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UK cable broadband, TV and mobile provider

Virgin Media UK

The only major UK broadband provider not on Openreach. Virgin Media’s own cable network reaches around 16 million premises and powers ~5.6 million broadband customers. This page covers current cable deals, TV and Volt bundles, customer service, contact lines and an honest read of what real customers say in 2026.

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At a glance

Founded 1991 (from NTL/Telewest cable) ~5.6 million UK broadband customers Reading HQ, Virgin Media O2 joint venture Only major UK ISP off the Openreach network

Founded

1991

NTL roots, Virgin Media in 2006

UK customers

~5.6M

Broadband (Virgin Media fixed)

Top cable speed

1130 Mbps

Gig1 download average

Ofcom complaints

7 / 100k

Broadband, Q4 2025 (industry avg ~8)

About

Who is Virgin Media?

Virgin Media is the UK’s largest cable operator and the only major fixed-line ISP that does not depend on the Openreach network. The brand was created in 2006 when NTL bought Telewest and licensed the Virgin name. The company traces its physical network back to the regional cable franchises laid in the early 1990s.

Since June 2021, Virgin Media has been part of Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica. Fixed broadband, TV and landline still trade as Virgin Media, while mobile services use the O2 brand. The combined company is led by CEO Lutz Schüler from its Reading headquarters.

Virgin Media is regulated by Ofcom. Complaint handling falls under the CISAS alternative dispute resolution scheme, which customers can use after a deadlock letter or 8 weeks without resolution.

Current deals

Virgin Media broadband deals available now

Headline prices verified on . Virgin changes promotional offers every few weeks, so we link straight through to Virgin Media for the live price at the moment you click.

Best value entry tier

Entry cable

M125 Fibre Broadband

Download

132 Mbps

Average download

Upload

20 Mbps

Average

£28 /month

18 months contract . £0 upfront

  • Hub 3 router
  • WiFi Max guarantee available
  • Unlimited usage

Best for

A 2 to 3-person household streaming HD and working from home

See on Virgin Media

Mid-tier cable

M350 Fibre Broadband

Download

362 Mbps

Average download

Upload

36 Mbps

Average

£35 /month

18 months contract . £0 upfront

  • Hub 4 router
  • WiFi Max included on bundles
  • Unlimited usage

Best for

Four or more people gaming, streaming 4K and on video calls

See on Virgin Media
Fastest mainstream UK speed

Top cable

Gig1 Fibre Broadband

Download

1130 Mbps

Average download

Upload

52 Mbps

Average

£44 /month

18 months contract . £0 upfront

  • Hub 5 router
  • WiFi Max included
  • DOCSIS 3.1 cable network

Best for

Power users, large households, anyone moving large files daily

See on Virgin Media

Volt bundle

Volt broadband + O2 SIM

Download

362 Mbps

Average download

Upload

36 Mbps

Average

£40 /month

18 months contract . £0 upfront

  • Auto speed upgrade (M125 to M350)
  • Doubled O2 mobile data
  • WiFi Max included

Best for

Anyone already on O2 mobile or considering switching to it

See on Virgin Media

Selectra is independent. Virgin Media does not pay us to feature any of these tariffs. We list its public deals so you can compare them like-for-like with other providers.

Explore

What Virgin Media actually sells

Virgin Media is more than fast broadband. Below is each product line and what it really is in 2026, with a link to the deep-dive page.

Broadband

Cable broadband (DOCSIS 3.1, DOCSIS 4.0 rolling out) over Virgin Media’s own network, not Openreach. From M125 (132 Mbps) up to Gig1 (1130 Mbps).

Open page

TV packages

Maxit, Bigger TV and Bigger TV + Sports bundles delivered through the V6 TiVo box or the IP-based Stream box. Netflix and Disney+ bundled in on most packages.

Open page

Bundles

Big Bundle, Bigger Bundle and Biggest Bundle: TV + broadband + landline (and optional O2 mobile via Volt) on a single bill. Often the cheapest per service.

Open page

Current deals

Sign-up credits, free months, Amazon vouchers and the price-rise calendar. Virgin’s retention team also has off-website offers you only get by phone.

Open page

V6 box

The TiVo-based V6 set-top box: 4K HDR, voice search, 1 TB recording on six tuners and multi-room over a Mini box. The platform Virgin TV runs on.

Open page

My Virgin Media

Account portal at virginmedia.com/myvirginmedia plus iOS and Android apps. Pay your bill, run a speed test, report a fault, change package, and see your contract end date.

Open page

Virgin Media Business

Separate B2B division: business broadband, Vivid leased lines, gigabit ethernet and SIP voice for UK SMEs and enterprises. Different prices and 24 to 60-month contracts.

Open page

Contact Virgin Media

Full directory: 0345 454 1111 main line, 150 from a Virgin Mobile, 0345 600 0301 retentions, complaints process, accessibility team and the ADR escalation route.

