Virgin Media review
Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Virgin Media suits UK households that want top download speeds with no setup charge, and it ranks 1 of 86 brands on that measure. Entry pricing starts at £23.99, but monthly cost moves to £62 to £92 after the minimum period.
Key facts
- Best for
- Cable and fibre homes wanting top download speeds with no setup fee
- Top download speed (Mbps)
- 2,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- £23.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Reference plan prices
- M125: 23.99 per month, 132Mbps, 24 months; M500: 27.99 per month, 516Mbps, 24 months; Gig2 Full Fibre: 49.99 per month, 2000Mbps, 24 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Setup fee
- £0 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price after contract
- £62 to £92 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Mid-contract price rises
- Prices and terms subject to change during contract (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Exit fee terms
- Early disconnection fee if cancelled during minimum period (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Router
- WiFi Hub included with broadband (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Social tariff
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Address checker
- https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/postcode-checker (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- GB (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Technology
- Cable, Fttc, Fttp
- Contract length
- 1, 24
- Official website
- virginmedia.com
Mobile plans
- Host network
- O2 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- SIM-only
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- £23.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Reference plan prices
- M125: 23.99 per month, 132Mbps, 24 months; M500: 27.99 per month, 516Mbps, 24 months; Gig2 Full Fibre: 49.99 per month, 2000Mbps, 24 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Mid-contract price rises
- Prices and terms subject to change during contract (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Credit check required
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- GB (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Contract length
- 1, 24
Pros and cons
Pros
- Setup fees of £0 place Virgin Media at 1 of 86 brands listed on that measure
- Top download speed of 2,000 Mbps sits well above the 1,000 Mbps median across the providers tracked here
- The network runs on cable, fttc and fttp, so cable, fibre to the cabinet and fibre to the premises homes are all covered
- A social tariff is available and the WiFi Hub is WiFi Hub included with broadband
- Sim only mobile runs on the O2 network, keeping mobile and broadband with one provider
Cons
- Monthly pricing after the minimum period climbs to £62 to £92 for some plans
- Entry pricing of £23.99 places Virgin Media at 60 of 95 brands listed on that measure
- Service is limited to GB over cable, fttc and fttp, so homes outside the footprint get nothing
- Support runs on chat and help centre, and a credit check is required
Who it suits
- Households inside the Virgin Media footprint that want the highest download speeds on this list
- People who want a WiFi Hub with the line rather than sourcing hardware separately
- Families checking whether a social tariff fits their bill before committing
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers on the lowest entry price, who may find a cheaper start with Astound
- Homes that need a different technology mix, since Abissnet runs on fttp
- Anyone planning to move early, because Early disconnection fee if cancelled during minimum period applies
Where it sits among rivals
Virgin Media ranks across the comparisons on this page. On maximum download speed it sits at 38 of 114 brands listed, on post contract price at 35 of 36, on price from at 60 of 95, and on setup fee at 1 of 86. That spread is the trade-off to weigh: speed and setup fee sit at the strong end of the field, while the entry price sits further back.
Pricing
Broadband starts at £23.99 a month, and the setup fee is £0. The reference plan prices run across an entry tier, a faster mid tier and a top full fibre tier, each quoted monthly. Contract lengths run 1 and 24, so there is a short option as well as the longer minimum period. After the minimum period, monthly pricing moves to £62 to £92. Keep Prices and terms subject to change during contract in mind, along with Early disconnection fee if cancelled during minimum period if you cancel during the minimum period.
What it does well
The headline is speed: top download reaches 2,000 Mbps, above the 1,000 Mbps median across the providers tracked on this site, and that puts Virgin Media at 38 of 114 brands listed. A social tariff is available for eligible households, and hardware is handled with WiFi Hub included with broadband. Connection also runs on cable, fttc and fttp, so cable, fibre to the cabinet and fibre to the premises areas are all part of the same service.
Who runs it
Virgin Media is headquartered in the United Kingdom and operates in the United Kingdom. Its mobile side is a sim only offer on the O2 network. Support runs on chat and help centre, and a credit check is required before a line is set up.
How Virgin Media compares
- 8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 8.5- 8.8 vs 8.7
8.8 vs 9.0- 8.8 vs 8.6
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8.8 vs 9.2Budget Thuis Mobile
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Where Virgin Media is available
- Available
- United Kingdom
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Virgin Media broadband cost to start?+
Broadband starts at £23.99 a month and the setup fee is £0, so the first bill carries nothing extra for the line. The published reference plan prices cover an entry tier, a faster mid tier and a top full fibre tier, each quoted monthly, and contract lengths run 1 and 24.
Is there a setup fee to pay?+
The setup fee is £0, which means no activation charge is added when the line goes in. On that measure Virgin Media ranks 1 of 86 brands listed here, one of its stronger positions. Hardware is covered by WiFi Hub included with broadband.
How fast is the connection?+
Top download speed reaches 2,000 Mbps, ahead of the 1,000 Mbps median across the providers tracked on this site, and the service runs on cable, fttc and fttp, so cable and both fibre variants are covered. On maximum download speed Virgin Media ranks 38 of 114 brands listed.
What happens to the price after the contract ends?+
Once the minimum period is over, monthly pricing moves to £62 to £92 for the plans that carried an introductory rate. Keep Prices and terms subject to change during contract in view, since terms can change during the contract, and weigh the entry price of £23.99 against the later figure before you commit.
Can I leave early without a charge?+
Cancelling inside the minimum period brings a charge, because Early disconnection fee if cancelled during minimum period. Contract lengths run 1 and 24, so the shorter term is a lighter commitment if you may move during the first year. A credit check is also required when an order is placed.
Is there a cheaper tariff for lower income households?+
A social tariff is available for eligible households, and it sits alongside the standard reference plan prices, which run from an entry tier through a faster mid tier to a top full fibre tier, each quoted monthly. Worth weighing both before ordering, since the standard tiers carry the higher cost.
Does Virgin Media sell mobile as well as broadband?+
It does. Sim only mobile is available and runs on the O2 network, so a household can take broadband and a sim only line from the same provider. The company is headquartered in the United Kingdom and operates in the United Kingdom, so the mobile side follows the same market.
How do you get help if something goes wrong?+
Support runs on chat and help centre, so help arrives through chat and a help centre rather than a single point of contact. Availability depends on your address, since the service runs on cable, fttc and fttp across GB and not every property is covered. A credit check is required before the line is set up.
Sources
- virginmedia.com/broadband/broadband-only checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Exit fee terms, Contract length, Mid-contract price rises, Router, Setup fee
“If you cancel during the minimum period, you may need to pay an early disconnection fee”
- virginmedia.com/broadband/fibre checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Markets, Top download speed (Mbps), Price after contract, Price from, Reference plan prices
“Virgin Media services are only available in eligible Virgin Media network areas”
- virginmedia.com/broadband/low-income-families checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Social tariff, Support channels
“We offer three Essential Broadband deals on a social tariff”
- virginmedia.com/broadband/postcode-checker checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Address checker, Credit check required
“Postcode checker - See what Virgin Media speeds and services you can get”
- virginmedia.com/help checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“Our registered office: 500 Brook Drive, Reading, RG2 6UU. Registered in England”
- virginmedia.com/help/broadband/our-fibre-network checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Technology
“sometimes called fibre to the cabinet, or FTTC - often known as fibre to the premises, or FTTP - run on coaxial cables”
- virginmedia.com/mobile/sim-only checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Host network, SIM-only
“award-winning network that's powered Virgin Mobile”
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Upload speed (Mbps).
Virgin Media
Cable and fibre homes wanting top download speeds with no setup fee