Virgin Media O2 3G shut down to cut energy use
Key Points
- Virgin Media O2 is shutting down 3G and moving traffic to 4G and 5G
- The move cuts network energy use under its Green Transition Plan
- It forms part of a lever contributing 1% to the 2030 emissions target
- Virgin Media O2 is targeting net zero across its value chain by 2040
- Network electricity use per petabyte fell 24% between 2022 and 2025
Virgin Media O2 is shutting down its 3G network and moving traffic to 4G and 5G as part of a wider plan to cut the energy its network uses.
The telecoms operator set out the move in its new Green Transition Plan. The switch-off forms part of a network modernisation lever that the company expects to contribute a 1% reduction against its combined Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions baseline towards its 2030 decarbonisation target.
Virgin Media O2 runs more than 22,000 cell sites and over 500 technical sites across the UK, alongside a fixed network reaching 18.8 million homes.
Older 3G technology consumes more energy per unit of data carried than newer standards, and Virgin Media O2 is migrating that traffic onto 4G and 5G, which it describes as more energy efficient.
The company provides over 99% population coverage on 4G and delivers outdoor 5G coverage to more than 87% of the UK population. It serves over 46 million total connections across retail, wholesale and Internet of Things as of the first quarter of 2026.
The 3G shutdown sits within a lever Virgin Media O2 calls modernising the network to reduce energy use.
Other actions under that lever include extending its Radio Access Network power management programme with sleep modes and discontinuous transmission at cell sites, investing in free air cooling to cut reliance on air conditioning systems, and rolling out XGS-PON passive optical fibres to replace less efficient alternatives.
The company is also removing legacy equipment from technical sites and consolidating sites through its Network End State Architecture programme.
Electricity efficiency across the network has improved over the period covered by the plan. Virgin Media O2 reported electricity use per petabyte of data falling from 27,423 kWh in 2022 to 20,949 kWh in 2025, a reduction of 24%.
Total electricity use rose marginally over the same period, from 1,088,079,611 kWh to 1,099,201,281 kWh, as data demand grew.
Virgin Media O2 is aiming to reduce operational emissions, covering Scopes 1 and 2, by 90% by 2030, and to cut Scope 3 emissions by 50% over the same timeframe.
The company has committed to reaching net zero across its operations, products and supply chain by the end of 2040, ten years ahead of the UK Government’s national target. It reported a 63% reduction in direct operational emissions against its baseline.
Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said the company was committed to investing £2 billion annually in its fixed and mobile networks through its mobile transformation and fibre upgrade programmes, while reducing carbon emissions as it grows.
Schüler said connectivity and digital solutions were central to the UK’s transition to net zero.
Virgin Media O2 is also pursuing carbon-free energy across its operations, including through Power Purchase Agreements.
A 10-year agreement with The Renewables Infrastructure Group, which began in April 2026, is set to supply around 15% of the company’s total energy through wind farms in Scotland and Wales.
