Feb 23, 2026
Virgin Media O2 has announced it will use AI across its mobile network to improve performance and minimise downtime.
The mobile network operator - the third largest in the UK since the Vodafone Three merger - already uses artificial intelligence to manage and improve its fixed broadband network. Now, mobile customers will also be able to benefit from the technology.
How is an AI mobile network better?
The main aim of Virgin Media O2’s partnership with AI company Zinkworks is to decrease downtime across its network. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, reports that the rate of successful mobile broadband connections fell in 2025 compared to 2024, and O2 had the lowest success rate of any carrier network.
The integration of AI technology into the management of O2’s network is intended to reverse that trend. The AI tools will analyse patterns of failure to predict issues before they arise, allowing them to be resolved before they affect customers.
The technology has already improved performance on Virgin Media O2’s traditional wired broadband network. Since the implementation of AI powered network monitoring repair times across the network have dropped by a third, and required engineer visits have dropped 12%.
How else can mobile networks use AI?
Monitoring and predicting network outages is not the only use of AI technology for mobile networks. Many companies around the world are already making use of the technology, while still more are experimenting with potential applications.
Some of the ways an AI mobile network can benefit are:
Quickly identifying and precisely locating faults. In South Korea, Korea Telecom uses AI-powered error detection to pinpoint and correct faults within one minute
In the US, AT&T use a similar system to Virgin Media O2’s to analyse historical data and predict where future issues will occur
Vodafone uses ‘virtual twins’ - AI-powered digital replicas of real hardware - to monitor and experiment with its network without jeopardising customer connections
AI managed broadcast towers can work more efficiently, adjusting the frequency of signals to maximise connection reach and strength and optimising power usage at off-peak times to minimise waste. Trials have already shown a 14% reduction in energy consumption for AI powered mobile networks in Europe.
The future of mobile internet
While current implementations of AI technology across mobile broadband networks are exciting, it seems that we’ve only scratched the surface of the benefits this technology could provide.
Currently, experts such as Samsung’s Research and Development Institute argue that we won’t see the full benefits of AI until the rollout of 6G networks, projected to start from 2026. One major benefit of an AI mobile network for 6G is that 6G signals will operate across a wider range of signal frequencies. An AI-powered connection will be able to adjust which frequency it’s operating on on the fly, maximising connection speed and bandwidth based on location, network availability and congestion.
As we grow increasingly reliant on mobile networks for essential connections and communication, it’s good to know that the technology is constantly being invested in and improved on. From the increase in 5GSA networks to the rise of AI-powered smart connections, and the upcoming arrival of 6G, mobile internet is primed to keep getting faster, cheaper and more reliable than ever before.
