By Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Virgin Media O2 

Today marks the 54th celebration of Earth Day, a day set out to celebrate our amazing planet and to call on governments, communities, and businesses to take action for nature conservation and a healthier Earth. 

Since 1970, Earth Day has mobilised over 1 billion people to fight for our planet’s health and has grown at a significant rate internationally, demonstrating the power of education and advocacy.  For many like myself who work in sustainability, we live and breathe the essence of Earth Day every day to ensure we are driving change and keeping the planet on every agenda.  

I want to use today as an opportunity to share the work we’re doing at Virgin Media O2 to minimise our impact on the planet. While we still have a lot to do, we’re learning through this journey as much about our challenges as we are about the opportunities that have helped us make amazing progress over the past few years. In 2022, we launched our Better Connections plan – our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy which is a binding commitment that helps us ensure our entire business operates in a sustainable and ethical way.   

Committed to zero-waste 

This year, Earth Day’s theme is Planet vs Plastic with a bold target to reduce global plastic production by 60% by 2040. This will take a herculean effort and a real drive to innovate and rethink the way we design products, partner with suppliers, and engage with government on the policy reform needed to make this goal a reality.  

As a business, we’re committed to reaching zero waste operations and products by the end of 2025, and ensure 100% of customer packaging of own-branded products are widely recyclable and contain no single-use plastic.   

We continue to work closely with manufacturers and suppliers at all stages, from design to manufacturing and shipping, to eliminate waste and use materials that can be easily recycled. 

A more circular economy 

With the UK producing the second most e-waste per person in the world, it’s vital that we take bold action to combat the growing problem of electronic waste. This is why we have a number of schemes in place to extend the life of handsets and broadband and TV kit, whether that’s through recycling old devices lying around at home, a handset needing repair, ensuring your old device is reused when upgrading and giving customers the option of a great Like New handset range.  

Our pioneering O2 Recycle initiative launched in 2009 and has saved more than 4 million devices from landfill. O2 Recycle gives consumers (on any mobile network) the opportunity to recycle mobiles, laptops and gaming consoles in return for cash. It is a network-agnostic scheme; anyone regardless of which network they use can hand over their devices to us for recycling as we believe some challenges require of collaborative solutions, and e-waste is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. You can find out more about O2 Recycle here. 

We also offer a range of refurbished handsets which are checked for everything from scuffed screens to cracked cases and sold in ‘like new’ condition, ensuring that we’re extending the life of handsets while also offering more affordable handset options for customers 

In addition, we also operate a leasing scheme for our TV set-up boxes and routers which helps us ensure the hardware is returned to us at the end of the contract instead of being disposed of. Over 11 million routers and set-top boxes have been refurbished and reused since 2014. 

We also believe we have a responsibility to look beyond our four walls and play a role in raising awareness of e-waste in the UK and supporting innovative solutions that help tackle the problem. In partnership with environmental charity Hubbub, we launched our second Time after Time e-waste fund, awarding grants of between £25,000 and £100,000 for creative UK projects that help close the digital divide while reducing e-waste. To date, 8 projects from around the UK have been awarded grants to help them scale up. We’ve also run hackathons and engagement events with Universities across the country to raise awareness of the issue of e-waste and the role Gen Z can play. We published earlier this year a State of The Nation report focusing on the attitudes and behaviours of Gen Z towards handset reuse and recycling and providing recommendations to both the industry and government to address the issue. You can find it here.  

This Earth Day we’re also running a promo on our TV platform where Virgin TV customers can access a specialty curated on-demand collection of shows and films, highlighting the effect of plastic waste on the planet. The collection is made up of 16 titles including Sky documentaries such as Plastic Nile, Channel 4’s The Great Climate Fight and Discovery’s The Great Global Clean Up. We also created a 60-second film, to be repeated across Channel 100, to highlight the problem of e-waste and how consumers can tackle it by sustainably disposing of their unwanted devices, rather than them ending up in landfill.      

Sustainable choices through the customer journey 

We’re helping consumers to make informed choices about the products and services that they’re using.  By sharing Eco Rating scores, we’re helping consumers identify and compare the most sustainable mobile phones – encouraging suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of their devices. 

With ticketless pricing in our retail stores helping to reduce paper waste, nudges through the online customer journey and digitisation of product manuals we’re continually looking at ways to reduce the impact of our operations and products, for the customer and the planet.  

