Latest news with #3G
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Major mobile provider reveals FREE upgrade for thousands of customers hours after major service is shut down
he upgrade affects more than 2,000 postcodes 5-GEE! Major mobile provider reveals FREE upgrade for thousands of customers hours after major service is shut down Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THOUSANDS of mobile customers are set to benefit from a free network boost – just hours after a major service was switched off. O2 (Virgin Media) revealed it has upgraded its 4G and 5G coverage across more than 2,000 postcodes in Coventry, West Midlands. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 O2 says the upgrades will give users better connectivity and faster mobile data at no extra cost Credit: Getty The improvements are part of the company's £700million Mobile Transformation Plan, aimed at future-proofing the network and keeping pace with soaring demand. O2 says the upgrades will give users better connectivity and faster mobile data at no extra cost. Free boost A spokesperson said the plan ensures the network is 'fit for the future and can keep up with increasing customer demand.' The free upgrade comes as mobile providers, including O2, continue to phase out older 3G services across the UK. The switch-off is making way for more advanced and efficient 4G and 5G services. Mobile usage has skyrocketed in recent years, with data traffic more than doubling over the past five years – making upgrades like this increasingly essential. And O2 isn't the only one dishing out freebies. Earlier this year, EE handed thousands of customers a free 5G upgrade, even for those on older 4G plans. Vodafone also rolled out free speed boosts to eligible users, increasing data allowances and offering better access to 5G where available. CHECK YOUR SPEED: Broadband Meanwhile, Three UK recently gave select customers free roaming perks across Europe and upgraded network speeds in several major cities – all without charging a penny more. These giveaways come as mobile giants try to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market – and soften the blow of 3G shutdowns and rising bills for millions. So if you're with one of the big networks, it's worth checking if a free upgrade is already waiting for you. Is the 3G switch off that big of a deal? Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun It's unclear exactly how many people will be affected by the 3G switch off. There wasn't much noise after Three, EE and Vodafone ended 3G. So, there will undoubtedly be some still using 3G-only phones but the numbers are probably very small. Just because it may be a small figure doesn't mean those people should be cast aside, especially if they're not very tech-savvy or vulnerable. So definitely get in contact with O2 (or GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile) if you need support.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Community
Here's my quick take on the Kraft-Heinz breakup (I've done finance stints at both Kraft-Heinz $KHC and its 3G cousin AB InBev $BUD): 1 3G tried to copy the AB InBev 'buy-and-slash' model. Works for beer, not for ketchup. 2 Since the 2015 merger: sales flat, profits down, stock down 60 %. Berkshire's off the board and 3G has sold out. A split could help, but only if the new bosses spend money on real food upgrades. Think cleaner labels and better taste, not gimmicks like pink Valentine's Mac & Cheese. In groceries, the product is the moat. Fix the food first; the numbers will follow. Read my take here:
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK's biggest mobile provider is shutting service TODAY leaving thousands of Brits with no internet in huge shake-up
THE UK'S largest mobile provider is continuing its shut down of a major service today, which could leave customers without internet. Britain's major mobile providers have been gradually switching off a key service over the past few years, following an agreement with the Government made in 2021. 1 EE, Vodafone and Three have all shut off their 3G services, with Virgin Media O2 the last to follow suit. The telecoms giant said that the switch off is so that it can focus on "faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient" 4G and 5G networks." The 3G switch off began in Durham on April 2, and is continuing today, July 16, in Norwich, Telford and Guildford. Torquay's 3G network will then be switched off on August 4. The mobile provider has confirmed that the rest of the UK will have its 3G networks turned off by the end of the year. The switch off will also affect Giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile users as they all use Virgin Media O2's network. "We're switching off our 3G network to focus our attention and investment on upgrading faster and more reliable 4G and 5G networks that will give our customers a better overall experience", Virgin Media O2's Chief Technology Officer, Jeanie York, said. 