The new company Virgin Media O2 has launched in the UK, following the completion of the merger of Liberty Global's Virgin Media with Telefonica-owned O2 to form a 50-50 joint venture. The companies will continue to use both brand names going forward.
The companies received the final regulatory greenlight in May, a year after first announcing the deal. The merger creates a new rival to BT/EE able to offer a full range of mobile and high-speed broadband services over its own advanced networks. CEO Lutz Schuler said Virgin Media O2 plans to "upgrade the UK" through investment in fibre and 5G infrastructure, innovation and "a seamless mix of the best products and services in the market".
The combined business counts 47 million connections across broadband, mobile, TV and home phone, and offers connectivity services, applications and digital solutions to tens of thousands of UK businesses and public sector organisations. It employs around 18,000 people and reported equivalent revenues of GBP 11 billion last year.
Customers will not see any immediate changes to their services. The company said it is working on a new bundled offer of broadband, entertainment and mobile services that should launch later this year.