Building a carbon-free future 

We’re also committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions across our entire value chain by 2040 and we’re proud to be making positive progress already.  In 2023, we exceeded our scope 1 and 2 target by reducing carbon emissions by 45% against our 2020 baseline, and we remain on target to deliver our 2040 net zero carbon plan. We have a number of measures in place to ensure we achieve these bold milestones, including: 

• Investing in renewable electricity and energy efficiency initiatives 
• Cutting carbon emissions as we transition to electric vehicles by the end of 2030 
• Working with suppliers to adopt science-based carbon reduction plans 

 

Read more about our Net Zero commitment here. 

Children born today will be the most impacted by the worst effects of global warming, and seeing the havoc climate change is wreaking already, that thought scares me. I used to say ‘for the sake of future generations…’ but now we know climate change is here and it’s real. So for the sake of our children, we can’t afford to be cynical or to be pessimistic. That’s why despite working in a field which can be filled with doom and gloom headlines at the moment, I remain optimistic about the future. Businesses like ours have a huge role to play in helping citizens navigate how to act in the face of climate change and I’m proud of the work we’re doing. It’s on all of us to create change and take action for our beautiful planet.  

The post Earth Day 2024: Using connectivity to make our business better for the planet appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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Virgin Media O2 helps customers tackle e-waste with educational content and collections on Virgin TV for Earth Day

Virgin Media O2 is raising awareness of the issue of electronic waste (e-waste) and the climate crisis with content across Virgin TV to mark Earth Day (April 22).

With the UK on course to become the largest contributor of e-waste in the world per capita, Virgin TV has created a 60-second promo, to soon be broadcast on Channel 100 and in pre-rolls, which highlights the problem of e-waste and how consumers can tackle it by sustainably disposing of their unwanted devices, rather than them ending up in landfill.

This includes using O2 Recycle, which is open to anyone regardless of their mobile network and has seen almost four million devices recycled since 2009; by taking unwanted small electricals to any O2 store for recycling; or by donating unwanted smartphones to Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s ‘Community Calling’ initiative, where devices can be rehomed with people in need.

It comes as new research found that more than half of those surveyed (58%) have never heard of e-waste and just under half (45%) weren’t confident in how to sustainably dispose of electronic devices, despite three quarters (75%) being concerned about the climate crisis.

TV collection

Virgin TV customers can also access a specially curated on-demand collection of TV shows and documentaries, highlighting the significance of climate change and pollution, with the circular economy offering solutions to many of these challenges.

The collection is made up of 16 titles including Sky Documentaries’ Plastic Nile, Channel 4’s The Great Climate Fight and Discovery’s The Great Global Clean Up.

It forms part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, and the company’s goal to encourage consumers to carry out 10 million ‘circular actions’ by the end of 2025.

David Bouchier, Chief TV and Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “E-waste is a growing problem in a world that is more reliant on electronic devices than ever.

“With our research showing TV is one of the most powerful ways to inform people about important issues such as the climate crisis, we hope our specially created film and programme collection will help our customers learn more about what they can do to protect the planet.”

The post Virgin Media O2 helps customers tackle e-waste with educational content and collections on Virgin TV for Earth Day appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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To celebrate World Earth Day, from now (18th April) until 1st May customers that purchase a selected Like New handset can receive a £50 up front discount voucher from O2. 

Like New smartphone	Price per month for 36 months contract with 1GB of data	Upfront fee
iPhone 13 128GB	£29.31	£0 using voucher
iPhone 13 Pro 128GB	£41.81
iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB	£44.44
iPhone 12 Pro Max 128GB	£40.42
iPhone 14 Plus 128GB	£37.67
iPhone 14 Pro 128GB	£38.23
iPhone 14 Pro 256GB	£39.89
Samsung Galaxy S22 128GB	£37.64
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 128GB	£44.59
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus 256GB	£44.59
Samsung Galaxy A23 64GB	£24.59

Our ‘Like New’ programme helps to drive the circular economy as it means unwanted phones can be given a second life and used again and again.  We check for everything from scuffed screens to cracked cases to bashed up buttons to make sure all our refurbished phones are in ‘like new’ condition to do our bit in driving a circular economy with the hope phones are being used again and again. 

Benefits of purchasing a Like New device: 

• Money-saving: Customers can save money by picking a refurbished phone from our Like New range instead of a brand-new one. 
• ‘Like new’ condition: We perform at least 5 checks to make sure our refurbished phones are in good shape. 
• O2 perks: All the same benefits as our brand-new phones, including Extras, Priority and EU roaming on us.

Priority from O2 

With O2, customers can enjoy the greatest extra value in the market*, with access to premium mobile initiatives including inclusive EU Roaming as standard as well exclusive rewards and experiences, only on Priority, meaning customers can enjoy over £200 in additional value compared to other mobile operators. 

