Business & Technology
Tesco Mobile completes 65 upgrades across Greater Manchester
JOSEPH GABRIEL LAGONSIN
News Editor
Tesco Mobile has completed 65 network upgrades across Greater Manchester, covering more than 14,000 postcodes.
Carried out throughout 2025, the upgrades are intended to improve mobile speeds, coverage and reliability. The work spans Manchester city centre and surrounding areas including Bolton, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham and Bury.
The move comes as mobile operators face rising demand for dependable connections in dense urban areas, transport networks and large public venues. Greater Manchester is one of the UK’s largest city regions, with heavy daily demand from commuters, shoppers, businesses and sports fans.
Tesco Mobile, which uses O2’s network, said customers should see better service in busy shopping districts, transport hubs, live events and on matchdays. The work is also expected to improve performance during peak travel periods and better support people working while travelling or away from fixed broadband.
Alongside the local upgrades, Virgin Media O2 has been deploying newer network technology to direct extra capacity to the busiest locations. The group has also been using small cells in dense urban areas to strengthen coverage in city-centre hotspots and around transport interchanges.
The Greater Manchester programme forms part of a wider effort to improve connectivity in the UK locations where network demand is highest, including railway lines, motorways, airports, stadiums and arenas.
Research cited by Tesco Mobile points to persistent consumer frustration with patchy mobile service. Nearly 80% of people surveyed said they had experienced a call dropping mid-conversation because of a poor connection, while 35% said more reliable connectivity in busy areas was among the most valuable benefits of network upgrades.
Regional demand
For businesses in Greater Manchester, mobile coverage affects day-to-day operations beyond calls and messaging. Retailers and hospitality venues increasingly rely on mobile data for payments, bookings and staff communications, while mobile workers need stable access to cloud-based tools and customer systems when travelling between sites.
Improved performance in town centres and transport corridors may also matter for small and medium-sized businesses that depend on uninterrupted service during trading hours. In high-footfall areas, capacity constraints can quickly lead to slower speeds and unreliable connections, particularly during large events or commuter peaks.
Tesco Mobile positioned the upgrades as a response to those pressures, focusing on areas where mobile traffic is concentrated. Manchester city centre, regional town centres and key transport routes all tend to experience sharp swings in usage throughout the day.
Laura Joseph, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco Mobile, said: “We know our customers expect fast, reliable connectivity wherever they are. These upgrades across Greater Manchester help us deliver exactly that – stronger coverage, better performance in busy areas and a more consistent experience day to day. Powered by O2, we’re continuing to invest where it matters most to keep our customers connected.”
The expansion reflects a wider industry push to improve service quality in urban areas, where population growth and mobile data consumption are rising together. Operators have increasingly focused investment on places where large numbers of users gather and where service issues are most visible.
Greater Manchester has been a particular focus for telecoms investment because of its scale, economic activity and transport links. The city region includes major retail centres, large sports venues and busy commuter routes, all of which put pressure on network performance at different times of day.
For Tesco Mobile customers in the area, the effect of the work will be measured less by technical specifications than by whether calls connect, messages send without delay and data services hold up in crowded locations. The company’s survey suggests those basics remain a concern for many mobile users.
The upgrades cover a broad spread of postcodes across the conurbation, suggesting an effort that extends beyond the city centre into surrounding towns. That matters in a region where travel between boroughs is routine and service continuity can vary sharply from one district to another.
As operators continue adding capacity and filling coverage gaps, pressure to show tangible improvements in everyday service is unlikely to ease. In high-density markets such as Greater Manchester, customer expectations are shaped by whether mobile connections remain stable when they are needed most.
Business & Technology
Rosa’s Thai is giving away 4000 free Pad Thais to students
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
Business & Technology
Historic coin company enters administration after 20 years
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
Business & Technology
Warning of new rules for Aldi and Lidl after watchdog review
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.
“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.
“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.
Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.
However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.
All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.
They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.
With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.
The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.
The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.
If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.
The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.
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