From October 2025, Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) will withdraw inbound roaming access to its 2G network. While the change may sound like a technical adjustment, the consequences for lift emergency communications could be significant. The experts at Memco give an overview.

What’s changing?

Currently, many lift alarms rely on roaming SIMs that automatically connect to whichever network has the strongest signal. With 3G already switched off across the UK, these devices have been surviving by falling back to 2G. From October, however, if the SIM is not a VMO2-issued card, it will no longer be able to roam onto the VMO2 2G network. This means that lift alarms using 2G or 3G gateways could lose their ability to connect in certain areas, creating a direct risk to passenger safety and compliance with LOLER requirements.