VMO2 Modernises UK Network Management Center with Mesh, Full Fiber & Intelligent Rings

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) is modernizing its UK network operations center in Slough to better support a combined fixed + mobile network. With a commitment of £10 billion over five years, VMO2 is shifting its infrastructure toward a more resilient, streamlined, and high-capacity architecture.

The merger of Virgin Media and O2 brought together distinct fixed (Virgin Media's cable/HFC) and mobile (O2's cellular) legacies. VMO2 is now "meshing" these networks—merging fixed lines and mobile backhaul into what it calls a Converged Interconnect Network (CIN). Key components include the deployment of Ciena 5170 routing and switching units. Around 200 of these units are already in place, with plans for thousands more to support the evolving traffic demands.

On the fixed side, VMO2 is accelerating its transition from hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) to full fiber, including rollout of XGS-PON, a symmetrical full-fiber standard. The company's fixed network now reaches over 17 million premises, with about 5 million already served by full fiber.

To enhance resiliency, VMO2 has implemented intelligent rings in its network. These rings provide redundancy, allowing reroutes when fiber cuts or other failures occur—a common issue, with VMO2 reporting 10-20 weekly fiber cuts, often due to work by utilities or other infrastructure.

VMO2 also expects to reduce the number of technical sites over time as its network becomes more meshed and capable of covering longer distances from fewer hubs. Currently, the company operates about 500 technical sites—from large data centers like Slough to small repeater locations—but anticipates reducing this footprint significantly, to about 10% of that number in the long run.

Other improvements include deploying Content Delivery Network (CDN) infrastructure at its data centers to cache popular content closer to users (e.g. Netflix, BBC iPlayer), and preparing for the shutdown of 3G (expected through 2025) to reduce hardware and simplify operations.