Latest news with #RobertJoyce
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
O2 hands out FREE speed upgrade in 22 locations across UK & it's already live in four holiday hotspots
The full list reveals every site getting the upgrade SPEEDING ALONG O2 hands out FREE speed upgrade in 22 locations across UK & it's already live in four holiday hotspots HOLIDAYING O2 customers will be able to bag a free speed upgrade at 22 locations across the UK. They're all holiday hotspots – and four of the speed boosts have already gone live. 2 O2 is dishing out major signal upgrades across the UK Credit: Alamy O2 has vowed to upgrade 22 Haven holiday sites across the UK. Advertisement It's part of what the network is calling its "Mobile Transformation Plan", promising better signal in "high-demand areas". Four sites already have O2's "improved 5G", including Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire and Skegness Holiday Park in Lincolnshire. And O2 says that more sites will be upgraded "this summer and early next year". "With more people choosing to holiday in the UK, we are working to improve our mobile network in some of the most popular staycation destinations," said O2's mobile access director, Dr Robert Joyce. Advertisement "This work with Haven is a great example of our Mobile Transformation Plan in action. "Bringing more reliable connectivity to the places people need it most. "So whether our customers are off to Skegness, Berwick, or Cleethorpes, they can stay connected this summer." O2 is working with network giant Freshwave to upgrade the sites. Advertisement Network bosses have vowed to pour £700 million into infrastructure this year to boost connectivity. Sun's tech editor shows NEW 4mm thin folding Samsung – & teases 'flip iPhone' too And O2 is upgrading Haven holiday parks due to higher demand. "Our guests and owners expect to stay connected," said Haven tech boss James Bromley. "Whether it's sharing memories, streaming entertainment, or working remotely. "I'm delighted that our investment in our parks has attracted O2 to ensure we're delivering the best possible experience to families choosing to holiday or own at our parks." Advertisement WHAT'S KILLING YOUR SIGNAL? Here's what Ofcom says will affect your mobile reception... The power of your local mast, and how close you are to it Hills, buildings, and trees, between you and the mobile mast The capacity of the local mast and congestion in the network, particularly at peak times Which materials were used to make the building or vehicle you're in Bad weather The quality of antenna in your phone Picture Credit: Alamy Haven has 38 holiday parks across the UK, but not all of them are being upgraded – only 22 sites are getting the speed boost. Here's the full list, as sent to The Sun: Haggerston Castle Berwick Primrose Valley Blue Dolphin Thornwick Skegness Seashore Orchards Golden Sands Seton Sands Hopton Combe Haven Allhallows Thorpe Park Cleethorpes Reighton Sands Hafan y Mor Rockley Park Marton Mere Burnham Perran Sands Craig Tara Devon Cliffs Littlesea The upgrade comes just days after Vodafone and Three confirmed that they had jointly upgraded over 600 mast sites across the UK. And earlier this year, EE upgraded its speeds across 50 towns and cities. 2 As many as 22 sites are being upgraded with improved signal, O2 says Credit: Getty Advertisement O2 merged with Virgin Media back in 2021, absorbing its Virgin Mobile customers. And O2 also secured a deal with Vodafone to acquire a large 78.8MHz chunk of spectrum. That means the company holds just under a third of UK mobile spectrum, making it one of the nation's biggest network providers.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
O2 hands out FREE speed upgrade in 22 locations across UK & it's already live in four holiday hotspots
The full list reveals every site getting the upgrade SPEEDING ALONG O2 hands out FREE speed upgrade in 22 locations across UK & it's already live in four holiday hotspots Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLIDAYING O2 customers will be able to bag a free speed upgrade at 22 locations across the UK. They're all holiday hotspots – and four of the speed boosts have already gone live. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 O2 is dishing out major signal upgrades across the UK Credit: Alamy O2 has vowed to upgrade 22 Haven holiday sites across the UK. It's part of what the network is calling its "Mobile Transformation Plan", promising better signal in "high-demand areas". Four sites already have O2's "improved 5G", including Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire and Skegness Holiday Park in Lincolnshire. And O2 says that more sites will be upgraded "this summer and early next year". "With more people choosing to holiday in the UK, we are working to improve our mobile network in some of the most popular staycation destinations," said O2's mobile access director, Dr Robert Joyce. "This work with Haven is a great example of our Mobile Transformation Plan in action. "Bringing more reliable connectivity to the places people need it most. "So whether our customers are off to Skegness, Berwick, or Cleethorpes, they can stay connected this summer." O2 is working with network giant Freshwave to upgrade the sites. Network bosses have vowed to pour £700 million into infrastructure this year to boost connectivity. Sun's tech editor shows NEW 4mm thin folding Samsung – & teases 'flip iPhone' too And O2 is upgrading Haven holiday parks due to higher demand. "Our guests and owners expect to stay connected," said Haven tech boss James Bromley. "Whether it's sharing memories, streaming entertainment, or working remotely. "I'm delighted that our investment in our parks has attracted O2 to ensure we're delivering the best possible experience to families choosing to holiday or own at our parks." WHAT'S KILLING YOUR SIGNAL? Here's