Virgin Media broadband is known for offering some of the fastest speeds in the UK, thanks to its own independent networks. It also stands out for its huge pay-TV packages, with endless boxsets, movies and sports channels, making it a strong option for those who want more than just broadband.
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.
Virgin Media has six different available speed options, starting at 125Mbps and going up to a whopping download - and upload - speed of 2000Mbps. Although, the latter is limited to select areas of the UK.
Virgin Media uses its own cable network, rather than the nationwide Openreach network. So, while they manage to obtain faster speeds because of this, the downside is, they have far less coverage. Currently about 60% of UK households can access Virgin Media broadband.
We’ll list all Virgin Media’s plans below, but you’ll also need to check your postcode before you get too excited.
Speed is often the biggest consideration when choosing a broadband package. If you have multiple people using the internet at one time, then a higher speed and bandwidth will be essential. Equally, if it’s a small household using the internet for everyday usage, paying for business-grade bandwidth will be a waste.
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.
In slow to fast order
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.
This 250Mbps average download speed plan can easily handle ten+ devices all requiring an internet connection at the same time and ideal for households with 4-6 people. Gamers will be kept happy with its 25Mbps upload speed.
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.
This powerful plan has an average download speed of 516Mbps. These serious speeds make it possible to download an HD movie in 23 seconds and can easily handle 10+ devices simultaneously in a 6-8 people household.
Virgin Media’s gigabit-capable service offers users an impressive average download speed of 900Mbps which will easily cover all high-use working and gaming internet usage in busy households. It can download your HD movie in 13 seconds and manage 50+ devices connected at the same time.
There's fast and then there's this. Will you ever need an average download – and upload if you pay an extra £6 a month – speed of 2000Mbps? Probably not. But it will cover all your needs seamlessly and it comes with an advanced router which is WiFi 6 ready. It’s double the speed, but also currently nearly double the price of the Gig1 option, so think carefully whether you really need this much bandwidth. This full fibre package is only available to certain postcodes, we’ll explain more below.
Virgin Media delivers its broadband through two main types of network. The first – and most common – uses its own cable TV infrastructure, based on DOCSIS 3 coaxial cables. These run from a local street cabinet to your home and can deliver very high download speeds, but upload speeds are typically slower.
The second type is full fibre (FTTP), where fibre-optic cables run directly to your property. Virgin Media uses a next-generation network provider called Nexfibre to deliver its full-fibre broadband, with the fastest Gig2 Fibre Broadband package only available via this network. As Nexfibre currently covers just 2.3 million premises – with plans to reach 5 million by 2026 – customers have a lower chance of being able to access this service compared to Virgin Media’s more widely available cable network.
Although Virgin Media currently serves the majority of its 5.7 million customers on its DOCSIS 3 network, the company plans to upgrade its entire UK network to full fibre by 2028.
What’s the difference between full fibre and DOCSIS?
The only real difference as a customer that you’ll notice is that with DOCSIS 3, you’ll usually get much faster downloads than uploads – great for streaming, browsing, and downloading files, but slower for tasks like sending large files or live streaming in high resolution. Full fibre, on the other hand, can have symmetrical upload and download speeds, making it ideal for heavy upload use.
As mentioned above, Virgin Media’s networks are separate from other telecom providers in the UK. It seems to experience slightly more connection issues and broadband outages than other providers who use the nationwide Openreach network.
Ofcom’s latest report shows that Virgin Media broadband customers scored 77%, (slightly less than average) in response to the reliability of their service. Which? had a similar 2025 customer report and customers rated the reliability of connection a slightly below average three out of five stars.
Virgin Media does have its own service status page which you can check for issues.
Virgin Media certainly isn’t the go-to budget option. But if you look at the speeds you get for the prices, it can be fairly competitive compared to equivalent plans from other providers.
Virgin Media's broadband deals are typically 24 months as standard. There is also a range of flexible 30-day rolling broadband contracts, but this come with certain drawbacks. The monthly cost is much higher and you’ll also have to pay higher upfront costs. You can’t get any entertainment add-ons with these and the top tier broadband speeds – M500 and Gig1 – aren’t available as rolling contracts.
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 – called Big bundles and Bigger bundles – at different prices (starting from about £28.99 a month), depending on how many channels and streaming services you want access to. So, rather than building your own bundle, you simply pick the package that best suits you, whether that’s a more basic bundle or a comprehensive plan that includes Virgin Media’s full range of channels.
These include access to over 230 channels, Sky Sports and Netflix. They normally include a landline too. Virgin Media do offer broadband without a landline, yet sometimes this actually ends up being a more expensive option. All TV bundles come with the high-tech Virgin TV 360 box, which stores all your channels, apps and streaming services in one easy-to-access place.
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.
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 2026 they are due to rise by £3.50 a month, something you should factor in when looking at any packages price.
Find out more about mid-contract price rises.
If you’re a new customer, Virgin Media aim to get you up and running within two weeks.
Virgin Media will handle the switching process, so you won’t even have to contact your current broadband provider to tell them you’re leaving. Virgin Media will manage the whole transfer for you.
Will you need an engineer visit? Maybe, it depends on whether your home has had Virgin Media installed previously. But Virgin Media will be able to tell you whether this is necessary during your ordering process and book this in for you.
If this isn’t needed, your service will likely be self-installed. You’ll receive a router in the post and this will need to be connected on the activation date.
When you sign up for Virgin Media broadband, the router you get depends on the package you choose.
Most customers receive the Hub 3 or Hub 4, while those on the fastest plans – such as Gig1 – are usually sent the Hub 5. All Virgin Media hubs are dual-band, meaning they can broadcast on both 2.4GHz (better range) and 5GHz (faster speeds up close) frequencies, and each one has four Gigabit Ethernet ports for stable wired connections.
Whichever hub you get, Virgin Media pre-configures it so it’s easy to set up – simply plug it in, follow the quick-start guide, and you’ll be online in minutes. Plus, all hubs include basic security features and can be managed through Virgin Media’s Connect app, which lets you run speed tests, pause devices, and check Wi-Fi coverage around your home.
Find out more with our Virgin Media router review >>
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 Media doesn’t fare too well on consumer site, Trustpilot. A lot of reviewers express dissatisfactions with the level of customer service they receive, citing unhelpful staff and unresolved issues. Read the Virgin Media Trustpilot review here.
Virgin Media customer service is open:
Monday to Friday: 8am to 9pm
Saturdays: 8am to 8pm
Sundays: 8am to 6pm
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
Message: Virgin Media Live Chat
X: @virginhelp or @virginmedia
Facebook: Virginmedia
There seems to be no direct email address for Virgin Media broadband.
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