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Virgin Media broadband deals UK 2024

Looking for cheap broadband? Compare prices from top providers and get a great deal
Written by Gemma Ryles
Updated January 31, 2024
Edited by Amy Reeves

Virgin Media offers some of the UK’s best broadband deals, with a wide variety of phone and TV packages. The company, which has more than 5 million broadband, TV and landline customers, provides broadband that runs at speeds as high as 1.13 gigabits per second (Gbps). Prices start at £26.50 per month on the company’s cheapest deal and £45 per month for its gigabit service.

Whether you’re looking for an ultra-fast connection to stream video content or a low-priced option to suit a tight budget, here are Virgin Media’s best broadband deals for you. 

Independent Advisor’s top fibre deal

We’ve chosen this deal because it offers a balance of speed and affordability for the everyday user, with no upfront cost.

Plusnet – Full Fibre 145
View Deal
Monthly Cost
£27.99
Average speed
145 Mb
Contract term
24 months

Price could rise by CPI+3.9% next April

Our top recommended broadband providers
Plusnet
Fast speeds & reliable customer service
VIEW DEALS
Virgin Media
Ultrafast speeds at affordable prices
VIEW DEALS
Vodafone
Perks for existing mobile customers
VIEW DEALS
BT Broadband
The UK’s largest broadband provider
VIEW DEALS

Virgin Media broadband deals available now

Virgin Media, which is one of the UK’s top broadband providers, offers a wide range of deals. Some of the packages on this list are not available in every postcode.

Deal nameAverage speedContract lengthDown-loadsMonthly price*TV or phone included?Setup fee
M125 broadband132Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£26.50/mNo£0
M125 broadband + phone132Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£34/mUnlimited weekend calls£0
Biggest Combo bundle132Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£79/mUnlimited weekend calls, Netflix and 210 TV channels£0
M250 broadband264Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£30.50/mNo£0
Bigger Combo bundle264Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£36/mUnlimited weekend calls, 190 TV channels£0
Bigger Combo bundle + Sports HD264Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£57/mUnlimited weekend calls, 195 TV channels including Sky Sports channels£0
M350 broadband362Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£34.50/mNo£0
Big Volt bundle362Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£36.99/mUnlimited minutes and texts, O2 sim, 100+ TV channels£0
M500 broadband516Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£38.50/mNo£0
Bigger Combo Volt bundle516Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£49.99/mUnlimited minutes and texts, O2 sim, 190 TV channels£0
Mega Volt bundle516Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£70/mUnlimited data, minutes and texts, O2 sim, Netflix and 230 TV channels£0
Gig1 Fibre broadband1,130Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£45/mNo£0
Gig1 Volt Fibre broadband + weekend chatter1,130Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£49.99/mUnlimited minutes and texts and O2 sim£0
Gig1 Mega Volt Bundle1,130Mbps18-month contractUnlimited£76/mUnlimited data, minutes and texts, O2 sim, Netflix and 230 TV channels£0

What do you get with Virgin Media broadband?

When you’re looking for a new broadband provider, having detailed knowledge about the company’s offerings can help you find the deal that’s best for you. Virgin Media offers a variety of broadband speeds and numerous packages that combine broadband with one or more services, including phone, sim and TV. 

Types of broadband 

All Virgin Media broadband packages are at least partly fibre-optic, which means they provide a fibre broadband connection. The company uses both fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband and hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) broadband. The former connects directly to homes without using copper cables. The latter combines optical fibre and coaxial cables. 

Use our guide to conducting a broadband speed test to help you determine which provider’s package best meets your household’s needs. 

Broadband speeds

Virgin Media offers several broadband packages with varied speeds that range from 15Mbps (megabits per second) to 1,130Mbps. It’s important to note that not every household will be able to access the company’s top-speed broadband. Use this online postcode checker to find out what types of broadband are available to households in your area.

Packages 

Among its packages that combine broadband with additional services, Virgin Media offers broadband and phone packages that include unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines. Some include anytime calls throughout the week for an additional £10 a month and international anytime calls for £15 per month. 

The company offers a variety of broadband and TV packages. Most of them include a Virgin TV 360 box. Some deals feature Netflix subscriptions and scores of TV channels, including Sky Cinema and Sky Sports. 

