Virgin Media O2 and Starlink race to fix London’s connectivity crisis
Virgin Media O2 has switched on its first ‘giga site’ in central London, a move aimed at improving mobile connectivity across the UK.
The site, which combines low-mid and high-band spectrum with Nokia’s technology, can deliver speeds of more than 10Gbps, enough to support 2,000 simultaneous HD video streams.
The move is part of the telecom giant’s plan to install up to 1,000 giga sites across the UK next year, and will make use of newly acquired Vodafone UK spectrum to enhance capacity across its network.
Dr Robert Joyce, director of mobile access engineering at O2, said: “The switch on of our first giga site here in central London demonstrates how we are investing and innovating to continue improving our mobile network and customer experience.”
“As we roll out hundreds more sites, we’ll put our new spectrum to work to improve mobile connectivity nationwide,” he added.
Mark Atkinson, head of radio access networks at Nokia, noted: “This deployment showcases how our latest high-performance radios and carrier aggregation solutions allow operators to fully harness the power of their spectrum, enabling the next wave of 5G services.”
The upgrades form part of Virgin Media O2’s ‘£700m mobile transformation plan’, which focuses on expanding 4G and 5G coverage and addressing network weaknesses along railways, motorways, and public venues.
Starlink expands UK footprint
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service is also moving to strengthen UK connectivity, especially in rural areas.
New filings with Companies House have shown that Starlink’s UK turnover rose from £2.5m to £4.2m in 2024, while pre-tax profit almost doubled to over £200,000.
The service currently has around 87,000 UK users, up from 42,000 in 2023.
Ofcom has granted Starlink temporary authorisation to use additional e-band spectrum at its ground stations in Hampshire, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.
The move is intended to boost the service’s backhaul capacity and overall network performance.
Musk’s Starlink warned customers to perform a critical software update by 17 November to ensure service continuity, and the company stressed that no active service line or payment is required to apply the update.
The satellite provider is set to play an increasing role in UK broadband, particularly as Amazon and other players deploy competing networks.
UK connectivity under pressure
The Giga site rollout and Starlink expansion come amid concerns about Britain’s patchy 5G coverage and slow infrastructure development.
The capital consistently ranks at the bottom among European capitals for 5G accessibility, while regulatory disputes have slowed mast deployment across the country.
Independent data recently unveiled that only 55 per cent of UK users have reliable mobile connectivity, despite official figures reporting nearly 90 per cent coverage.
While these giga sites are being positioned as part of a broader push to future-proof this issue, urban-rural divides and regulatory bottlenecks will remain significant challenges.
Joyce added: “These new sites and spectrum resources are critical steps in ensuring that UK customers can access the reliable, high-speed connectivity that is essential for work, education, and everyday life.”