Virgin Media Broadband Review (Updated 2026)

Cable vs Fibre

Virgin Media is unique in the UK broadband landscape. While most providers resell access to the Openreach telephone network, Virgin owns its own coaxial and fibre cables (HFC). This infrastructure allows them to deliver speeds that traditional copper phone lines simply cannot touch.

Virgin Media O2 is expanding full-fibre (XGS-PON) in parts of its footprint (including via nexfibre) and offers an optional symmetrical upload add-on on full-fibre services. Most customers are still on DOCSIS 3.1 today, with asymmetric uploads.

Hub 3, 4, and 5

Depending on your package, you will receive one of Virgin's "Hub" routers. The Hub 3 is the older standard issue, known for the "Intel Puma 6" chipset latency spikes, though firmware updates have mitigated this somewhat. The Hub 4 is more capable, designed for gigabit speeds.

The star of the show is the Hub 5, which supports Wi-Fi 6. This is generally reserved for Gig1 or existing customers upgrading their package. In full-fibre (XGS-PON) areas (e.g., Gig2), Virgin supplies the Hub 5x router. It offers significantly better range and speed handling than its predecessors. Crucially, all these Hubs can be put into "Modem Mode," allowing you to use your own high-performance mesh system while the Hub acts purely as a passthrough device.

The Speed: Flawless

I am currently on the Virgin Media M500 package. This is marketed as an ultrafast broadband speed suitable for large households of five or more people. In theory, it averages a download speed that is 16Mbps faster than standard 500Mbps broadband, with an average upload speed of 52Mbps.

In practice? It has been absolutely rock solid. Since I have been with them, speed has never been an issue.

My personal speed test result below confirms this. I am pulling 554.07 Mbps download and 52.06 Mbps upload. The latency is also very good for a cable connection, with an Idle Ping of 11ms and Jitter of just 1ms. For gaming and 4K streaming, the performance is undeniably above average.

The Support: A Total Disaster

However, the technical performance is completely let down by the customer service. My plan included a Netflix subscription, but the initial activation link I received simply didn't work.

This kicked off a saga where I had to message them on live chat five separate times. Each time, I was connected to an advisor (usually with a foreign name, suggesting offshore support centers) who would apologize and promise that the issue would be fixed and a new link sent within one working day.

One advisor even promised a £5 credit off my bill as compensation. Yet, despite these promises, I never received the new link after any of those five conversations. It was incredibly frustrating-they were quick to reply to the chat, but so slow to actually action anything.

Then, completely randomly, two weeks after my last message, I finally received the activation link via email. While it works now, having to chase them five times for a basic contract inclusion is extremely disappointing.

M125 to Gig1

M125 & M250: The entry-level tiers. M125 (132Mbps avg) is great for small homes, while M250 (264Mbps avg) is the sweet spot for couples who both stream in 4K.

M350 & M500: The power user tiers. M500 (516Mbps avg) is what we tested above. It is perfect for large families where everyone is online at once downloading updates, streaming, and gaming.

Gig1: The widely available flagship. With 1,130Mbps average download speeds, this is overkill for most, but essential for heavy downloaders who want to grab a 100GB Xbox game in roughly 12 minutes.

Upload Speed Limits

It is important to note the asymmetry. While Gig1 gives you 1Gbps down, the upload is capped at around 104Mbps. Compare this to alternative full fibre providers like Community Fibre, who often offer 1Gbps download AND 1Gbps upload. If you are a YouTuber or Twitch streamer, this matters.

By The Numbers

As verified in our personal testing, the speeds are authentic. Virgin says its advertised average speeds are calculated at peak times (8–10pm); real-world peak performance can still vary by area. While DSL providers often see speeds dip in the evening, cable broadband tends to be more resilient to congestion, provided the local area capacity hasn't been oversold.

Virgin rarely sells just "broadband". They are masters of the bundle. Here is what else you can get:

• Stream Box: A small puck that plugs into your TV. It lets you subscribe to Sky Sports, Cinema, and Netflix on a rolling 30-day contract, often with 10% credit back on subscriptions.
• Volt (O2): The big differentiator. Combine O2 Mobile with Virgin Broadband to get a speed boost to the next tier, double mobile data, and "WiFi Max" pods if needed.
• WiFi Max: WiFi Max guarantees a minimum 30Mbps in every room or £100 credit back. It’s included with Gig1, Gig2 and Volt (and otherwise can be added for a monthly fee, eligibility/terms apply).
• Web Safe: Network-level filtering that blocks malware and allows parents to restrict certain categories of websites (like gambling or adult content) easily.

RPI Price Hikes: Virgin Media has annual April price rises, but the method depends on when you signed up: older contracts (before 9 Jan 2025) use RPI + 3.9%, while newer contracts use a fixed £ increase set out in your contract summary. In high inflation years, the older method has resulted in customers seeing bills jump significantly.

Cancellation Hell: As my personal experience with support showed, talking to Virgin can be difficult. Customers frequently report waiting hours on hold to cancel services, often being passed between "retention" departments aggressively trying to make them stay.

Virgin Media O2

Since June 2021, Virgin Media has been a 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica (owners of O2). This merger created a giant capable of challenging BT Group. This is why you see so much cross-promotion (Volt) between Virgin broadband and O2 mobile contracts. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same corporate entity.