Virgin Media’s sim and broadband deals include an O2 sim card and use a powerful 5G mobile network. 

Virgin Media also offers broadband-only service. None of its packages except the Essential Plus Broadband with Stream deal have up-front costs or setup fees.

Advantages of Virgin Media broadband

Switching to a new broadband provider can afford you benefits such as faster internet speeds and new-customer rewards. Here are some of the prime benefits of choosing Virgin Media as your broadband provider: 

  • Adequate customer satisfaction: UK communications regulator Ofcom reported that 81 per cent of Virgin Media’s broadband customers said that overall, they were satisfied with their provider. That figure is nearly equal to the sector average. Only 25 per cent of the company’s broadband customers said they had a reason to complain
  • Wide UK coverage: Virgin Media operates throughout wide swathes of the UK and plans to roll out full fibre broadband to more homes in the coming years
  • Low-cost options: Virgin Media’s Essential broadband allows lower-income households to access broadband with flexible rolling contracts
  • Customisable virus protection: The company’s broadband offerings all come with Virgin Media Web Safe, which provides virus protection and has customisable parental controls for households with children
  • Extensive bundling choices: Virgin Media offers numerous deals that combine broadband with one or more services, including phone, sim and TV
  • New-customer rewards: Virgin Media gives new broadband customers discounts and deals and offers existing customers incentives to refer their friends to its services 

Disadvantages of Virgin Media broadband

Before deciding to choose Virgin Media as your broadband provider, consider these drawbacks:

  • Its services are relatively expensive: Virgin Media broadband tends to be slightly more expensive than its competitors’ offerings, in part because the company uses its own network
  • Its rural coverage is poor: Virgin Media broadband is not available in every UK postcode. The service is sparse in rural areas, though the company has been working to upgrade its rural connectivity
  • Its contract termination policies are being investigated: In July 2023, Ofcom opened an investigation into customer complaints that Virgin Media was making it hard for them to terminate their contracts. As of January 2024, Ofcom’s case against Virgin Media remains open

How fast is Virgin Media broadband?

Virgin Media offers broadband with speeds as fast as 1,130Mbps, depending on the package you choose. Here are the speeds for the company’s various packages:

Virgin Media broadband packageAverage download speed
Essential broadband15Mbps
Essential broadband plus54Mbps
M125132Mbps
M250264Mbps
M350362Mbps
M500516Mbps
Gig1 Fibre1.13Gbps

It’s important to remember that Virgin Media’s fastest 1.13Gbps package is not available to households in every UK postcode and that your day-to-day broadband speeds will vary depending on where you place your router, how many devices you connect to your broadband service and what your peak usage times are. 

Virgin Media is one of the few UK companies with broadband speeds that are higher than 1,000Mbps. If the Gig1 Fibre package is available in your postcode, it will likely be one of the fastest broadband services offered by broadband providers in your area.

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Is it easy to switch to Virgin Media broadband?

Signing up for Virgin Media broadband is a relatively simple process. Follow this step-by-step guide to get the job done: 

  • Make sure Virgin Media offers service in your postcode: Type your postcode into the “check availability” tab on Virgin Media’s website to see whether its broadband service is available in your area. If it is, compare the pricing and features of the various deals to determine which one best suits your household
  • Sign up for your Virgin Media broadband package: Sign up for your chosen deal and wait for an installation date from Virgin Media; the company claims this will be done within 48 hours. If your broadband requires professional installation by an engineer, you can pick the installation date and time slot when placing your order 
  • Contact your current provider: Contact your provider to cancel your current broadband contract. Keep in mind that unless you have reached the end of your contract, you may be liable for cancellation fees. This will vary depending on your provider 
  • Plug in the wifi hub: Depending on your broadband deal, you may require an engineer to install your Wifi hub, which can take between 30 minutes and two hours. If this is not the case, self-install your wifi hub using the QuickStart instructions provided by Virgin Media 

Are Virgin Media deals right for me?