'Following the successful pilot in Durham earlier this year, we will be switching off 3G in Norwich, Telford and Guildford in July, and Torquay in early August, with the rest of the UK to follow by the end of the year." Virgin Media O2 customers living in the affected areas have been urged to upgrade to a device which supports 4G or 5G before the switch off takes place. Anyone who's device is only capable of supporting 3G will be left without mobile data, but will still be able to text, take phone calls, and access WiFi. WhatsApp is closing down on three mobile devices in hours with users blocked from sending and receiving messages Martin Lewis ' Money Saving Expert (MSE) explained: "If you have a phone or Sim that only supports 3G, you'll effectively no longer be able to use the internet once it's fully switched off by your provider – you'll still technically be able to connect to the internet, but you'll struggle to do even basic tasks. "You'll still be able to make calls and send text messages over 2G, though the quality of the call will likely be a lot worse than it was on the 3G network." Virgin Media O2 has said that the "vast majority" of its customers already have a device which supports 4G or 5G, so will be completely unaffected by the switch off. It added that any customers still using a 3G device who are known to be vulnerable have been offered a 4G device free of charge. Which mobile networks are affected by the 3G switch off? Mobile networks affected by O2's 3G switch off: -O2 - Tesco Mobile - Sky Mobile - GiffGaff Networks which have already switched off 3G: - Vodafone - Asda Mobile - Lebara - Talk Mobile - Voxi - EE - 1pMobile - Ecotalk - IQ Mobile - Lycamobile - Mozillion - RWG Mobile - Spusi - Talk Home - Utility Warehouse - Your Co-op - Three - iD Mobile, Smarty - Honest Mobile - Superdrug All other customers who do not currently have a device compatible with 4G or 5G have been offered a new device at a reduced cost. Jeanie York added: "While we know that the vast majority of our customers already have a 4G or 5G device and will not have to take any action, our priority is to provide support to those who need it. "That is why we are reaching out directly to customers who do not have a 4G or 5G handset, and calling those we know are vulnerable, to provide information about their next steps. "It is important these customers upgrade their handsets in order to continue using mobile data after 3G is switched off.' Customers wishing to dispose of their old 3G devices should recycle them through O2 recycle, which could see them get cash for the old handsets. How to check if your device is affected Smartphone users who have purchased their device in the last 10 years are unlikely to be affected by the switch off. However, if you are still unsure, you can do a simple trick to check. Click on the settings page on your phone and search for Network Mode or Preferred Network. If you spot 4G or 5G listed, then you will be unaffected by the switch off.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Guildford, Telford and Norwich see 3G switched off
A leading mobile provider is switching off its 3G coverage in three areas of England from Media O2 is withdrawing the service in Guildford in Surrey, Telford in Shropshire and Norwich in Norfolk, as 4G and 5G replace older company said only a small number of customers will be affected, with vulnerable customers having been offered a 4G-ready device free of next area in which Virgin will switch off 3G is due to be Torquay in Devon on 4 August. Anyone in those areas who has not upgraded from 3G will still be able to make phone calls and send text messages, but will not be able to use mobile York, Virgin Media O2's chief technology officer, said: "While we know the vast majority of our customers already have a 4G or 5G device and will not have to take any action, our priority is to provide support to those who need it."That is why we are reaching out directly to customers who do not have a 4G or 5G handset, and calling those we know are vulnerable, to provide information about their next steps."It is important these customers upgrade their handsets in order to continue using mobile data after 3G is switched off."The 3G network, launched two decades ago, now carries only 3% of all network data, and will be switched off completely by Virgin by the end of 2025.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Kraft Heinz is considering a split
Kraft Heinz is poised to break itself up, acknowledging what investors have known for years: Their merger was a dud. The 2015 deal united some of America's most beloved grocery brands and was blessed by some of Wall Street's biggest names, including Warren Buffett. But the company's sales and share price floundered — the latter propped up largely by Buffett's refusal to bail out of the stock. (Two Buffett-appointed directors stepped off Kraft Heinz's board in May, fueling chatter that a Berkshire Hathaway without Buffett, who retires later this year, might be less sentimental.) What went wrong? Buffett admitted that Heinz overpaid for Kraft, and 3G's vaunted budgetary axe turned out to be useless against decades of accumulated bloat. The company spent months privately and a memorable 48 hours publicly trying to buy Unilever, which stoked investors' concerns that it couldn't thrive alone. But mostly, Americans' tastes changed. Increasingly health-conscious consumers turned away from processed foods like bologna and Kool-Aid and swapped ketchup for sriracha. The company's troubles dented 3G's reputation as a screw-turning operator, which never quite recovered. And they might have bruised Buffett's reputation, except that he came out $5 billion ahead, thanks to his special dividends.
