Virgin Media Business UK Doubles Broadband ISP Upload Speeds UPDATE

Customers of UK ISP Virgin Media Business (VMO2) have informed ISPreview.co.uk that the upload speeds on their “Voom Fibre” packages for small businesses are being roughly doubled, which for example means that subscribers to their 350Mbps Voom Fibre 1 plan will see their uploads go from 7Mbps to 20Mbps.

Unlike Virgin Media’s consumer division, VMB offers the same 350Mbps download speed across all of their Voom Fibre 1, 2 and 3 packages, while Voom Fibre 4 gets the 500Mbps treatment. In short, each package only really differs based on the level of support offered, as well as upload speed and IP address assignments (static vs dynamic etc.).

However, the provider’s Voom Fibre broadband customers seem set to benefit from a free boost to their upload speeds, which we understand will look like this (see table below). Apparently, an official announcement may follow early next week.

In a brief email, customers were told: “We’d like to share some information with you. We’re increasing the upload speeds across our Voom Fibre service, and it won’t cost you a penny. The speeds vary depending on the service you have … there’s nothing you need to do. Your router will be automatically rebooted to initiate the new upload speeds.”

At present, this change only seems to apply to existing customers and not everybody appears to have received the notification.. yet (possibly because such upgrades are usually done in gradual phases), while the packages for new customers (as advertised via their website) are still displaying the old upload rate. However, this may change once the official announcement has been issued. Now all they need to do is give VMB customers access to the new 1Gbps tier and, ideally, a better router than the Hitron device they offer.

Separately, VMB customers who still have one of the operator’s older phone services (we assume they mean the analogue copper service – now considered obsolete), have been informed that this will be withdrawn from use on 31st July 2021. An alternative IP based (VoIP) phone service is being offered to replace it, although this may not work with some older connected devices (payment machines/EPOS terminals or security alarms etc.).

The operator is understood to be speaking with customers first in order to ensure that they’re ready for the switch, but there won’t be a delay to the change, so if you’re not ready then you could be left disconnected. Further details here.

UPDATE 21st June 2021

VMB has today issued an official announcement on the speed boost, which confirms what we reported above. The upgrade will mean “businesses working in more than 100,000 locations across the country are set to receive a speed boost … at no extra charge.”

Jo Bertram, Managing Director of Business & Wholesale at VMO2, said:

“We’re supercharging business broadband with a completely free upgrade that will help SMEs bounce back from the pandemic.

After a very challenging year, connectivity has been core to survival for many small businesses, with most uploading and downloading more than ever before. As part of our mission to upgrade the UK we want to help get our nation’s entrepreneurs back on their feet, starting with a free digital boost.”