If you’re trying to decide whether to choose Virgin Media as your broadband provider, you should weigh the pros and cons of doing business with the company and see how its deals and competitors’ stack up against each other. Here are several factors to consider:

  • What broadband speed best suits your needs? Virgin Media offers standard, super-fast, ultra-fast and gigabit broadband speeds at different price points. The most suitable speed depends on variables such as how many devices in your households are likely to be simultaneously streaming live TV at any given time
  • How tight is your budget? Virgin Media broadband is slightly more expensive than some of its competitors’ offerings. So if you need extremely fast broadband, you may find that the company’s deals are out of your price range 
  • How big is the price increase when the initial contract ends? The prices of Virgin Media’s fibre and full broadband deals will rise at the end of your initial contract. Make sure to compare the company’s long-term prices against those of its competitors
  • What services do you need? Virgin Media offers various bundling options that include services you might not really need. Only consider the packages that provide services you’ll use 
  • Are other providers’ comparable services cheaper? Compare the deals that Virgin Media’s competitors are offering to find the price, speed and additional services that meet your needs

Virgin Media broadband deals FAQs

Virgin Media has more than 87,000 reviews on Trustpilot and a rating of 1.7 out of 5 stars, which is considered a bad score. The customers who wrote negative reviews complained about issues such as poor customer service and problems with cancelling contracts. 

According to an Ofcom report, 81 per cent of Virgin Media broadband’s customers said that overall, they were satisfied with their provider. Twenty-five per cent of the company’s broadband customers said they had a reason to complain, and 46 per cent of them said they were satisfied with how Virgin Media handled their complaints.

Virgin Media offers new customers exclusive deals and bundles as incentives for them to sign up for the company’s services. Depending on the package they have chosen, new customers may be eligible to receive gifts such as free wireless speakers.

As Virgin Media broadband customers, they receive early-bird access to V Festival. 

Customers who select a deal that combines broadband and O2 sim also receive exclusive Volt benefits such as double the mobile data for each eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan in their households and up to three wifi pods if needed.

Currently, no Virgin Media broadband deals except the Essential Broadband plus with Stream have setup costs or installation fees. 

But Virgin Media’s website says customers will be charged £35 for having a new service activated and £20 to have their broadband service transferred when they move to a new home. There are fees of up to £99.95 to activate replacement equipment, a £1.75-per-month charge for paper bills and a £7.50 fee if bills are not paid in full when due. There is a £10 charge for missing technicians’ appointments. Otherwise, the appointments are free unless the technicians must move equipment such as cables, ducts and set-top boxes or repair something Virgin Media doesn’t own. There are also charges for appointments if the company’s equipment has been damaged, misused or tampered with.

Virgin Media has an early termination fee that is calculated according to the amount of time that is left on the contract and the services included in it.

Most Virgin Media broadband deals are available in standard 18-month or 24-month contracts. The company’s Essential broadband for low-income families allows customers to use flexible rolling contracts. One-month and 12-month broadband contracts are available for students.

Gemma Ryles new profile April 2024

Gemma Ryles

Home Tech Writer

Gemma Ryles is a BJTC and PPA-accredited journalist with three years of experience writing across various publications. As a home tech expert at Independent Advisor, Gemma tests, researches and writes about broadband and home security. 

Previously, Gemma reviewed and curated lists about consumer technology at Trusted Reviews, where she honed her skills in creating buying guides and features to help customers make informed decisions. She has previously worked at Yorkshire Post, BBC Yorkshire, Glitterbeam Radio and Bonus Stage. 

Gemma has a BA in Journalism and in her free time can be found writing short stories, gaming and crocheting. 

Amy Reeves

Editor

Amy is a seasoned writer and editor with a special interest in home design, sustainable technology and green building methods.

She has interviewed hundreds of self-builders, extenders and renovators about their journeys towards individual, well-considered homes, as well as architects and industry experts during her five years working as Assistant Editor at Homebuilding & Renovating, part of Future plc.

Amy’s work covers topics ranging from home, interior and garden design to DIY step-by-steps, planning permission and build costs, and has been published in Period Living, Real Homes, and 25 Beautiful Homes, Homes and Gardens.

Now an Editor at the Independent Advisor, Amy manages homes-related content for the site, including solar panels, combi boilers, and windows.

Her passion for saving tired and inefficient homes also extends to her own life; Amy completed a renovation of a mid-century house in 2022 and is about to embark on an energy-efficient overhaul of a 1800s cottage in Somerset.

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