O2 to switch on 4G network with live London concert

Mobile operator O2 is to host a concert in London at the end of the month to mark the switching on of its 4G network.

The show on 29 August, featuring popular entertainer Plan B, will be streamed to several sites across London including Kings Cross Station, Victoria Station and The Wall at Westfield Shepherd's Bush. At the railway stations, people will be given headphones to listen to the event as a silent disco.

We want to inspire customers by showcasing the exciting possibilities provided by 4G, and what better way to do this than by live streaming an exclusive gig across London.

The gig will also be hosted live on YouTube via O2 Academy TV and be made available to watch across O2's social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook and on its own website.

Network staff will by demoing 4G's capabilities at the various locations, while some of O2's central London shops will also open late to coincide with the concert. Buskers will perform songs requested using the #O24G Twitter hashtag.

O2 has partnered with Soundhalo to make video footage from the gig available to its customers via Priority Moments. The mobile operator has also teamed up with Eventstagram to display images captured by concert-goers on screens across the UK capital.

O2 customers can get tickets 48 hours before general release from 9.00am Wednesday 21 August by visiting o2priority.co.uk. Tickets are available for the general public from 9.00am on Friday 23 August. At the gig itself, O2 will be bringing 4G to life through bespoke queue entertainment and lightning-fast 4G cocktail bars.

"We want to inspire customers by showcasing the exciting possibilities provided by 4G, and what better way to do this than by live streaming an exclusive gig across London," said Shadi Halliwell, O2's head of brand.

"By bringing to life brilliant entertainment on the move, we hope to encourage customers to explore technology and to live more, do more and be more with O2."

O2 will switch on its 4G network in London ahead of a rollout across the country. The operator is yet to announce prices for the service. Rival network Vodafone will launch its 4G service on the same day, while fellow competitor EE is already much further ahead with its next-gen rollout.

Rene Millman

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.