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Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has this morning announced that they’ve begun to switch on their next-generation 5G Standalone (5GSA) mobile broadband network in Norfolk (England) as part of its UK-wide rollout, which is now live in a total of more than 500 locations (70% of the UK’s population or c.49 million people).
Just to recap. 5GSA networks are pure end-to-end 5G that can deliver ultra-low latency times, greater energy efficiency, better speeds (particularly uploads), network slicing, improved support for IoT devices, increased reliability and security etc. Most existing 5G networks use a Non-Standalone (NSA) approach, which is hobbled by being partly reliant upon older and slower 4G infrastructure.
O2’s 5GSA rollout first began in February 2024 (here) and typically aims to reach “at least 90% outdoor coverage” in every location they target. The same will be true for Norfolk and O2’s new 5GSA network has already gone live across their major hubs in Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn and Thetford. The rural county has a total population of around 940,000.
Dr Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said:
“We are investing £2m every single day to improve our mobile network and provide a more reliable experience for our customers. By expanding our 5G Standalone network to Norfolk we are upgrading services for local people and are excited about the opportunities the new network will bring. This customer-centric rollout is about futureproofing our network and will pave the way for exciting customer led innovations that lie ahead.”
The operator claims that their 5GSA network is currently “the UK’s largest“, although EE are only slightly behind them on deployment progress (66% coverage). O2’s network upgrade is also available to customers with compatible devices “at no extra cost“.