Open page

Customer service

How Virgin’s support actually works: My Virgin Media app, the four-step complaints route, the 8-week deadlock letter, and CISAS as the alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Open page

Reviews snapshot

What customers actually say about Virgin Media

Scores collected from each platform on . We do not pick the flattering one and ignore the rest, we show all of them and explain what they actually mean.

Trustpilot, virginmedia.com

1.4 / 5

~50,000 reviews

Mostly negative

Heavily skewed by the classic ISP self-selection pattern. The strongest recurring complaints are sharp annual price rises, the difficulty of reaching the retentions team and being charged after cancellation. Praise is limited and almost always about the speed.

Ofcom complaints, broadband Q4 2025

7 / 100k customers

Industry average ~8

Positive overall

Virgin Media is actually mid-table on Ofcom’s independent complaints data, better than BT (9), EE (10), Vodafone (10) and TalkTalk, worse than Plusnet (4) and Sky (5). The picture from Trustpilot is much darker than the regulator’s.

Which? annual survey

Mid-low customer score

Weak on complaints handling

Mixed

Which? consistently rates Virgin Media in the bottom half of UK broadband providers, mainly because of complaints handling and value for money. Speed itself scores well in postcodes where Virgin’s cable network is live.

MoneySavingExpert forum

Mixed forum sentiment

Hundreds of threads

Mixed

Virgin gets credit for offering cable speeds (especially Gig1) that Openreach FTTC cannot match, but the dominant view is that you must haggle hard at renewal, and that the customer-service experience is worse than the network itself deserves.

Read the full Virgin Media review

Selectra expert verdict

Independent read, no commission shaping

Virgin Media is the UK’s sharpest split-personality broadband brand. The cable network itself is genuinely top-class: Gig1 delivers close to 1130 Mbps in postcodes where Virgin operates, and Ofcom logs only 7 complaints per 100,000 customers, better than BT, EE and Vodafone. If your address is on the cable footprint and you mostly need raw download speed, Virgin is hard to beat at the price.

The honest weakness is everything that happens around the network. Trustpilot sits at 1.4 / 5, almost entirely on the back of price-rise frustration and a notoriously hard-to-reach retentions team. Upload speed (52 Mbps on Gig1) is also well below what an FTTP line gives. If you are price-sensitive and live in an FTTP postcode, look at Plusnet or a smaller alt-net before signing. If you mainly want top download speed and live with the renewal dance, Virgin is the right pick.

Verdict last reviewed 19 May 2026.

FAQ

Virgin Media broadband, TV and contracts, your questions answered

Is Virgin Media broadband good in 2026?

Where Virgin Media’s cable network reaches your postcode, the broadband itself is one of the strongest in the UK. Gig1 averages 1130 Mbps, the network is the only major UK ISP not relying on Openreach, and Ofcom logs 7 broadband complaints per 100,000 customers, better than the industry average of 8. The downside is customer service and price rises: Trustpilot sits at 1.4 / 5 across 50,000 reviews, almost all complaints about the call-centre and renewals experience. If your postcode is on Virgin’s footprint and you can live with the price-rise dance, the speed is hard to beat.

How much is Virgin Media broadband per month?

As of May 2026, Virgin’s entry M125 (132 Mbps) starts around £28 a month, M350 (362 Mbps) is around £35 a month, and Gig1 (1130 Mbps) is around £44 a month. All on 18-month contracts. The Volt bundle (broadband + O2 SIM) auto-doubles your speed and your O2 mobile data and lands around £40 a month. Promotional prices change every few weeks, so check the live Virgin site before signing.

Is Virgin Media on the Openreach network?

No. Virgin Media is the only major UK ISP with its own physical network, originally built by the NTL and Telewest cable franchises in the 1990s. It uses DOCSIS 3.1 cable technology, with DOCSIS 4.0 rolling out in 2025 to 2026. The trade-off: speeds are excellent on download but upload is capped well below FTTP (52 Mbps on Gig1 versus 110 Mbps on BT Full Fibre 900).

Will Virgin Media raise my price during the contract?

Virgin Media moved to fixed pound-and-pence annual rises after Ofcom outlawed mid-contract CPI-linked hikes in January 2025. Your annual rise is now a specific number written into your contract on day one, typically around £3 to £3.50 a month. Most customers see the rise applied each April. If Virgin ever raises the price by more than that fixed amount, you get a 30-day window to leave penalty-free.

How do I contact Virgin Media customer service?

The main Virgin Media customer-services number is 0345 454 1111, free from a UK landline, open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 21:00, Saturday 08:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 08:00 to 18:00. From a Virgin Mobile, dial 150. The dedicated retentions line is 0345 600 0301. Full directory on our Virgin Media contact page.

Can I leave Virgin Media without an exit fee?

Yes, in three situations. First, in the last 30 days of your minimum term, you can switch without an exit fee. Second, if Virgin raises the price by more than the fixed amount written into your contract, Ofcom rules give you a free 30-day window to leave penalty-free. Third, if Virgin fails to deliver the guaranteed speed and cannot fix it within a reasonable period, you can exit. Outside those windows, expect to pay the remaining monthly fees on your contract.