o2

Latest

  • FILE PHOTO: Different types of 4G, 5G and data radio relay antennas for mobile phone networks are pictured on a relay mast operated by Vodafone in Berlin

    Vodafone and Three plan to merge into the UK's largest mobile network

    Three’s second attempt to join forces with a competitor still needs to clear major regulatory hurdles.

    Sarah Fielding
    06.14.2023
  • The Polestar O2 EV in ice blue seen from a high angle parked on a raw concrete surface.

    Polestar's second concept car is a convertible with an integrated drone

    Polestar has just unveiled its latest electrified vehicle idea: The O2, an EV convertible concept with a built-in cinematography drone.

  • Orbital O2

    The world's 'most powerful' tidal turbine is nearly ready to power on

    Once it’s connected to the European Marine Energy Centre off the Orkney Islands, the two megawatt O2 will have the capacity to generate enough energy to power 2,000 UK households annually.

    Igor Bonifacic
    04.23.2021
  • Bioshield USB Stick

    The UK is cracking down on sales of fraudulent ‘anti-5G’ USB sticks

    Police in the UK are attempting to stop the sale of a £283 USB key that claims to protect against the supposed dangers of 5G spectrum.

    Igor Bonifacic
    05.29.2020
  • A person wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), including a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, walks past a Virgin Media mobile phone store, closed-down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, in London on May 4, 2020. - Spanish group Telefonica on Monday said it was in talks with US cable giant Liberty Global to merge their telecoms operations in the UK.  In a statement, Madrid-based Telefonica said it was in "talks... about a possible integration" of its O2 mobile business and Liberty's Virgin Media that provides a mix of telecoms and television services, while providing caution over a deal ending up being struck. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

    Virgin Media and O2 announce £31 billion UK merger

    The £31 billion puts BT, Sky and Vodafone on notice -- if it's approved.

    Matt Brian
    05.07.2020
  • Sign for Virgin Media shop. (Photo by In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images)

    Virgin and O2 might merge to create a UK telecom giant

    Virgin Media and O2 might unite in the UK, creating a mobile, cable and internet behemoth.

    Jon Fingas
    05.02.2020
  • EE 5G mast near St. Paul's in London

    UK carriers would appreciate you not setting cell towers on fire

    The arson attacks against 5G masts in the UK have become serious enough that carriers are joining together to put a stop to the incidents. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have issued a joint statement both urging people not to set fire to cellular masts, threaten engineers or spread conspiracy theories falsely linking 5G to COVID-19. As the companies reiterated, cell networks are critical in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Jon Fingas
    04.06.2020
  • CristinaNixau via Getty Images

    UK internet providers will lift data caps during COVID-19 pandemic

    The UK is echoing others in lifting internet restrictions to keep people online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major telecoms like BT/EE, Openreach and Virgin Media have struck an agreement that will remove "all" data caps on current landline broadband services. Mobile and fixed providers also have to offer "generous" new packages to help people stay connected (particularly the vulnerable), such as data boosts at lower prices and free calls.

    Jon Fingas
    03.29.2020
  • Julia_Sudnitskaya via Getty Images

    UK plans to ban sales of locked mobile phones

    The UK's communications regulator is proposing a rule to ban carriers from selling phones that are tied to their networks. O2, Sky, Three, Virgin Mobile and some smaller carriers already offer unlocked phones, but Ofcom wants the likes of BT Mobile/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone to do the same. It's also seeking better clarity for customers about whether their handset is locked.

    Kris Holt
    12.17.2019
  • REUTERS/Aly Song

    Huawei is helping all the UK's top carriers build their 5G networks

    British carriers apparently aren't put off by US pressure to ditch Huawei for their 5G network deployments. The Guardian's sources understand that all four of the UK's largest wireless providers (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) are all using Huawei to build their 5G networks. The Chinese firm is reportedly involved with six out of Vodafone's seven initial 5G cities, while it's also helping with "hundreds" of EE sites. O2 and Three have also awarded contracts to Huawei, according to the tipsters.

    Jon Fingas
    07.06.2019
  • Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Network outages affect millions of mobile customers in the UK and Japan

    Mobile phone customers in the UK and Japan were affected by a network outage today, one that impacted millions of users, the Financial Times reports. A number of SoftBank customers in Japan lost connectivity in the early afternoon, which was reportedly restored just after 6PM local time. However, O2's 4G network went down around 5AM local time in the UK and service has yet to be fully restored. The issue appears to have stemmed from a software problem on the part of Ericsson.