Double data with Volt 

Households with Virgin Media broadband services and at least one eligible O2 mobile plan can unlock double mobile data and a broadband speed boost to the next available tier at no extra cost simply by being a customer of both Virgin Media and O2.  

On top of smartphone savings, O2 customers can also benefit from a range of perks including:  

• O2 Recycle: With O2 Recycle consumers (including non-O2 customers) can get £330 on average when they trade in an iPhone, helping them to pocket some extra cash or put it towards a new device. 
• EU roaming: O2 is the only major UK network to offer inclusive EU roaming as standard, up to 25GB. Customers can enjoy using their airtime as they would at home while they’re away for no extra cost. 
• Priority from O2: Virgin Media broadband and O2 customers get exclusive access to Priority from O2, which offers a variety of deals and discounts as well as pre-sale ticket access to the hottest gigs in town. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editor 

• Uswitch reveals best mobile perks as O2 users will save hundreds on free Amazon Prime and Disney+ – Mirror Online 

 

The post World Earth Day Deal: O2 customers get £50 credit when they buy a Like New handset appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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• Virgin Media O2 is using satellite technology to boost mobile services in the country’s most remote locations
• The operator is working with satellite provider, Starlink, across the UK to accelerate its plans to boost signal in rural areas as part of the Shared Rural Network programme
• Starlink’s network of low-earth orbit satellites will carry data to and from mobile phone masts which are unreachable with traditional fibre optic cables, helping tackle not-spots and ensure that more rural communities can access reliable mobile connectivity
• The technology could also be used to maintain services during emergencies or exceptional events, such as disaster recovery scenarios

Virgin Media O2 is using Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to provide mobile backhaul for some of the country’s most remote locations to accelerate its Shared Rural Network (SRN) rollout.

The operator has already deployed the Starlink mobile backhaul solution to sites in the Scottish Highlands which are extremely difficult, prohibitively costly or impossible to connect using standard technologies such as fibre or microwave connections.

Typically, mobile phone masts require a fibre cable to carry calls, SMS and data to and from the phone mast – a connection known in the industry as ‘backhaul’ – but that is not viable in these extremely remote locations. Instead, a network of low-earth orbit satellites is providing backhaul to the masts, enabling Virgin Media O2 to provide a reliable mobile network to the areas.

The rollout of the satellite connections to these locations follows intensive testing and a recent trial in northern Scotland that proved how satellites can be used to carry mobile traffic to and from mobile masts in remote locations.

This is the latest development in Virgin Media O2’s push to improve mobile signal in rural communities through the Shared Rural Network programme. The operator is already going to extreme lengths to deliver on its commitments, recently using helicopters to deliver its 100^th SRN site to the remote Scottish island of Skye.

Virgin Media O2 is also exploring other ways satellite connectivity can benefit its customers in the future, including providing coverage for emergency services and improved mobile connectivity at special events.

This project has been delivered in collaboration with shareholder, Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS), which is an official Starlink reseller.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re leaving no stone unturned when it comes to improving rural connectivity and are continuously looking for new ways to boost signal in remote areas. Our commitment to delivering on our part of the Shared Rural Network programme has seen us turn first to helicopters and now to satellites to connect some of the most difficult and remote parts of the country. By constantly finding new ways to deliver for our customers, we are bringing reliable mobile coverage to rural communities faster and helping to close the UK’s digital divide.”

The post Mobile coverage that’s out of this world: Virgin Media O2 looks to Space to boost signal in rural areas appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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• Virgin Media O2 has used a helicopter to deliver new 4G masts to the remote village of Killin, near Stirling, which has been welcomed by the local MP, Alyn Smith, in a visit to one of the new sites
• As part of its commitment to the £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, Virgin Media O2 will be building seven new partial not-spot masts in the area
• The upgrades will provide residents, as well as businesses and visitors to the area, with faster and more reliable mobile connectivity than ever before

Alyn Smith, the MP for Stirling, has welcomed Virgin Media O2’s investment in his constituency during a visit to the first of seven new 4G masts being built in Stirling, which will significantly boost mobile connectivity in the area.

During a visit to one of the company’s new 4G masts in the area, which has been flown in by helicopter to the remote location, the MP was updated on Virgin Media O2’s progress in building more than seven sites in Stirling as part of the Shared Rural Network Programme.

Thanks to upgrade works underway, the area is set to benefit from a complete transformation in mobile connectivity which will tackle countless not-spots and areas of patchy signal. These new upgrades will provide residents, as well as businesses and visitors to the area, with faster and more reliable mobile connectivity than ever before, making it easier to access online services and stay connected with friends and family, while also offering them a greater choice of provider.

