Overview

• Aberdeen, Dundee and other areas in the east of Scotland will begin losing 3G service on November 5, with a nationwide shutdown targeted by the end of 2025.
• Customers on 3G-only phones will lose mobile data and internet-based messaging outside Wi‑Fi, though voice calls and standard SMS are expected to continue.
• Virgin Media O2 is contacting affected users, offering free 4G handsets to vulnerable customers, discounted upgrades for others, and guidance through O2 Recycle for old devices.
• Providers using O2’s network, including Tesco Mobile, giffgaff and Sky Mobile, will see corresponding changes and are notifying their customers.
• The retirement follows earlier local switch-offs and reflects 3G’s shrinking use on the network—reported at under 2% of data traffic—as capacity shifts to faster, more energy‑efficient 4G and 5G.