  • TalkTalk begins winding down its mobile business

    TalkTalk is in the process of shutting down its mobile business, effectively ending its tenure as a dedicated quad-play provider. According to MoneySavingExpert, the company has begun notifying customers that they are unable to renew their mobile plan at the end of their contract and is offering special deals to those who switch to O2.

    Matt Brian
    01.24.2018
  • Steve Prezant

    O2's flexible plans let you change your data allowance each month

    When signing a new mobile contract, you typically pick a monthly plan with strict call, text and data allowances. You're then tied to that decision as you see out the contract for the next two years, before starting the process all over again. With O2's new flexible tariffs launching tomorrow, however, you can jump between different plans each month, shrinking or growing your data allowance, and thus how much you pay that month, too.

    Jamie Rigg
    10.26.2017
  • m-imagephotography

    EE says it'll also sue Ofcom to mould 5G spectrum auction as it sees fit

    It seems a couple of UK carriers would rather tie the impending 5G spectrum auction up in litigation than let any of their competitors get their own way. Following in the footsteps of Three, EE's now threatening its own legal challenge against Ofcom in an attempt to get the regulator to release more spectrum earmarked for 5G services this time around, rather than holding separate auctions for different slices of the airwaves further down the road.

    Jamie Rigg
    08.23.2017
  • Getty Images/iStockphoto

    Three will sue to stop EE and Vodafone dominating connectivity

    Three's dissatisfaction with how Ofcom plans to operate the upcoming 4G and 5G spectrum auction has finally gone beyond an exhausting war of words. The carrier has long threatened to take legal action against the UK telecoms regulator, should it not address what Three believes to be an anticompetitive set of rules to guide the auction. The Telegraph reports that Three has hand-delivered a letter to Ofcom, notifying the regulator of its intent to seek a judicial review. The letter is just another threat in and of itself, but it signifies the carrier is indeed preparing to take the matter to court.

    Jamie Rigg
    08.09.2017
  • shutterstock

    Why take in great views of London when you can stare at a screen?

    If you took a whirl on the Coca-Cola™ London Eye but didn't stream it on Facebook Live, did it even happen? We needn't concern ourselves with that philosophical question any longer, because O2 has announced that its free WiFi network, which reaches into all of the giant Ferris wheel's 32 capsules, is here to stay. The network was already live, but today has moved from "trial" status to become a permanent fixture, because we can't possibly spend the 30-minute revolution not glued to our smartphones now, can we?

    Jamie Rigg
    08.01.2017
  • AntonioGuillem via Getty Images

    O2 eases roaming strain by secretly throttling data speeds

    On June 15th, mobile roaming was more or less abolished across the EU. Great news for anyone wanting to drum up Instagram envy with their holiday snaps, but it's easy to forget the technical challenges -- all of a sudden, cell towers have to deal with domestic traffic and countless non-native phones vying for an uplink. It's something O2 seems ill-prepared for, having recently been caught throttling the life out of roaming connections in Dublin, Ireland.

    Jamie Rigg
    07.26.2017
  • Empics Entertainment

    O2 is bringing free 1 Gbps WiFi to the City of London

    Workers and residents in London's "Square Mile" will enjoy free 1 Gbps WiFi connections, thanks to a new deal between the City of London Corporation and mobile carrier O2. The multi-million pound deal will see Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd (CTIL) -- a joint venture between Vodafone and O2 owner Telefónica -- place "small cell" 4G mobile hotspots on lampposts, street signs, buildings and CCTV arrays in order to provide blanket superfast internet coverage across the city.

    Matt Brian
    04.07.2017
  • Bloomberg via Getty Images

    O2 becomes the last major carrier to enable WiFi and 4G calling

    It took a while, but O2 has become the last of the four major UK carriers to launch WiFi and 4G calling on its network. The company confirmed today that iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus owners can now make calls in "notspots" when a wireless connection is available, with other phones coming online "very soon."

    Matt Brian
    03.29.2017
  • Sky Mobile to offer flexible contracts with rollover data

    It's been a long time since Sky revealed plans to become a mobile virtual network operator with the help of O2. The company opened up registrations for Sky Mobile last month, not that those registering really knew what they were expressing their interest in. Today, though, Sky has pulled the curtain aside on its upcoming mobile offering, which will finally go live in mid-December. It would be unadvisable to enter such a saturated market without a unique selling point to pitch, which in Sky Mobile's case, is rollover data and fully flexible contracts.

    Jamie Rigg
    11.29.2016