Can I get Virgin Media?

Virgin Media ultrafast broadband is only available through the company's own fibre optic cable network, meaning you need to live in a Virgin Media cable area to be able to get it.

The network currently comprises about 60% of UK homes, although Virgin Media are looking at expanding their coverage by the end of 2020. Ultrafast speeds (in excess of 100Mb) are available in all cable areas, and the full upgrade from M200 to M350 rolled out across 2018. M500 is being rolled out across 2019, and is currently only available as part of the V.VIP package, but expect that to change later on.

You can use our broadband checker to see if you live in an area with cable.

What packages are available?

Virgin Media provide 4 different broadband packages, each providing a different speed of broadband service:

• M50, averages 54Mb download speed, 3Mb upload speed
• M100, averages 108Mb download speed, 6Mb upload speed
• M200, averages 213Mb download speed, 12Mb upload speed
• M350, averages 362Mb download speed, 21Mb upload speed

All packages can be taken as standalone broadband deals, or with the option of line rental and a Weekend or Anytime calls package. Broadband is fully unlimited, with no restrictions on downloads or uploads. You can get Virgin Media broadband on both 12-month and 30-day rolling deals. The short term deal offers greater flexibility, but comes with a much higher upfront installtion cost, typically £70, compared to £25 on the long. They're also more expensive per month if you choose a package with calls. You also have the option boost your speeds to the next package and get a 2GB data SIM bundled in.

Virgin Media is a "quad play" provider. This means that you can add a full range of pay TV services, plus a mobile deal, to your broadband and phone package. All TV deals require a 12 month contract.

Fibre optic broadband like that provided by Virgin Media does not vary in speed depending on how far you are from a telephone exchange, unlike their competitors who use copper phone lines.

Which package should I choose?

All Virgin Media broadband packages are truly unlimited, and offer 'superfast' and 'ultrafast' speeds over 24Mb and 350Mb respectively. When deciding which package is best for you, you should consider how heavily you use the internet, how many people will be using your connection, and your budget - you don't need to pay more than necessary.

Virgin Media claims an average 5 second download time for an album, and 2.4 minutes for a movie on M100, and even faster on M200 with less than a 4 second average download for an album and 1.45 minutes for a movie, and even faster still on M350. These speeds are more suited to people who download a lot, or who regularly play online games, especially if there is more than one person doing this.

As most internet users do not need the higher broadband speeds, the size of your household should be a primary consideration when selecting which package you wish to go for. Virgin Media claim the M100 package is ideal for families, and the M200 and 350 packages are the 'ultimate experience' easily adequate for 5 or more people. This assumes that everyone will be using the internet a lot - which may be the case for some larger families or student households, in which case going for a faster package will enable you to avoid slowdown when everyone is online at the same time.

However, there is no point in paying for more than you need.

Points to consider before you choose

• How many people will be using your broadband connection?
• Are you a heavy downloader, or do you regularly play online games?
• Would the expense of the faster speed be worth it for you?

Compare all Virgin Media deals

What TV deals do Virgin Media offer?

As well as their very fast broadband speeds, another big attraction of Virgin Media is the range of premium Pay TV services they offer.

Virgin Media TV is delivered via Virgin's cable infrastructure, so you need to live in an area where this has been installed. You watch via the Ultra HD-ready Virgin TV V6 box, which allows you to record six shows while watching a seventh. You also get on-demand viewing and support for Netflix and YouTube. In addition, the Virgin TV Go app lets you watch on a phone or tablet. These services come on a 12 month contract.

Virgin Media TV offers four bundles with an increasing number of channels:

• Big Bundle: over 120 channels, most of which are available through Freeview. You can add Sky Cinema or Sky Sports as add-ons without contract. The standard Player TV bundle comes with Virgin's M50 fibre broadband.
• Big Bundle + Entertainment Picks: more than 150 channels, including the above plus premium entertainment channels like Sky One, Sky Witness and Fox. Sky Atlantic is not available on Virgin. Boost your TV options by adding Entertainment Picks, with a choice between Drama, Documentaries, Lifestyle and Sport Lite
• Bigger Bundle: over 240 channels including HD and +1 versions of many of the Mix TV channels, plus BT Sport in Ultra HD and the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel. You can add Sky Cinema or Sky Sports as add-ons without contract. Bundled with M100 fibre broadband.
• Ultimate Oomph Bundle: the full package of over 280 channels, including Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and BT Sport UHD, plus the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel. Bundled with the ultrafast M500 fibre broadband, Anytime calls and a mobile SIM with truly unlimited data, minutes and texts.

