise by 8.8%.

A Virgin Media O2 spokesperson said: “We will be writing directly to all affected customers to explain when, why and how any price changes may come into effect.”

Read the full overview of the consequences for your Virgin Media O2 bill here.