O2 said it had upgraded its 5G service to 5G+ in more than 700 UK towns and cities, while its separate Bath project adds small cells in busy city-centre and shopping areas. The national rollout concerns 5G standalone service for eligible customers; the Bath work is local network infrastructure intended to add capacity. Neither announcement guarantees a particular speed or coverage at a specific address.
What O2 announced
In a report published on 11 March 2026, Computer Weekly said Virgin Media O2 had expanded its 5G standalone service, branded 5G+, to customers in more than 700 towns and cities across the UK. Separately, O2 was working with digital infrastructure provider Ontix and Bath & North East Somerset Council to install small cells in busy parts of Bath. Computer Weekly’s report describes the two connected announcements; the national availability figure should not be read as a guarantee that every location in those towns and cities has 5G+ coverage.
Is O2 5G+ available in Bath?
The report places Bath within the wider expansion to more than 700 UK towns and cities, but does not provide a Bath-specific coverage map or confirm service at individual addresses. Availability depends on O2’s coverage in the location as well as the customer’s device and account eligibility. Check O2’s current coverage information and 5G+ terms before relying on service at a particular place.
Will your phone and O2 account work with 5G+?
As reported on 11 March 2026, the no-extra-charge 5G+ offer applied to eligible O2 Pay Monthly customers with a compatible device. Computer Weekly listed compatible-device families including iPhone 15, 16 and 17 ranges and Google Pixel 9 and 10 series, including Fold variants. The report also said qualifying SIMs bought from 2024 onward or an eSIM were included. These are the conditions described at publication, not a guarantee of today’s eligibility rules: confirm your exact handset, SIM and account status with O2.
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The report says O2 claimed average 5G+ speeds around 50% faster than 4G. It did not provide the test method or independent validation, so this is an operator claim rather than a promise of the speed you will see. It is not a measurement of Bath’s small-cell deployment.
What are the Bath small cells, and where are they?
Small cells are compact mobile-network equipment used to add capacity in particular busy areas. In Bath, O2 was deploying them with Ontix and Bath & North East Somerset Council in some of the busiest city-centre and shopping areas. The first cells were live when the report appeared, integrated into existing street furniture such as lamp posts, with additional deployments planned into early 2026.
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The report gives no street-by-street locations, total site count or independent before-and-after measurements. It therefore establishes that the work had started, but not whether a particular street has a cell or how much local performance has changed. The project is infrastructure work; the report does not say residents need to buy a new phone or plan to benefit from any added local capacity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the investment figures do—and do not—show
Computer Weekly reported Virgin Media O2’s plan to invest £700 million in its mobile network in 2026. The report also quoted chief commercial officer Christian Hindennach saying the company was investing £2 million every day. These are company figures reported in March 2026, not independently audited measures of spending specifically in Bath.
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Hindennach said the upgrade would boost performance in busy areas, including major venues, and described the investment as supporting a more reliable experience. Bath & North East Somerset Council cabinet member Paul Roper said digital connectivity matters for economic growth, innovation and residents’ access to services. Both statements express the speakers’ views; neither supplies a measured result for Bath.
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