Switching from Virgin Media UK to Giffgaff Broadband to Get Easier in October
Mobile operator and internet provider giffgaff, which originally started to launch their full fibre (FTTP) broadband packages via nexfibre’s national UK network in September 2025 (here), looks finally set to resolve a long-running obstruction that made it hard for Virgin Media’s customers on the same network to switch to the provider.
Just to be clear on the network availability side of things. Giffgaff’s full fibre broadband packages are currently available across both nexfibre’s network patch (c.2.6 million UK premises) and some of Virgin Media’s own non-nexfibre ‘Fibre Up‘ (Project Mustang) FTTP areas (i.e. those areas that Virgin are slowly upgrading from Hybrid Fibre Coax to Full Fibre using XGS-PON technology – here).
However, it’s long been known that Virgin Media’s existing customers in eligible network areas have been unable to automatically switch to giffgaff’s broadband packages. Often the only way around this was for customers to cancel their Virgin Media connection first and, once disconnected, to then place an order for giffgaff’s service as a new line – this is far from the smoothest thing to do and often involves some downtime.
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As ISPreview reported in February 2026, Virgin Media have been busy working on a solution to this (here), but until now, the issue has remained. The good news is that giffgaff’s automated help agent has begun telling potential customers who ask about the issue that direct switching from Virgin Media is “expected to be available around October 2026” (credits to one of our readers, Mark, for spotting). We confirmed this with our own testing below.
Giffgaff’s Help System Statement:
“Right now, we can only support switching from Virgin Media if you’ve already ended your service with them. Once it’s fully stopped, you can place a new order with us.
We’re working to make direct switching available, potentially by October 2026, so you’ll be able to switch straight over in the future.”
We did ask Virgin Media directly about this too last week (the switching issue seems to be on their side), but the provider said they had “no firm dates” yet and that the team were still “working hard” to deliver the solution. The language from giffgaff similarly appears to be flexible on the October 2026 date, so it could yet take longer.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Aren’t wholesale networks required to support switching by Ofcom?
As a random question, does Ofcom have any comment to make about this state of affairs?
Ofcom, a toothless dog
Having just completed getting a relative onto GiffGaff in a Mustang area there does seem to be a few gremlins in their order/install process even as a new customer.
The service seems great so far but a few things from the install. It had to be a two step process (fibre to the house and then internal install) and these appeared to have to have 2 weeks between them. The install is done by VMO2 teams not Kellys or any other sub-contractors, the first team didn’t seem to know where the new fibre cabinets were for the area.
There was an issue with the first attempt at install and so they had to come back, due to that required gap that meant the second appointment got pushed back. Once the external install was done they then did offer an earlier internal install, it looks like they have built in some time to fix issues if they arise?
Thankfully we’d not used One Touch Switch so the old slow broadband carried on unaffected by the delays.
So not “often” involves downtime then? In fact it is currently “always”. The mess this creates for prospective switching customers is, of course, intolerable. But hardly surprising when VM O 2 are involved, what with their superb record on customer satisfaction.