Virgin offers certain bundles that match TV packages with specfic broadband deals, but you can mix and match, too, to ensure you get exactly what you need. All TV packages come with an option to boost your speed to the next tier, aside from Ultimate Oomph which already offers the fastest speeds available.

How do I switch/sign-up?

Customers switching to Virgin Media will have an engineer come over to their house to install the cables and help you get set up with fibre broadband, including the Hub 3 router.

If you are switching to a Virgin Media package that includes phone services, you will need to switch your phone line. Virgin Media should do everything for you, including letting you keep your pre-existing phone number. If you do this, then your previous provider will automatically cancel your phone line and any broadband services that are associated with it.

If you're not switching phone services, you will need to give your current broadband provider 30 days notice of cancellation. If you're worried about downtime, you can always arrange for your current broadband to end a few days after your Virgin start date.

Find out more at our guide on switching broadband providers.

What do I get when I sign-up?

It's always good to know upfront what you'll get when signing up with an ISP so you know what you can enjoy for free, or to budget for any extras you may want.

• Wireless router - All customers signing up to Virgin Media fibre broadband will get a free Virgin Media Hub 3 wireless router with the very latest 802.11ac wireless technology offering the fastest speeds and greatest range. The routers will be set up by a Virgin Media engineer on installation day.
• Online security - F-Secure SAFE, an anti-virus tool worth £79.99 a year, is included free for all Virgin Media broadband customers. You can install this on up to five devices for 12 months, including PCs and Macs, and Android tablets and phones. You also get Virgin Media's Web Safe parental controls tools.
• Inclusive phone calls - Virgin Media provide the option of getting phone services along with your broadband packages. The phone inclusive packages are less per month than the broadband-only packages. These phone packages offer Talk Weekends, which means unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines and Virgin Mobile numbers, and you can extend this to evenings and weekdays, or add international or mobile calls as optional extras for an extra cost. 087x and 084x numbers are subject to extra service and access charges.
• Option of TV - You can also get broadband, phone and TV altogether as a combination package. These packages come in various sizes ranging from basic collections for lighter users to the VIP collection for those who want it all. These packages offer a wide range of cable and HD channels, with over 200 channels including most Sky channels with the larger collections. You also get a 1TB Virgin TV V6 box, which enables you to record up to 500 hours of TV.
• Free tech support - If you experience any problems you can support over the phone between 8am and 10pm, seven days a week. Online chat is also avalable Monday to Saturday between 8am and 8pm.

What are the benefits of Virgin Media?

The benefits offered by an ISP may be what seals the deal in your decision to buy a package from them.

• Fastest widely available broadband speeds - Virgin Media currently offer the fastest affordable consumer broadband speeds in the UK (excluding some full fibre services in limited localities) with ultrafast (above 100Mb) broadband available in all cable areas. Full speeds averaging 362Mb are in the process of being rolled out with many areas already upgraded and all areas can achieve average speeds of 213Mb.
• Free hardware support - All Virgin Media broadband customers are entitled to free servicing and repairs on your broadband connection and Virgin Media Hub 3 router, and round-the-clock technical support for when things go wrong. However, because the equipment remains property of Virgin Media, and customers technically only rent it for free, any perceived misuse or mistreatment will not be covered by the free servicing and repairs.
• Free London Underground wi-fi - Virgin Media customers are able to use wi-fi connections free of charge at over 250 London Underground stations, plus everywhere on the Galsgow subway.
• All deals get the premium router - Virgin Media offer their very best router with the latest 802.11ac wireless on even their cheapest products. Equally, all TV customers get the same high-end V6 box regardless of how many channels they choose to take.
• High customer satisfaction - According to an Ofcom report, Virgin Media customers are most the most likely to recommend the provider to friends.

What are the drawbacks of Virgin Media?

Let's face it, not everything can be perfect, and even the best deals may have a downside.

• Installation is more complex - If your house has never had Virgin Media before, then the installation will more complex. An engineer will need to run cabling from the connection point on your pavement to an outside socket installed on your outside wall, to a wall socket inside your house. Virgin says it normally takes around two hours, although could be longer in some cases. However, if your home is already set up for Virgin, a self install option might be available.
• No fixed IP addresses - Virgin Media do not offer fixed IP addresses as part of their regular packages. However this is only likely to be an issue if you wish to set up a local web server, otherwise you are unlikely to notice the difference.
• Slower upload speeds than most FTTC - Although Virgin Media's download speeds tend to outstrip fibre to the cabinet alternatives, their upload speeds don't tend to keep up. Many other fibre services offer upload speeds averaging around 19Mb while Virgin Media's M100 service offers only 6Mb average upload speeds, although their most expensive M350 service now offers 21Mb average upload speeds, and the new M500 service will offer 35Mb upload speeds.