O2 issues important update ahead of ‘daunting’ | Tech News

O2 has begun to modify off its ageing 3G community within the UK, and has introduced it’s enlisting the help of a famed charity to get the phrase out to the people the community supplier believes might be most straight affected.

Virgin Media O2, proprietor of the O2 community, is working with Age UK to help raise awareness of the UK’s 3G swap off, which is nicely underway. O2 believes most people will not be affected as the bulk of smartphone house owners have 4G and 5G units, but it surely’s attainable some older clients will lose entry to some apps and companies if they’re nonetheless utilizing 3G-only cellphones.

“The 3G switch-off may feel daunting for many older people so it’s important that we do all we can to support those affected,” stated Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK.

By the tip of 2025, O2’s 3G community will stop to perform, half of an initiative to show off the nation’s 3G networks to permit reallocation of community spectrum for newer 4G and 5G frequencies.

Durham was the primary city O2 turned off 3G in earlier this 12 months, adopted by Norwich, Telford and Guildford on July 16. The subsequent city to lose O2 3G signal will probably be Torquay someday in August, earlier than your complete community is shut down by the tip of the 12 months.

“Virgin Media O2 and Age UK are working together to provide additional support to the small number of older mobile phone users who will need to upgrade their handsets to continue using mobile data once 3G is switched off,” Virgin Media O2 stated.

“Virgin Media O2 will support Age UK’s work to develop and distribute new informative content designed for older people and their families to help them better understand the 3G switch-off. The charity will provide key information on its website and social media channels and, via its Advice Line, support older people and their families who are seeking advice in relation to the 3G switch off.”

Age UK will assist “disadvantaged older people” by staging in-person awareness periods and offering digital abilities tuition and steering so these people perceive how to make use of new units.

These companies may even be accessible to older clients of smaller cell suppliers that use the O2 community, that are Giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile.

Virgin Media O2 stated it was “writing directly to all customers currently without a 4G or 5G handset, offering free compatible devices for known vulnerable customers and discounts on new handsets for all others.”

If you’ve got a cellphone that solely has 3G connectivity, it is going to additionally assist 2G networks. This means after the 3G swap off, you’ll nonetheless have the ability to ship and obtain voice calls and textual content messages, however you received’t have the ability to use cell knowledge. Without Wi-Fi, this could imply you wouldn’t have the ability to entry the web or use apps equivalent to Facebook and WhatsApp.

According to Virgin Media O2, its 3G community carries much less than 2 % of all community knowledge. Three, EE and Vodafone have already turned off their 3G networks.

The UK’s first 3G community was launched by Three in 2003 and helped herald the age of the smartphone. Four years earlier than the launch of the iPhone, 3G networks allowed handsets to connect with the web to show webpages and run some of the primary cell apps.

But smartphone apps solely actually took off with the introduction of 4G in 2012, which is a a lot quicker technology that permits secure video streaming.

“Anyone who is feeling worried and would like some support can get in touch with their provider to find out more about their options and make sure they are ready for the change, or they can call Age UK’s Advice Line for free on 0800 169 65 65,” stated Age UK’s Abrahams.