O2 mobile network: coverage, customer service and complaints
Last updated: 22 October 2026
O2 is one of the UK's four mobile networks with its own masts. Since 2021 it has been part of Virgin Media O2, a joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global.
O2 at a glance
- Type: Mobile network operator (owns its masts)
- Owned by: Virgin Media O2
- What it sells: Phone contracts with split handset and airtime plans, SIM only plans, refurbished phones, tablets and pay-as-you-go bundles.
O2 is known for its Priority rewards app and its flexible Custom Plans, which let you choose a separate phone and airtime term.
O2 coverage
O2 runs its own network of masts. O2 provides 4G to the vast majority of the UK population and is expanding 5G, mainly in towns and cities first. Coverage varies street by street and indoors, so check your home and work postcodes on Ofcom's coverage checker before you buy.
Other providers that use O2's network: Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, Virgin Mobile, giffgaff.
Customer feedback: official complaint figures
Ofcom publishes how many complaints it receives about each major mobile provider for every 100,000 pay-monthly customers. In the October to December 2025 figures, O2 received 7 complaints per 100,000 customers — above the industry average of 3.
| Provider | Jan–Mar | Apr–Jun | Jul–Sep | Oct–Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Industry average | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Source: Ofcom telecoms and pay-TV complaints, Q4 2025. Lower is better. Figures are rounded by Ofcom.
Contact O2 customer service
- From an O2 phone: 202
- From any other phone: 0344 809 0202
- Help and live chat: www.o2.co.uk/help
These are the contact routes O2 publishes. Numbers starting 03 cost the same as a normal landline call and are usually included in phone plan minutes; 0800 and 0808 numbers are free. Check O2's website for opening hours.
Complaining about O2
Complain to O2 first. If it isn't resolved after eight weeks, or you get a 'deadlock letter', you can take it free of charge to the independent ombudsman scheme O2 belongs to. Ofcom explains the process on its how to complain page.