The UK’s biggest mobile provider has announced the shutdown of its 3G services in 2026, urgingcustomers with 3G-only devices to upgrade to avoid losing access to mobile internet as 4G and 5G services continue.
10:46, 03 Jan 2026Updated 11:11, 03 Jan 2026
People have been warned they need to make a major upgrade to keep in pace with O2’s plans(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Customers with the UK’s largest mobile networks are being warned to update their devices “as soon as possible” or risk losing mobile internet access altogether.
O2 has announced it will be shutting down its 3G services imminently this year, describing the technology as a “relic of a bygone era” as the network shifts its focus solely to 4G and 5G. The provider’s switch-off will only impact those still using older handsets that rely solely on 3G connectivity.
Just two percent of O2‘s mobile data traffic now runs on 3G, which can no longer keep pace with contemporary technological requirements.
‘Scammers tried to pretend to be my daughter to trick me out of £1,600’
Nicky was contacted by a scammer who was pretending to be her daughter AJ(Image: Santander)
Nicky, 60, a finance worker from Halifax, West Yorkshire, was almost tricked out of £1,600 after a scammer text her, pretending to be her daughter, AJ.
The messages claimed that AJ was using a new number, as she had dropped her phone down the toilet, and that she urgently needed cash to pay a bill.
But all was not as it seemed – and thankfully Nicky spotted it was a scam before she handed over any cash.
She said: “I was at work and I received this text. She was due to go on holiday in two days and I didn’t want her stressing out. She’d been through an awful lot, so I was prepared to help her by paying this bill.
“Another text came through, and it said: ‘How are you doing?’ My daughter doesn’t speak like that. And she would never, ever have asked me to pay a £1,600 bill, ever. I picked the phone up and called her mobile, the one supposedly down the toilet.”
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O2 said it would turn off all of its 3G masts in 2026(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Those affected should have already been contacted with details about their upgrade choices. Customers who delay moving to newer 4G and 5G-enabled devices risk being cut off from online services. Decommissioning the network will enable O2 to reallocate radio spectrum across its wireless infrastructure, enhancing speeds and expanding 4G and 5G reach, reports the Express.
Several rival operators have already phased out 3G in recent years, with Vodafone, EE and Three among those to have made the switch. Throughout 2025, extensive testing was conducted to guarantee a smooth transition away from the service.
O2 has branded 3G networks a ‘relic of a bygone era'(Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said the advancement to 4G and 5G means the continued existence of 3G coverage is unnecessary. She said in a statement: “We’re now more connected than ever thanks to significant investment in faster, more reliable 4G and 5G networks. As a result, 3G has become a relic of a bygone era.
“Our 3G network has already been withdrawn across many parts of the UK, with the remaining areas set to follow shortly. Although a 3G signal may still appear in some locations briefly in early 2026, the network will soon be fully shut down.
O2 has told people with a 3G handset to ‘upgrade as soon as possible'(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Anyone still using a 3G-only handset should upgrade as soon as possible.” Mobile internet operates by transmitting and receiving signals through cell towers using radio waves, allowing you to stay online whilst on the move. Unlike Wi-Fi, which only functions near a router, mobile networks span vast areas, and some connections in remote locations can be linked via satellites in space to transmit data over long distances.
The introduction of 3G first delivered reliable mobile internet to users in the early 2000s. It was succeeded by 4G, which was rolled out widely from the late 2000s.
This represented a significant leap forward, enabling smartphones, social media and high-quality video streaming. The most recent development, 5G, which started appearing in the UK in 2019, brought even faster speeds, minimal delays and the capacity to support millions of connected devices.