Virgin Media O2

VMED O2 UK Limited,^[1] trading as Virgin Media O2, is a British mass media and telecommunications company based in Reading, England. The company was formed in June 2021 as a 50–50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica through the merger of their respective Virgin Media and O2 UK businesses.^[2][3][4]

VMED O2 UK Limited

Trade name	Virgin Media O2
Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Mass media Telecommunications
Founded	1 June 2021; 3 years ago (2021-06-01)
Headquarters	Reading, England
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Lutz Schüler (CEO)
Owners	Liberty Global (50%) Telefónica (50%)
Subsidiaries	O2 UK Virgin Media Virgin Media Business
Website	virginmediao2.co.uk

O2 UK is focused on mobile phone telecommunications, and Virgin Media is focused on broadband internet, set-top boxes and landline services.

History

In October 2021, the company introduced its joint venture 'Volt' package for customers who have an O2 Pay Monthly plan with Virgin Media broadband.^[5]

On 24 July 2023, it was announced that Virgin Media O2 was cutting up to 2,000 members of staff by the end of 2023.^[6]

In August 2023, the company announced that it had moved all Virgin Mobile UK customers to the O2 network. It had advised customers in January 2023 that they would be transferring. Virgin Mobile no longer offer new plans or services, but existing customers are still legally contracted under Virgin Mobile.^[7]

In September 2023, it was announced Virgin Media O2 had acquired the UK-regional broadband business, Upp.^[8]