what Ofcom says will affect your mobile reception... The power of your local mast, and how close you are to it Hills, buildings, and trees, between you and the mobile mast The capacity of the local mast and congestion in the network, particularly at peak times Which materials were used to make the building or vehicle you're in Bad weather The quality of antenna in your phone Picture Credit: Alamy Haven has 38 holiday parks across the UK, but not all of them are being upgraded – only 22 sites are getting the speed boost. Here's the full list, as sent to The Sun: Haggerston Castle Berwick Primrose Valley Blue Dolphin Thornwick Skegness Seashore Orchards Golden Sands Seton Sands Hopton Combe Haven Allhallows Thorpe Park Cleethorpes Reighton Sands Hafan y Mor Rockley Park Marton Mere Burnham Perran Sands Craig Tara Devon Cliffs Littlesea The upgrade comes just days after Vodafone and Three confirmed that they had jointly upgraded over 600 mast sites across the UK. And earlier this year, EE upgraded its speeds across 50 towns and cities. 2 As many as 22 sites are being upgraded with improved signal, O2 says Credit: Getty O2 merged with Virgin Media back in 2021, absorbing its Virgin Mobile customers. And O2 also secured a deal with Vodafone to acquire a large 78.8MHz chunk of spectrum. That means the company holds just under a third of UK mobile spectrum, making it one of the nation's biggest network providers.
Daily Record
03-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
O2 confirms exact date of mobile network switch off but is your town affected?
The company has also upgraded coverage to 13,000 Scottish postcodes in some of our most remote locations The majority of Brits who own a mobile phone will rarely have to worry about losing signal or service. Technology has advanced so much that these problems are now considered a thing of the past; a distant memory. However, the UK's four mobile operators are currently shutting down the country's ageing 3G networks, and Virgin Media O2 has today issued the exact dates its customers in several towns could be affected by the switch-off. As the entity behind O2's mobile network operations, Virgin Media O2 is alerting its user base that the 3G network will cease operation in Norwich, Telford, and Guildford on July 16, followed by Torquay on August 4. The move is "part of longer-term plans to deliver faster and more reliable 4G and 5G connectivity for customers." They added: "3G services in those areas will be switched off in the coming weeks, and those who currently don't have a 4G or 5G device must upgrade to a compatible handset to retain access to mobile data services," said Virgin Media O2. O2 confirmed to the Record that further details for locations in Scotland haven't been confirmed yet, but the company has upgraded 4G and 5G coverage to 13,000 Scottish postcodes in some of our most remote locations. The upgrades extend to popular tourist centres, with 782 upgraded postcodes in Edinburgh and major improvements in coverage across the Highlands. On top of this, O2 has recently installed small cells in Perth, as well as switching on its next-generation 5G standalone network in Stirling. O2 has recently brought reliable connectivity to many unique Scottish tourist destinations that previously had none. These include Corrour Station, the UK's highest and most remote railway stop, famously featured in Trainspotting. Barra Airport, the only airport in the world with a scheduled beach runway and tidal timetable, and Loch Ossian Eco Hostel and Glen Affric Hostel, reachable only by foot or bike, have also benefited north of the border. "Scotland has always been one of the most beautiful and remote destinations in the UK but now it's better connected than ever before," said Dr Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at O2. "Thanks to O2's Mobile Transformation Plan, whether they're hiking the Highlands, flying into Barra, or visiting a rural island, visitors can stay connected when and where it matters most." In the meantime, while Norwich, Telford, Guildford, and Torquay are next in line for disruption, O2 anticipates a complete termination of its 3G network by year's end. The nationwide switch-off is due to 3G networks becoming outdated and less utilised than before. Most smartphones available in the UK now support 4G, and many are also 5G-ready. Consequently, the O2 3G switch-off is unlikely to impact you if your smartphone is 4G or 5G capable. However, if you possess an older smartphone or a more basic mobile phone, it might only connect to 3G networks. Once 3G is completely phased out, you won't be able to use mobile data services on your device, rendering apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Google services inaccessible unless connected to Wi-Fi. "While the vast majority of customers will not need to take any action, the operator is directly contacting all customers across the UK who currently don't have a 4G or 5G device to provide support," Virgin Media O2 said. The company is offering "known vulnerable customers" a complimentary 4G device. Other customers lacking a 4G handset or SIM card will be presented with an option to purchase one "at a reduced price". "Customers can visit their local O2 store for further information and support, and they are also reminded they can use O2 Recycle to responsibly and sustainably dispose of their old handsets in exchange for cash," they added. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of Scots get major 5G & 4G upgrade – find out if you're eligible
