Good news Virgin Media O2 customers - huge Vodafone spectrum deal could mean major network boost

• Virgin Media O2 seals £343 million spectrum deal with Vodafone UK
• Deal covers four seperate bands of UK spectrum
• Virgin Media O2 will now hold nearly 30% of total UK mobile spectrum

Virgin Media O2 has confirmed a multi-million pound spectrum deal which should see it boost and expand its coverage across the UK.

The network will spend £343 million to acquire a total of 78.8Mhz of spectrum from Vodafone UK in a move which will not only boost customer experience, but also ensure the country has a well-balanced set of spectrum holders.

“This acquisition of spectrum will not only create greater balance in holdings across the UK’s mobile networks, but for Virgin Media O2 it will allow us to boost coverage and further improve our network quality, building on the significant investment we are already making in our mobile network," noted Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2.

Virgin Media O2 spectrum boost

The deal, which still requires final sign-off from Ofcom, means Virgin Media O2 now holds a total of around 30% of UK mobile spectrum.

It is part of a wider deal struck between Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone UK in July 2024, which saw the pair agree to extend and enhance their existing mobile network sharing arrangement for more than a decade.

The spectrum being acquired covers four separate bands, and should help address some previous imbalances in terms of specific holdings for UK mobile network operators, enhancing competition and allowing Virgin Media O2 to provide increased capacity, speeds and greater coverage for its customers - both in consumer contracts, and through the various MVNOs making use of the company's network.

"We’re committed to giving our customers a reliable mobile experience across the country and this increase in spectrum will help us deliver on that," Schüler added, with Virgin Media O2 having already spent more than £2 billion on boosting UK services and networks.

For Vodafone, the deal represents quite a significant payday, with the company happy to sell off spectrum it feels it no longer needs following its huge mega-merger with Three UK.

The newly-merged VodafoneThree recently revealed its launch of "The Nation's Network" - its combined service which it hopes will offer 99.95% standalone 5G coverage by 2034.

The company plans to spend £11 billion in spending over the next 10 years, with all 27 million Vodafone and Three customers now getting access to roam across each other’s networks, meaning users should be automatically connected to the best coverage available at no extra cost.

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