800,000 in Wales to get faster 5G+ at no extra cost
Key Points
- O2 has activated 5G+ across nine cities, 18 towns and 133 villages in Wales, reaching 800,000+ residents and businesses
- The upgrade delivers faster speeds and lower latency at no extra cost for customers with compatible devices
- Cardiff, Newport, Barry, Chepstow and Monmouth are included in the rollout
- O2's standalone 5G+ network is now live across more than 86% of the UK population
- Welsh customers can also access O2 Satellite, the UK's only satellite to mobile service for remote areas
Virgin Media O2 has switched on its 5G+ network across Wales, giving more than 800,000 residents and businesses access to faster mobile speeds at no extra cost.
The operator has activated next generation coverage in nine large towns and cities, 18 smaller towns, and 133 villages.
The rollout includes Cardiff, Newport, Barry, Cwmbran, Penarth, Chepstow, Monmouth and Caldicot, alongside surrounding communities across Monmouthshire, the Vale of Glamorgan and Gwynedd.
Customers with a compatible handset, an active plan and an up to date SIM can use 5G+ without paying more. Some users will need to switch to a digital eSIM to access the service, and O2 has published full details on its website.
What 5G+ actually delivers
5G+ is the consumer name for 5G Standalone, which runs on dedicated 5G core infrastructure rather than borrowing capacity from older 4G systems.
The technical change matters for customers because it produces faster upload and download speeds, lower latency and steadier connections in busy locations such as stadiums, transport hubs and city centres.
Earlier 5G services in the UK launched as Non Standalone networks, meaning they used 4G for signalling and control while delivering data over 5G.
O2’s 5G+ rollout now reaches more than 86% of the UK population, with the operator targeting at least 90% outdoor coverage in every location it activates.
Wider investment and rural reach
The Welsh switch-on forms part of O2’s £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan, which funds new masts, additional small cells, further 4G and 5G upgrades, automation and new spectrum deployment through 2026.
Earlier this year, the operator switched on its first 4G and 5G small cells in Flintshire, using Flintshire County Council street lighting columns to add capacity around Deeside Industrial Park.
Wales has historically been harder to cover because of its terrain.
To address the remaining gaps, O2 customers in Wales can also use O2 Satellite, a satellite-to-mobile service that connects compatible smartphones directly to satellites in areas without a traditional signal.
O2 remains the only UK mobile network offering this capability, and the service requires a compatible device plus a separate Satellite Bolt On at £3 a month.
Independent recognition
O2’s network performance has picked up external endorsements over the past year.
Independent benchmarking firm Umlaut Connect named Virgin Media O2 the most improved mobile network in Europe in 2025, and the operator won Best Mobile Network Coverage at the Uswitch Telecoms Awards for the second consecutive year.
Professor Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2, said the upgrade represents a significant step for mobile connectivity in Wales and that the company is extending high-quality coverage into parts of the country that have traditionally been harder to reach.
For Welsh customers, the practical question is whether their existing handset and SIM support 5G+.
Anyone unsure can run a postcode check on O2’s coverage tool to see what is available at home and at work before deciding whether to upgrade their device or request an eSIM swap.
