Virgin Broadband Review | Is Virgin Broadband a Good Choice?
Is Virgin Media broadband a good choice?
Our overall rating: 8 out of 10
Virgin Media broadband is in a league of its own when it comes to speed. Since it runs on its own network, it can beat all the other providers' offerings. And with its huge pay-TV offerings, which include endless boxsets, movies and sports channels, it’s a great choice for those looking for more than just broadband.
The positives
- Super fast speeds
- Great TV options
- Good for larger households
The negatives
- Only available to just over 50% of the UK
- Not a budget option
- Below average customer service
In our full review we take a look at the pros and cons of each area in more detail: speed, full fibre review, cost, setup and customer service.
How fast is Virgin Media broadband?
Virgin Media only offers superfast and ultrafast fibre broadband. It has six different available speed options, starting at 50Mbps and going up to a whopping download speed of 1,130Mbps. The fastest currently available from any provider.
Virgin Media is one of the few providers to use its own cable network, rather than the Openreach network. So, while they manage to obtain faster speeds because of this, the downside is, they have far less coverage than other providers. Currently only about 56% of UK’s households can access Virgin Media broadband.
So, you’ll need to check your postcode below to see if your home can receive Virgin Media broadband.
Enter your postcode to see packages available in your area:
You should decide what speed is right for you, based on your broadband habits at home. Here’s a handy guide to help show what bandwidth usage your different applications need.
Virgin Media broadband packages
In slow to fast order
M50 fibre broadband
With an average download speed of 54Mbps this is considerably faster than other providers' entry-level offerings. Virgin Media are reluctant to offer this package and it is only available by contacting them directly and comes with certain restrictions such as being a broadband-only deal.
M125 fibre broadband
With 132Mbps average download speed, this plan is great for most family homes and can easily cope with 5-9 devices being used at one time. Despite offering double the speed of the previous basic M50 package, it can often cost less, which makes it a no-brainer for any households looking at both speed options.
M250 fibre broadband
This package can easily handle ten+ devices all requiring an internet connection at the same time. Gamers will be kept happy with its 20Mbps upload speed.
M350 fibre broadband
An impressive plan that powers an average download speed of 362Mbps. This choice manages the demands of even the heaviest data users, whether you’re streaming constantly or running a business from home.
M500 fibre broadband
Virgin Media’s current second fastest plan has an average download speed of 516Mbps. These serious speeds make it possible to download a 70GB game in around 20 minutes – it would take 1 hour and 40 minutes on the M125 connection.
Gig1 broadband
Unrivalled by any other provider, Virgin claims this top speed is 19 times faster than the UK’s average download speed. Offering an average download speed of 1130Mbps, its closest challenge comes from BT’s 900Mbps. No household really needs these superhero speeds, but when you get total peace of mind for the fastest broadband available that can cope with anything, it’s not surprising this is a very popular option.
What cable technology does Virgin Media use?
Virgin Media runs most of its own network of cables on pre-existing cable TV wires, known as DOCSIS 3 coaxial cables which can provide the high speeds offered by Virgin. Only about 1.2 million customers receive their broadband as a full-fibre service.
What’s the difference between full fibre and DOCSIS?
Some full fibre (FTTP) providers offer products with symmetrical uploads and downloads so that data is sent and received at exactly the same speeds. DOCSIS 3 cannot offer this option for faster speeds so you can expect slower upload than download speeds when using this technology.
Virgin Media has committed to upgrading its entire UK broadband network to full-fibre by 2028.
Our Virgin Media broadband rating for speed: 9
Does Virgin Media broadband have reliable connection?
As mentioned above, Virgin Media’s network is separate from all other telecom providers in the UK. Because of this, it does seem to experience slightly more connection issues and broadband outages than other providers.
Ofcom’s 2023 report shows that Virgin Media broadband customers scored 77%, (slightly less than average) in response to the reliability of their service. In Which’s 2023 customer report, customers also rated the reliability of connection an under-average two out of five stars.
