Virgin Media O2 optimised mobile coverage on roads

Virgin Media O2 has reported that it has optimised for 4G and 5G on over 590 miles of roads. including the M1, M4, M6, M8 and M25 as well as across various A roads. The company states that it will help support EV vehicle adoption by giving drivers the connectivity they need to access public chargers. Research conducted by Virgin Media O2 shows that whilst range-anxiety is a high factor, signal-anxiety is worse – 76% of EV drivers worry about losing connectivity and being unable to access maps, charger location information, or have the ability to pay.

Part of the work included building 338 brand new 5G sites and providing a boost to 311 4G cell sites. The company identified areas to optimise based on a drive testing programme, which measured real-world network performance across the UK road network. This allowed them to identify weaker coverage areas and prioritise upgrades. Further work is still planned on the A14, M20 and A75.

“Connectivity underpins a huge part of the driving experience today, but particularly for EVs. By optimising coverage on more than 40 motorways and A roads as part of our £700 million investment in our Mobile Transformation Plan, we’re helping make every journey safer and more reliable. Alongside Believ’s new charging points, this is about removing barriers so more people can make the switch to electric with confidence.”

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer, Virgin Media O2