The alternatives to Virgin Media

We've long contemplated a move, the last time we rang their retentions team we got a reasonable deal although had to commit to a 12 months contract which has now passed.

Internet gets fair use, home phone is barely used and we watch very little TV other than the mainstream channels which are available on Freeview.

Broadband is the key reason we've stayed, it's fast and reliable. Has anyone made a switch to Sky or BT or a n other. We're contemplating trying to keep Virgin for cable broadband and moving to Freeview for TV and perhaps Skype with a landline number. Anyone tried that?

We've long contemplated a move, the last time we rang their retentions team we got a reasonable deal although had to commit to a 12 months contract which has now passed.

 

Internet gets fair use, home phone is barely used and we watch very little TV other than the mainstream channels which are available on Freeview.

 

Broadband is the key reason we've stayed, it's fast and reliable. Has anyone made a switch to Sky or BT or a n other. We're contemplating trying to keep Virgin for cable broadband and moving to Freeview for TV and perhaps Skype with a landline number. Anyone tried that?

Virgin without a phone line will cost more than Virgin with one, it drives me crazy as a phone line is NOT a requirement for a cable connection..

I have phoned them up a few times, asked to take the phone line off to save money, and they have said it would actually cost more....

so I just don't plug a phone in, and left the phone line... I just use my mobile for all calls etc.... don't bother with Skype either!

If speed is what you're looking for, then virgin can't be beaten at the moment. This is especially true when compared to Openreach's decaying copper/aluminium network.

However, as an avid gamer myself, I find that ping times and latency are a hell of a lot better on my BT line than on Virgins.

If speed is what you're looking for, then virgin can't be beaten at the moment. This is especially true when compared to Openreach's decaying copper/aluminium network.

 

However, as an avid gamer myself, I find that ping times and latency are a hell of a lot better on my BT line than on Virgins.

Im a gamer too and dont seem to have any problems

Im a gamer too and dont seem to have any problems

Second this. I have never had an issue with latency.

I've been looking at a switch TO Virgin recently.

I moved house a few months ago and at the time there was no fibre available in my area with my current provider but in order to retain me they offered to give me ADSL for free till the end of my current term (7 & a bit months). The annoying thing is that I've been in contact with Openreach because there are several fibre cabinets installed, one no more that 40mtrs from my home and was told that everything's ready & ISPs have been notified and are awaiting orders to connect homes.

However I enjoy TV shows currently broadcast by the UKTV networks (Dave, Alibi, Gold etc)

Today Virgin have dropped these channels due to "costs". Basically Virgin say UKTV want too much, UKTV say Virgin doesn't want to pay a fair price.

Virgin have also refused to comment when customers have asked if their bills are going to be reduced to reflect the loss of 10 channels as well as the loss of on-demand/catch-up services (UKTV Play)

I've been looking at a switch TO Virgin recently.

 

I moved house a few months ago and at the time there was no fibre available in my area with my current provider but in order to retain me they offered to give me ADSL for free till the end of my current term (7 & a bit months). The annoying thing is that I've been in contact with Openreach because there are several fibre cabinets installed, one no more that 40mtrs from my home and was told that everything's ready & ISPs have been notified and are awaiting orders to connect homes.

 

However I enjoy TV shows currently broadcast by the UKTV networks (Dave, Alibi, Gold etc)

 

Today Virgin have dropped these channels due to "costs". Basically Virgin say UKTV want too much, UKTV say Virgin doesn't want to pay a fair price.

Virgin have also refused to comment when customers have asked if their bills are going to be reduced to reflect the loss of 10 channels as well as the loss of on-demand/catch-up services (UKTV Play)

This is a storm in a tea cup. Remember when Sky pulled their channels from Virgin? It didn't last long at all.

I'm on Virgin (Telewest and NTL before them) and last year I dropped the phone line and TV package due to stupidly high increasing bills. Just on the broadband with them now and haven't looked back.

I'm on Virgin (Telewest and NTL before them) and last year I dropped the phone line and TV package due to stupidly high increasing bills. Just on the broadband with them now and haven't looked back.

It's cheaper with the phone line, by about £8 / month at least.... Unfortunately!

Maybe not suitable for people who use a lot of data per month; but has anyone had success just using mobile data (4G) for internet?

Virgin media doing 45GB per month for £18. If you're not a massive user of data, maybe that would be a good alternative for some? Assuming you can tether and attach other devices to the connection.

https://www.virginmedia.com/mobile/sim-only/pay-monthly-sim?navelement=homepage_pos6_imagelink&contractDuration=12&tariffID=774716288

It's cheaper with the phone line, by about £8 / month at least.... Unfortunately!

It used to be, now it's a couple of quid more - I'd have kept the phone if it was was cheaper, it was never plugged in anyway

It used to be, now it's a couple of quid more - I'd have kept the phone if it was was cheaper, it was never plugged in anyway

It's not, trust me...

I phoned virgin 2 weeks ago, asking to turn off the phone line to make it cheaper, and they said it would actually make my bill about £8/month more expensive... as it's a "deal" (they claim)