New VOLT Benefits for Being Virgin Media and O2 UK Customers
Broadband ISP Virgin Media and mobile operator O2 UK, which merged into VMO2, will today launch a new range of “VOLT” products that aim to replace their existing “Oomph” bundles. In short, this means that customers will be able to buy Virgin Media and O2 products together, for the first time, and take advantage of new benefits.
Until now VMO2 has largely kept their Virgin Media broadband, TV and phone products separate from O2’s 4G and 5G mobile offerings, which is partly because the Virgin Mobile platform is currently still under contract to be served via a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement with Vodafone for the next few years (here).
However, this doesn’t totally prevent O2 and Virgin Media from working more closely together on the product front, and the VOLT packages seem to be their answer. Admittedly, this could cause some confusion and frustration for customers on the Virgin Mobile platform, which aren’t currently able to access all the same benefits.
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At the time of writing, we don’t yet have all of the details about VMO2’s new VOLT packages, but we do know what benefits will be delivered to customers with products on both operators.
The Benefits of VOLT Products
Customers buying O2 (Pay Monthly only) and Virgin Media products together can take advantage of the following benefits:
➤ You’ll receive a Virgin Media broadband speed boost to the next level (if you aren’t already on the fastest speed you can get in your area).
➤ You’ll get VM’s Plume powered WiFi Pods at no extra cost if you find any WiFi blackspots at home, which also comes with their Intelligent WiFi Plus enhancements.
➤ You’ll get double the data on every eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan in your name, in your household:
— For example, when sold separately, M100 (100Mbps) fibre broadband costs £38 per month and a 5GB O2 SIM costs £12 per month. But this will now become M200 fibre broadband at £38 with an O2 SIM at £12 with 10GB of data;
— The Bigger TV bundle with M100 fibre broadband and phone at £57p/m and an O2 SIM at £12 offering 5GB will now become a Bigger TV bundle with M200 fibre broadband and phone at £57p/m and O2 SIM at £12p/m offering 10GB;
➤ Customers will receive the O2 travel inclusive Zone (i.e. use your phone in 75 destinations).
➤ Take out a phone on a new O2 Custom Plan and get up to £150 off an O2 Custom Plan for a connected device.
➤ Access to Priority deals on high street brands, tickets and experiences.
We’re fully expecting to see even closer convergence between O2 and Virgin Media in the future, but for now this is just the start of their journey.
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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So you have to buy the o2 plan at a higher price from Virgin when it’s usually far cheaper on a deal using uswitch? Right now 12gb SIM only is £8 per month there with 3 months of free Disney….
I stick with three thanks .
That deal is for new customers only then its £12 a month after that, the same as most other providers and clearly it says you can use virgin ir 02 products.
VM have updated their web site now to include details. If you are already an O2 customer (like buying cheaper SIM Only through uswitch) there are additional options. The upgrade to next tier of Broadband seems to stop with the 200mbps tier though. If you went for 350 or 500 tiers + O2 SIM, there is not an uplift to either 500 or 1gbs.
It doesn’t stop there on the TV bundles, but you have to click the small link to view additional bundles in order to see that. So there’s an uplift from 350Mbps to 500Mbps etc. So it only seems to cap out on the non-TV bundles.
Looks like the Ultimate oopmh package which had 600mbps is now 1GBs Volt package…That was going to happen anyway under the old package and history of that tier getting bumped whenever the top capable speed was available to most, so not sure if that really is an uplift; it’s convenient for Volt though…
Mark, not sure where you mean, but this page https://www.virginmedia.com/broadband/broadband-only
stops at the 200mbps package. the 350, 500 get no Volt uplift to the next tier?
On another note, the VM home page banner for VOLT, now has options for “I’m new to Virgin Media & O2”, “I’m a Virgin Media customer”, “I’m an O2 customer” or “I’m a Virgin Media Customer & O2 customer” – what a mess of options 🙂 Then the packages are split down under ‘Plan Details’ where you get a Virgin price showing introductory price and then post contract, and your O2 SIM price.
The bundles seem to have erase any ability to have a Virgin Mobile (Vodafone) SIM now too, but Virgin Mobile is still available as a separate MOBILE menu option.
You might have missed my mention of the “TV” bundles aspect:
https://tidd.ly/3jckepw
Look for the “See more supercharged bundles” link.
Definitely confusing, is the average consumer really that bothered by who is the providing the mobile network?
The top bundle at £99 (discounted) does now include ‘Gig1’ so I suppose that’s a good thing, I’ve been on this for a few years and managed to get them to keep me at this price when my contract ended last so I might see if they’ll let me do that again now.
There isn’t a cap it appears on my account if I add a sim only plan to my account any of them on the upgrades page under my account I get Virgin Media will boost your broadband to M1000. Im currently on the 500 package (broadband only).
This also applies to if you already have o2 mobile plans and a VM BB package as you get the double data on your o2 plans and speed increase etc..
I am a 02 and virgin media customer do I automatically get the double data
Eh what if you cant get virgin..
Best Comedy website in Britain is called “Cable My Street”
Where they promptly ignore all customer requests by company policy.
The cable my street website was very successful for me.
We ran a Facebook campaign (which was picked up by local press) to put pressure on OpenReach to upgrade a local cabinet that had been skipped in the commercial rollout.
As part of that campaign we directed a few hundred followers to complete the Cable My Street form.
A couple weeks later a Virgin rep contacted the group admin to say they were about to survey our area after all the interest submitted.
They worked closely with the group detailing their plans and timescales.
That was around 3-4 years ago
The long and short of it is that Virgin covered the whole town within 12 months. They previously had no coverage in the county at all.
They’ve now completed 4 or 5 local towns with more scheduled to be done.
If you get in contact with the right people within Virgin you can get them to come out and survey your property.
If you really are that close to their cabinet, are a single skipped property and no expensive issues arise from a survey then you may be able to get them to cover you.
Should be called ‘Pfft!’
Tell you what would be a good perk, faster upload!
Tell you what would be a good perk,
Is getting service from VM when the green cabinet is virtually situated on your property.
Too many people without brains work for this company.
Virgin Mobile customers have been abandoned. I know they are on Vodafone, but this is no way to treat them.
It is sort of complicated and unwieldy.
My experience today was a total nightmare, as I am both a Virginmedia customer and also a O2 customer I was told I was allowed free speed upgrade from 350 to 500 no extra charge.
In order to activate this I was told to go into my o2 app and activate it which i did.
After 1 hour I reached out to Virginmedia via what’s app to ask when will the free uplift be actioned to which they told me I had to ring O2, I contacted O2 they told me to chat to Virginmedia so endless “to me to you”
Eventually Virginmedia on WhatsApp said they can help not only that actually save me money and with a SIM only unlimited O2 included and to accept to he passed to another department.
Was passed to another department copied the deal stated and asked if like that deal, they said only offer was £110 plus activation fee.
Again gave them screenshots to which they told me the person who gave me the deal was on the phone and their systems was very slow today and informed me to ring retentions.
Rang retentions lady their gave me same price as the 2nd person of £110 and £35 activation fee.
When all I wanted was the free speed uplift from 350 to 500.
Also on O2 side of things no one has clarified when I’ll be getting the double data you get…over 3 hours and still clueless
Sorry what you wrote was very confusing (might be what you saying, aka o2 / virgin media making it confusing.). Firstly stop with whatapp, and do normal chat or call them.
Wonder what will happen to current oomph customers as their contracts come to end. Both ones on v6 boxes and 360 boxes. On ones with virgin media mobile sims.