Currently, nearly a third (29%) of the area lacks 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators – Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, EE and Three – with signal blackspots creating an issue for local people and visitors alike. The Shared Rural Network upgrade programme is set to help tackle this, providing essential connectivity to people in historic not-spots such as this.

Alyn Smith, the MP for Stirling, said: “I am delighted to see further Virgin Media O2 investment in the area of Stirling that will help ensure that my constituents have access to reliable mobile connectivity. As with many rural areas, Stirling has previously been at a disadvantage when it comes to connectivity.

“It is fantastic to see how the company is bringing mobile coverage to this beautiful part of the world, which will have a positive impact for the businesses, residents, and visitors to the area. I believe that Virgin Media O2 is really setting an example of how to properly invest in rural networks.”

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “At Virgin Media O2, we are committed to playing our part in bringing reliable 4G coverage to communities all over Britain to help bridge the urban-rural digital divide. We’re going to extraordinary lengths to connect the most remote and isolated locations, including using helicopters to fly in phone masts where we need to, as part of our unwavering focus on delivering the Shared Rural Network programme.

“Many rural parts of Scotland are already benefiting from our rollout of new and upgraded masts, and we are delighted to bring enhanced mobile connectivity to the beautiful area of Stirling. Our Shared Rural Network rollout continues at pace, with more locations set to benefit in the near future.”

Alyn Smith MP’s visit took place just months after Virgin Media O2 announced it had built or upgraded a landmark 100 company-managed Shared Rural Network sites. This means the operator has gone further than any other to deliver new infrastructure as part of the SRN programme.

The post Virgin Media O2 uses helicopter to deliver improved 4G coverage to Stirling appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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Rob Orr, Chief Operations Officer at Virgin Media O2 

Today, after pausing all migrations since December, we’re restarting our Digital Landline Switchover programme on a voluntary basis for those who are not vulnerable or using a telecare device. As we commence, I want to provide some background on why this is happening, what we’re doing to provide support and what we’re calling on others to do to help us. 

What is the Digital Landline Switchover and why is it happening? 

Our traditional telephone network has reliably connected our customers for decades. However, it’s become outdated, less reliable, and increasingly difficult to maintain with spare parts often difficult to source or discontinued altogether. 

As a result, like the rest of the telecoms industry, we’re making changes to safeguard our landlines and ensure we can continue providing customers with home phone services for years to come.  

Known as the Digital Landline Switchover, all home phone calls will be delivered over our digital network in future. Most landline calls are already made this way today, but some customers haven’t moved to the new system yet.   

For the overwhelming majority of customers, this transition is quick and easy. However, we know that change can feel worrying, particularly for anyone who relies on their landline, or requires additional support, and so we are committed to getting this right. 

Strengthening the support we offer 

Ever since we first launched digital voice services in 2018, we put in place a range of measures designed to support customers with the transition. 

This has helped millions of people successfully connect to the digital landline network, providing them with reliable services for the decades ahead. 

Despite already offering industry leading solutions such as a free-of-charge Emergency Back-Up Line (EBUL) – with an eight-hour battery life that far exceeds the minimum Ofcom requirements – for those who need it, we committed to doing more. 

So, after listening to concerns about the industry wide-programme, in December last year, telecoms companies came together to sign an industry-wide voluntary Government charter which saw us commit to better protecting vulnerable and telecare customers through the transition. Following this, we took the decision to pause all switchovers whilst we undertook a detailed end-to-end review of our processes and worked to further improve them. 

That work is now complete, and building on the support we already have in place, we’ve now introduced a host of new measures which make it easier to identify and support those who need extra help. For example, we have improved the communications customers receive; our engineers will provide additional in-home support; and we have carried out extensive checks to better identify vulnerable or telecare users.  

Following every switchover, we’ll check that customers are using their landline in a similar way to before, and proactively contact anyone we suspect may be having issues. 

We are also working closely with the rest of the industry, alarm providers, local authorities and the TSA – the UK’s largest telecare body which we’ve now joined as a member – to identify how we can further collaborate to support our most vulnerable customers and raise wider awareness of what is happening.  

What does this restart mean? 

With these additional checks and improvements in place, we’re now once again switching customers to the new network, something which will initially be done on a voluntary basis with no vulnerable or telecare customers moving across at this stage. We’ll not switch anyone over without their agreement first, and customers will receive personalised communications outlining the steps they need to take and how they can access additional support.  

We’re committed to ensuring that no vulnerable or telecare customers will be left without a working landline as a result of this switchover. It’s why we’re giving ourselves more time to contact these customers and are encouraging anyone who may need additional support to get in touch and let us know as soon as possible. 