Scroll down to find out how it will affect you STAY CONNECTED Thousands of Scots get major 5G & 4G upgrade – find out if you're eligible THOUSANDS of Scots are set to get a major upgrade to their 4G and 5G coverage. O2 is making huge improvements to its mobile network across Scotland. 1 O2 making huge improvements to its mobile network across Scotland Credit: Alamy Over the past year, the mobile giant has significantly bolstered network capacity in more than 13,000 Scottish postcodes, reaching into some of the UK's most secluded corners. This effort is part of O2's £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan for this year, designed to future-proof its network and meet surging customer demand. The plan also includes the rollout of small cells in dense urban areas, such as Perth, to increase capacity. And it will address persistent connectivity headaches along major transport routes, at airports, motorways, railway lines and within stadiums and arenas. The benefits extend far beyond city limits, reaching into popular tourist hubs. Some 782 postcodes have seen upgrades in Edinburgh and there have been significant improvements to coverage across the Highlands. There's also now more reliable connectivity in some unique tourist destinations in Scotland that previously had none at all. These include Corrour Station, the UK's highest and most remote railway stop, Barra Airport, the only airport in the world with a scheduled beach runway and tidal timetable, Loch Ossian Eco Hostel and Glen Affric Hostel, reachable only by foot or bike. It comes as new research commissioned by O2 found that 48% of Brits are planning a staycation in Scotland this summer. And while many are eager for "off-grid" adventures, they still value reliable mobile connectivity for navigation, finding local amenities, entertainment and personal safety. Android fans set to receive major upgrade to turbocharge Wi-Fi and 5G on their next phone Dr Robert Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering, at O2 said: 'Scotland has always been one of the most beautiful and remote destinations in the UK but now it's better connected than ever before. "Thanks to O2's Mobile Transformation Plan, whether they're hiking the Highlands, flying into Barra, or visiting a rural island, visitors can stay connected when and where it matters most.'
The Independent
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
How groundbreaking gay author Edmund White paved the way for other writers
Andrew Sean Greer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, remembers the first time he read Edmund White. It was the summer of 1989, he was beginning his second year at Brown University and he had just come out. Having learned that White would be teaching at Brown, he found a copy of White's celebrated coming-of-age novel, 'A Boy's Own Story.' 'I'd never read anything like it — nobody had — and what strikes me looking back is the lack of shame or self-hatred or misery that imbued so many other gay male works of fiction of that time,' says Greer, whose 'Less' won the Pulitzer for fiction in 2018. "I, of course, did not know then I was reading a truly important literary work. All I knew is I wanted to read more. ' Reading was all we had in those days — the private, unshared experience that could help you explore your private life," he said. "Ed invented so many of us." White, a pioneer of contemporary gay literature, died this week at age 85. He left behind such widely read works as 'A Boy's Own Story' and 'The Beautiful Room Is Empty' and a gift to countless younger writers: Validation of their lives, the discovery of themselves through the stories of others. Greer and other authors speak of White's work as more than just an influence, but as a rite of passage: "How a queer man might begin to question all of the deeply held, deeply religious, deeply American assumptions about desire, love, and sex — who is entitled to have it, how it must be had, what it looks like,' says Robert Jones Jr., whose novel above love between two enslaved men, ' The Prophets,' was a National Book Award finalist in 2021. Jones remembers being a teenager in the 1980s when he read 'A Boy's Own Story." He found the book at a store in a gay neighborhood in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, 'the safest place for a person to be openly queer in New York City,' he said. 'It was a scary time for me because all the news stories about queer men revolved around AIDS and dying, and how the disease was the Christian god's vengeance against the 'sin of homosexuality,'' Jones added. 'It was the first time that I had come across any literature that confirmed that queer men have a childhood; that my own desires were not, in fact, some aberration, but were natural; and that any suffering and loneliness I was experiencing wasn't divine retribution, but was the intention of a human-made bigotry that could be, if I had the courage and the community, confronted and perhaps defeated," he said. Starting in the 1970s, White published more than 25 books, including novels, memoirs, plays, biographies and 'The Joy of Gay Sex,' a response to the 1970s bestseller 'The Joy of Sex." He held the rare stature for a living author of having a prize named for him, the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, as presented by the Publishing Triangle. 'White was very supportive of young writers, encouraging them to explore and expand new and individual visions,' said Carol Rosenfeld, chair of the Triangle. The award was 'one way of honoring that support.' Winners such the prize was founded, in 2006, have included 'The Prophets,' Myriam Gurba 's 'Dahlia Season' and Joe Okonkwo's 'Jazz Moon.' Earlier this year, the award was given to Jiaming Tang's ' Cinema Love,' a story of gay men in rural China. Tang remembered reading 'A Boy's Own Story' in his early 20s, and said that both the book and White were 'essential touchpoints in my gay coming-of-age.' 'He writes with intimate specificity and humor, and no other writer has captured the electric excitement and crushing loneliness that gay men experience as they come of age,' Tang said. "He's a towering figure. There'd be no gay literature in America without Edmund White.'