Virgin Media does have its own service status page which you can check for issues.
Our Virgin Media broadband rating for connectivity: 9
How much does Virgin Media broadband cost?
Virgin Media certainly isn’t the go-to budget option. But if you look at the speeds you get for the prices, it is actually very competitive compared to equivalent plans from other providers.
Average price guide
How long are Virgin Media contracts?
Virgin Media broadband and TV contracts are all either 18 months or 24 months, depending on the package you choose.
It’s a full-service telecom provider, offering broadband, TV, landline and mobile phone (O2) contracts. The more you sign up to with them, the better your price will be.
TV options
Virgin Media no longer offers its TV services without a broadband connection, TV-only is a thing of the past. Anyone wanting cable television will have to choose a broadband deal too.
It offers a range of TV packages at different prices (starting from about £32 a month), depending on how many channels and streaming services you want access to. There are different bundle options including access to over 230 channels, Sky Sports and Netflix. They normally include a landline too. Virgin Media do offer broadband without a landline, yet oddly like most providers, this often ends up being a more expensive option.
Virgin Media broadband rewards
Virgin Media broadband does offer rewards as incentives, but these differ from the cashback reward cards its competitors tend to use. Instead they either run a form of sale, offering lower monthly bills than the standard price. Or, they offer cashback in the form of a bill credit. The money then gets simply taken off your bill.
Does Virgin Media put up its broadband prices every year?
Yes. Virgin Media's pricing terms announce price rises for almost all of its customers on the 1st April every year. Even if you're mid contract, you'll see your prices go up from this date in 2024.
In April 2023 prices rose by almost 14%. This was the largest mid-contract price rise the UK has ever seen for broadband, as it factors in the latest CPI inflation rate. So, depending on how much you pay for your package, your monthly cost could increase by as much as £10. Something you should factor in when looking at any packages price.
Our Virgin Media broadband rating for cost: 7
How easy is it to get Virgin Media broadband set up?
Because Virgin Media is with a different network provider to every other provider, when it comes to switching the set up can take slightly longer.
Once you have chosen a Virgin Media package, you’ll need to inform your old provider yourself. Virgin Media won’t do this for you. If you already have a line from a previous customer set up in your property, then setup and installation will be cheaper and quicker. Virgin Media offer a self-install package called QuickStart which can be with you as quickly as the next working day.
If there is no active line then an engineer will need to visit, this set-up time takes about two weeks. The technician will need to drill a hole in through your exterior wall. If you don’t own your property, you’ll need to get permission from your landlord first. The cost will depend on your package, sometimes free installation will be offered.
What router will I get with Virgin Media broadband?
Virgin Media provides four different types of router based on a similar design. Hub 3, Hub 4, Hub 5 and Hub 5x. Which one you get will depend on which plan you pick. All are strong, good quality pieces of kit that support intelligent mesh and offer good coverage around your house. The latest, Hub 5 and Hub 5x, are premium and only offered to customers taking out Gig1 plan.
Our Virgin Media broadband rating for setup, installation & equipment: 8
Does Virgin Media broadband have good customer service?
According to Ofcom’s latest customer service report Virgin Media broadband scores slightly below average. An overall satisfaction score of 81% (average broadband score is 82%) with a call waiting time of 3.07 (average waiting time 2:14) and a score of 46% for overall satisfaction with complaint handling (average score is 51%).
Virgin customer service is open:
- Monday to Friday: 8am to 9pm
- Saturdays: 8am to 8pm
- Sundays: 8am to 6pm
How to contact Virgin Media broadband
If your broadband is down you can check Virgin Media Service Status page
Call Virgin Media broadband customer service: 0345 454 1111
New customers not signed up, can ring: 0333 210 1125
Contact Virgin Media Live Chat
X: @virginhelp or @virginmedia
Facebook: Virgin Media
It’s worth noting that there is currently no public-facing email address
Our Virgin Media broadband rating for customer service: 7
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