This is the right approach for now, but in future every customer will need to be switched over to ensure they can continue to receive a reliable landline service. As we progress, we’ll outline further details on the steps we’ll be taking to help vulnerable and telecare users switchover successfully. 

As phone lines switch to digital, local authorities and telecare providers need to step up 

While we’re focused on how we can make this programme a success, we’re just one piece of the puzzle and we can’t do this alone.  

For more than five years we’ve been speaking with local authorities, telecare providers, industry bodies and others to raise awareness, but some are yet to engage or work with us at all.  

We want to ensure all parties are brought to the table and play their part, so we’re calling on Government to create a “Telecare Charter” which sets out a range of commitments, creates uniformity and clarity and encourages these parties to work with the telecoms industry to help ensure nobody is left behind.  

Specifically, the charter should help to ensure relevant data is shared to help us identify more vulnerable customers and detect alarm numbers; that telecare operators check their devices are compatible with the new system; and that local authorities meet their duty of care obligations and proactively provide advice, support and information ahead of switchovers occurring.  

How you can help 

Whether the switchover impacts you personally or not, we can all play our part in supporting those around us – whether that’s family, friends, or neighbours – to get ready.  

By spreading the word, telling others to look out for letters from their provider, or helping them to get in touch with us directly if they may need extra help, everyone can help ensure we’re providing the right level of support to all customers. 

It’s important that this switchover activity occurs to safeguard landlines for future and we’re committed to getting it right. 

More information is available on our Digital Landline Switchover webpage 

 

The post How we’re supporting our customers as we switchover landline services for the future. appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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• The introduction of smart support builds on Virgin Media O2’s ongoing commitment to strengthen reliability, reduce hassle and enhance value for its customers.
• The new process will tackle broadband issues remotely so customers often won’t need to call and report faults.
• Irregularities that are detected will be resolved quickly and with minimal action from customers, providing an even more seamless and reliable broadband experience.
• Virgin Media customers can also benefit from its WiFi guarantee which promises minimum download speeds of 30Mbps in every room or £100 credit. 

Virgin Media O2 has today initiated the roll out of a game-changing new service that will help to boost broadband reliability by proactively tackling issues remotely at no extra cost for customers. 

Known as “smart support” the new service to tackle customers’ network niggles arrives as research by Virgin Media O2 found that more than 1 in 3 British broadband users (34%) claim they wouldn’t feel confident trying to fix their WiFi if something went wrong, even though 98% of Brits rely on the internet every day.

The service promises to enhance customers’ experience when streaming, video calling or gaming simultaneously, ensuring a reliable connection for the whole household. Smart support monitors customers’ WiFi Hubs and assesses the health of their connection, flagging potential issues including speed drops and disconnections to help build a full picture of the Hub’s performance.

Built using technology from Cisco ThousandEyes (formerly SamKnows) smart support will initially target 300,000 Virgin Media broadband customers whose connections will be checked throughout the year as the service learns and evolves, before being rolled out more widely to all customers in the future.

Enrolled customers will see their connection supported through a multi-layered approach, which includes:

1. Always-on monitoring: Using smart support technology to constantly monitor the customer’s broadband speeds and connection performance.
2. Problem solving: If a fault is detected, the WiFi Hub will work automatically overnight to try and resolve the issue.
3. Tailored advice: If the suspected issue cannot be fixed remotely, the customer will be sent personalised advice on how they can try to resolve the issue themselves.
4. Easy to book expert help: Should this be unsuccessful; the customer will be invited to book a free engineer appointment at a time that suits them.

Later this year, the smart support service will become more sophisticated so it can accurately diagnose a wider range of in-home connectivity issues, as well as enhancing the journey for new customers during the install period and providing guidance on tackling in-home WiFi blackspots to ensure great signal throughout the home.

Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2, Gareth Lister, says: “Virgin Media has long been recognised for ultrafast speeds, but we also know that reliability is equally important which is why we’re rolling out a new, innovative smart support service that will proactively act as a helping hand to fix network niggles and optimise the performance of our connectivity – often with customers not needing to do a thing. Smart support will evolve over time, reducing hassle for our customers and further improving connectivity for those that need it to offer a best-in-class service for all.”

Alongside the introduction of smart support, those with Virgin Media broadband and an O2 pay monthly mobile plan can already benefit from the provider’s WiFi guarantee at no extra cost (usually £8 per month), which promises minimum download speeds of 30Mbps in every room or £100 credit – a faster minimum speed threshold than BT, EE, Sky and Vodafone’s WiFi guarantees.

The post Virgin Media O2 begins rolling out new smart support service to automatically identify network niggles and boost broadband reliability appeared first on Virgin Media O2.

Source: O2 Blog
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