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Broadband ISP and mobile operator Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2) have today announced that they will once again aim to donate “up to” 12,000 pre-owned Smartphones during 2026 to help people in need get online and reduce e-waste, which mirrors their previous pledge for 2025 that succeeded in donating the same figure.
As usual, VMO2 intend to source these Smartphones from customer returns and its O2 Recycle service, which helps to ensure unwanted devices are given a second life and assists those who might otherwise struggle to afford such a device. Free O2 mobile data (i.e. 25GB with rollover, plus 50 international minutes to 42 countries, unlimited minutes + texts) will also still be available from the Good Things Foundation and VMO2’s National Databank.
The initiative, supported by Hubbub, will rehome phones through VMO2’s nationwide network of charity partners and community groups (e.g. The Multibank).
Nicola Green, Chief Comms and Corporate Affairs Officer at VMO2, said:
“We know having access to a phone is a lifeline for people experiencing financial hardship.
That’s why Virgin Media O2 is proud to lead the way in providing 12,000 free phones this year to those who need them so they can get online and stay connected to loved ones.
This builds on our comprehensive, industry-leading measures to tackle digital exclusion, whether that’s through our National Databank that provides free O2 mobile data, Community Calling that rehomes phones to those who need them, or our social tariffs for people who receive government support payments.”