UK operator Virgin Media O2 unveiled a £700 million plan to improve its mobile network, with investments to be focused on improving coverage in locations and environments suffering from sub-par connectivity.

Measures outlined in its Mobile Transformation Plan include the expansion of 4G and 5G infrastructure in hard to reach rural and coastal regions, and small cell deployments in dense urban areas.

It plans to use satellite technology to connect towers in very remote locations.

The operator also intends to pump cash into improving connectivity along railway lines, at airports, on motorways and in sporadically crowded locations such as stadia.

It plans to use distributed antenna systems (DAS) for the latter and other “network hotspots”.

The £700 million pot forms part of £2 billion set aside to improve mobile and fixed infrastructure and services during 2025.

VMO2 highlighted it would improve the “resilience and speed” with which it can deploy new mobile infrastructure by bringing “mobile and fixed networks closer together”, and connecting mobile sites using its own fibre network.

It added the “comprehensive investment” in new masts, small cells and other infrastructure would be underpinned by additional spectrum resources.

The operator is set to boost its spectrum licence holdings as a result of the completion of a merger between 3 UK and Vodafone’s local operation expected in the first half of this year.

Alongside the new infrastructure, it noted during 2025 it would increase its use of AI and decommission outdated parts of the network including 3G.