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Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media) has announced that they now have the “country’s largest 5G Standalone deployment” after extending the coverage of their new ultrafast mobile broadband network to parts of 500 towns and cities, reaching more than 70% of the UK’s population (c.49 million people). Crucially this is provided to consumers “at no extra cost“.
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, support for Voice over New Radio (VoNR or Vo5G), 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.
The operator’s 5GSA rollout, which forms part of their wider £700m Mobile Transformation Plan, has been busy continuing at pace since it first began in February 2024 (here). In all 500 locations, O2’s 5GSA network also claims to provide “at least 90% outdoor coverage” (only slightly below EE’s 95% target), ensuring that customers looking to benefit from the technology should receive a more reliable and consistent experience.
The historic town of Bakewell in Derbyshire recently became the 500th location to benefit from O2’s new 5GSA network, where the milestone has been celebrated with the creation of a record-breaking giant Bakewell Tart.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at VMO2, 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 500 towns and cities and 70% of the population, we are continuing to deliver on that and are excited about the opportunities the new network will bring. This customer-centric rollout is about future proofing our network and will pave the way for exciting customer led innovations that lie ahead.”
Device compatibility is naturally still an issue for 5GSA adoption, although such things usually resolve themselves with time as consumers gradually upgrade – many modern Smartphones do now support it on EE’s network. In fact, VMO2 says there has been a “significant increase” in the number of customers using 5GSA capable devices since they launched the service (no figures were provided), with the majority of flagship handsets now boasting access to the network.
However, it would be handy if O2 and other operators could provide coverage maps to show where their 5GSA coverage actually exists, much like they already do for 4G and 5G in general etc. This would make it much easier for consumers to judge some of their claims and test the networks properly.