Ericsson and Virgin Media O2 Expand Partnership to Promote 5G Connectivity in UK

Ericsson and Virgin Media O2 will provide greater 4G and 5G coverage and capacity to major UK towns as part of the latest network cooperation agreement.
The two companies have signed a new multi million pound contract to deploy the latest products and solutions from Ericsson’s radio system portfolio in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. As part of network modernization, additional service upgrades and small cell solutions will include Virgin Media O2 customers in major UK cities, including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, and will benefit from enhanced mobile capacity, better coverage, faster speed and better 4G and 5G experience.

Ericsson’s latest generation of quad technology baseband, multi band, and industry leading 5G large-scale MIMO radio AIR 3258 will be deployed throughout the network, not only bringing enhanced 5G performance to users, but also improving network energy efficiency. Compared to previous generation radios, it is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 30% while reducing weight and volume by 40%, which will minimize the impact on on-site infrastructure and help accelerate network deployment.
As part of the agreement, Virgin Media O2 may also become one of the first communication service providers in Europe to try Ericsson’s cloud RAN solution, providing seamless evolution for cloud native technology and open network architecture.
“This multimillion pound investment in our network will mean that our customers can benefit from more reliable and faster services while reducing overall carbon emissions. Based on our long-term partnership with Ericsson, we are able to provide improvements quickly and efficiently, helping us quickly move towards the future oriented network that our customers expect.”
Katherine Ainley, CEO of Ericsson UK and Ireland, said: “Ericsson is at the forefront of high-performance and energy-efficient 5G networks. This new agreement is another important milestone in our partnership with Virgin Media O2, and we will bring the best next-generation connectivity to key locations across the UK. As an end-to-end partner of Radio and Core, we are building a future network that not only provides excellent connectivity for Virgin Media O2 customers, but also provides an innovative platform to help transform “A new industry paves the way for a more interconnected digital society.”