O2 (UK)

Telefonica UK Limited
  • O2 (2002–present)
  • BT Cellnet (1999–2002)
  • Cellnet (1985–1999)
Formerly
  • Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Limited (1983–2000)
  • BT Cellnet Limited (2000–2002)
  • O2 (UK) Limited (2002–2008)
  • Telefónica O2 UK Limited (2008–2011)
  • Telefonica O2 UK Limited (2011)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded28 July 1983 (1983-07-28)
FounderJohn Carrington
HeadquartersReading, England
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Lutz Schüler (CEO)
Revenue £6.510 billion (2017)
ParentVirgin Media O2
Subsidiaries
Websiteo2.co.uk

Telefonica UK Limited, trading as O2 UK (stylised as O2), is a British telecommunications services provider. It is the largest mobile network in the United Kingdom, with approximately 23.2 million subscribers as of December 2024.

The network was launched in 1985 as Cellnet, a joint venture between British Telecom (60%) and Securicor (40%), and later rebranded BT Cellnet following BT's acquisition of Securicor's share. Cellnet was one of the two original cellular network operators in the UK, alongside Vodafone. In 2001, BT spun off its BT Wireless division as mmO2 plc (later O2 plc), with the UK network adopting the O2 brand in 2002. O2 plc was acquired by Spanish telecommunications firm Telefónica in 2006.

Since 2021, O2 UK has formed a subsidiary of Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global formed through the merger of their respective O2 UK and Virgin Media businesses.

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