Tesco Mobile is a joint venture owned equally by the Tesco Group and Virgin Media O2
U.K. carrier Virgin Media O2 and Tesco, owners of Tesco Mobile, have signed a 10-year renewal of their existing joint venture, the former said in a release.
Tesco Mobile is the U.K.’s largest mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), with more than 5.5 million customers.
The MVNO currently provides mobile service via Virgin Media O2’s network. The telco’s 4G network reaches 99% of the country’s population while its 5G network currently covers more than half of the country.
Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said: “We have enjoyed great success with Tesco Mobile over the past 20 years, as a partner and a network provider, and I have no doubt that will continue over the next decade. With demand for mobile data greater than ever, we’re continuing to invest heavily in our network to give our customers, and those of other providers who use our connectivity, an even better experience with the fast and reliable mobile services they expect and rely on.”
“With the combined power of Virgin Media O2 and Tesco we’re an MVNO which packs an almighty punch. We’re incredibly proud of the success we’ve achieved over the last 20 years, we’ve gone from strength to strength and now serve over 5.5 million customers across the U.K.,” said Jonathan Taylor, CEO at Tesco Mobile.
Tesco Mobile is a joint venture owned equally by the Tesco Group and Virgin Media O2 UK Limited. The company was 50% owned by Telefónica UK prior to the completion of the merger of O2 and Virgin Media on 1 June 2021.
In April 2023, Virgin Media O2 had selected U.S. company Mavenir as its Open RAN (O-RAN) vendor. The telco noted that Mavenir will also be the prime integrator, providing its Open virtualized Radio Access Network (Open vRAN) solution for sites on Virgin Media O2’s network.
Meanwhile, in March, Virgin Media O2 and Ericsson had announced they will boost 4G and 5G coverage and capacity to major cities and towns across the U.K. as part of a renewed network partnership agreement. The two companies had agreed on a new contract to deploy the latest products and solutions from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Virgin Media O2’s 5G network reached 3.200 towns and cities across the country as of the end of Q3 2023.
Virgin Media O2 had launched services in June 2021 as a joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica in the U.K.
