Virgin Media O2 has announced improvements to its 4G and 5G networks on more than 40 major UK motorways and A roads, supporting the digital infrastructure needed to boost electric vehicle adoption.

Mobile coverage has been optimised on road corridors including the M1 (London-Leeds), M4 (London-Bristol), M6 (Coventry-Carlisle) and Scotland's M8 (Glasgow-Edinburgh). A total of 311 sites have been upgraded to 4G, and 338 new sites have been established to deliver 5G. More than 590 miles of road have been impacted, which is roughly the equivalent of driving from Exeter to Inverness.

Virgin Media O2 is set to extend the optimisation programme, with further improvements planned on the A14 (Rugby-Ipswich), the M20 (London-Folkestone) and the A75 (Gretna-Stranraer).

Up to 30,000 new public charging points are being installed by the Liberty Global-backed EV charge point operator, Believ, including in areas where O2 has recently boosted mobile coverage, which is essential for customers to locate charging points and make payments.

The areas identified for optimisation were determined through the operator's drive testing programme which measures real-world network performance across the UK's road network.

These tests allowed teams to pinpoint weaker coverage areas, implement targeted improvements, and prioritise upgrades or new sites where required.

It came as national polling by Virgin Media O2 revealed that while the fear of running out of charge remains the biggest concern for non-EV drivers (90%), those already behind the wheel of an EV now see signal anxiety as their top fear.

More than three-quarters of EV drivers (76%) worried about losing mobile connectivity, which would cut them off from maps, charger updates and location information, and even the ability to pay - higher than the 68% who cite range anxiety.

Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, said: "Connectivity underpins a huge part of the driving experience today, but particularly for EVs.

"By optimising coverage on more than 40 motorways and A roads as part of our £700 million investment in our Mobile Transformation Plan, we're helping make every journey safer and more reliable. Alongside Believ's new charging points, this is about removing barriers so more people can make the switch to electric with confidence."

Guy Bartlett, CEO at Believ, said: "This is a brilliant example of private industry coming together with the shared purpose of helping drivers make a seamless transition to electric vehicles. The enhanced connectivity is great news, giving drivers even more reason to feel confident and excited about switching to EVs."

These upgrades are part of Virgin Media O2's £700m Mobile Transformation Plan, which is expanding 4G and 5G coverage, rolling out small cells in dense areas, and tackling persistent network pain points.