Next list of towns for 3G Chop

[Enlli]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/04/o2-expand-uk-3g-mobile-switch-off-to-norwich-telford-g...

And from VMO2

https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/virgin-media-o2-to-continue-3g-switch-off-in-norwich-telford-guildf...

Still no sign of 4G calling for PAYG, especially as they want to run down 2G

[jonsie]

It definitely looks the end of PAYG on O2

As it stands PAYG is a contract in all but name so it isn't a great leap for customers to either move up to contract or transfer to giffgaff

[Oxonian]

There might be @jonsie reasons why PAYG customers cannot change to contracts ; criminals, victims of domestic violence, bankrupts, folks who do not have a bank account and folks who fail credit checks all come to mind ! 👍

I agree that giffgaff (sic) might be a good option for many. 

[Enlli]

Whatever. O2 will soon have to make a decision. They can't put thousands of customers onto 2G for calls and text and start reducing the reliance on 2G at the same time.

Whatever they do I see a monumental 🍹 up

[jonsie]

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@Enlli wrote:

Whatever. O2 will soon have to make a decision. They can't put thousands of customers onto 2G for calls and text and start reducing the reliance on 2G at the same time.

Whatever they do I see a monumental 🍹 up

---

Yes troubled waters ahead.....

[rp_yorkshire]

The trouble here isn't the 3G switch off, its about 2G. I simply don't get why O2, last to switch off 3G (which is a service virtually nobody uses because data heavy smart-phone users are on 4G and calls/SMS only dumb-phone users like myself never need anything abovd 2G) then wants to rush ahead to turn 2G in to an IoT-only service. I'm going to guess that in Durham barely anyone has noticed the loss of 3G, users all being in the two categories I mention above, but why then does O2 want 2G, the fallback standard which everything is compatible with, gone in such a hurry. Other networks might be keeping 2G longer? Even though they got rid of 3G long ago.

About 2G I found this announcement, but it is not official O2, it's by some company that sells services of their own but looks like they use O2 as the back end for them. I wonder if anyone here can confirm if the dates on it are real:

Switch Off Announcement – O2 2G and 3G - PiBlu Technologies

As the 1st oct 2024 date has already passed, and I've found news reports saying that what theat webpage said (in Aug 2024) would happen on 1st oct 2024, it was certainly accurate with the first date. Maybe someone could find out from O2 if those dates are what is going on, no 2G roaming from non-o2 customers from oct 2025, full restriction to IoT-only in oct 2026? The timetable there also says 2025 will, throughout the year, be when 3G gets retired, which matches with what has happened in Durham alaready and these next listed towns soon.

EDIT: Also this ( https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/the-159-billion-5g-opportunity-why-migrating-away-from-2g-3g-roamin... ) confirms the 1 October 2025 end of inbound roaming date, which further makes the third party timetable look like it might be plausible?

I'm also making this post here in the hope it'll ensure I get automatic replies copied to my email if anyone does find what is going on with 4G VoLTE calling for PAYG. Thanks