Introducing Volt – the new supercharged service from Virgin Media O2

[Chris_K]

UPDATE: We've seem some repeat questions and common issues being raised. We've added an update here so if you're experiencing issues, please read this first and see our post-weekend update here too.

Good morning all. What a week this is going to be! This morning we have introduced Volt to the world, the new supercharged service from Virgin Media O2. Our press release was published here this morning with notes and sources, but I've copied the juicy bits below.

Whether you're an O2 customer, a VM customer, both, or none, you can check out our handy website here which will show you how you can get supercharged.

Can I get Volt benefits for everyone in my household who’s on O2?

If you have Virgin Media broadband in your name, you’ll be able to get Volt benefits for all O2 Pay Monthly plans in your name, in your household. But we’re expanding this. Soon, anyone in your household with their own O2 Pay Monthly plan will be able to get Volt benefits through the household’s Virgin Media broadband account. Keep an eye on My O2 and you’ll see the option to activate Volt benefits when it becomes available to you, and you can also stay up to date by visiting https://www.o2.co.uk/virgin-media-o2

First joint product gives customers the best of both brands, with even greater value on UK’s fastest major broadband provider and award winning mobile network

• Volt marks the first major launch since Virgin Media and O2’s £31bn merger earlier this year
• Gig 1 broadband available for the first time in a bundle, combined with an unlimited data O2 SIM and TV favourites
• Existing customers simply need to register to get their services supercharged – for free
• Volt brings faster broadband speeds, double mobile data and discounts

London, UK: Virgin Media O2 is today lifting the lid on its first ever joint product, Volt, bringing together award winning connectivity and amazing entertainment from both Virgin Media and O2, to give customers even more from their services – more speed, more data and more value.

Virgin Media and O2 customers can now supercharge their services and reap extra rewards simply by being customers of both brands. Volt offers double the broadband speed, double the mobile data and discounts on connected devices when customers have or choose to take a broadband service from Virgin Media and a Pay Monthly plan from O2. What’s more, customers with an O2 plan can access exclusive rewards, perks and experiences from Priority – one of the UK’s best loyalty initiatives.

The new joint offering comes less than 150 days since Virgin Media O2 launched, building on the company’s momentum of almost 13 million gigabit premises passed and 5G coverage from O2 expanded to 210 locations. Volt highlights Virgin Media O2’s commitment to offer more choice, convenience and innovation with seamless broadband, entertainment and mobile services all available under one roof.

Exclusive Virgin Media O2 Volt benefits include:

• A broadband speed boost to the next tier available (e.g. 100Mbps boosted to 200Mbps)
• Double mobile data on all eligible O2 Pay Monthly plans (e.g. 10GB boosted to 20GB)
• Up to £150 off a connected device such as a tablet or smartwatch when taking a new O2 Pay Monthly Custom plan
• WiFi Pods available to bolster connectivity around the home
• Roaming in 75 countries including USA, Australia and Spain with O2 Travel

Volt is available to both new and existing customers, offering exclusive benefits to account holders no matter what broadband package or eligible Pay Monthly plan they take. Those new to either Virgin Media or O2 will be able to upgrade to Volt when they add relevant services to their connectivity line-up, while existing customers of both Virgin Media and O2 simply need to enrol via MyO2 to get their services supercharged – at no additional cost.

Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2 said,

“With Volt, we’re combining the speed and reliability of Virgin Media’s broadband and O2’s mobile networks alongside a variety of incredible perks to give our customers more.

“The launch of converged services in less than 150 days as a business is a huge milestone moment and demonstrates the momentum we have behind our commitment to supercharge connectivity across the UK. This is just the start.”

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This exciting milestone for Virgin Media O2 means that consumers who do not currently take services from either brand can supercharge their package with Volt from the get-go, with new bundles containing an O2 SIM and Virgin Media broadband available on 18 month contracts. The new packages include the ‘Big Volt’ bundle, ‘Bigger Volt’ bundle and ‘Ultimate Volt’ bundle, all of which come with the exclusive Volt benefits and boosts to offer customers more. Pricing for Volt bundles start from £40 per month for 200Mbps Broadband (boosted from 100Mbps), Talk More Weekends and a 10GB O2 SIM (boosted from 5GB). The top Volt bundle (Ultimate Volt bundle) includes Gig1 broadband, an unlimited data O2 SIM, tonnes of TV favourites and two TV 360 boxes, available for £99 per month.

Supercharging small businesses

Small businesses and start-ups who take a Voom broadband service from Virgin Media Business and an eligible O2 Small Biz tariff can also supercharge their services, with 4G start-up and back-up, double mobile data and exclusive perks from Priority.

Virgin Media O2 is the leading converged challenger in the market, pairing O2’s award winning mobile network and the UK’s fastest major broadband provider to enhance connectivity for customers at home and on the go. With Virgin Media’s rapid gigabit broadband rollout and O2’s commitment to deliver 5G to half the UK population in 2023, Virgin Media O2 is just getting started.

[Troy70]

I'll wait to get a O2 sim because I'm the same. Our virgin media is in my wives name . She already has virgin media mobile . I only want this for the volt addons . I'll wait until this is sorted before purchasing a sim .

[Shroko]

Recently VM began using Open Reach's existing ducting and poles to provide VM services where VM cabling was not laid. 

Other fiber providers can use open reach infrastructure  too. VM simply run their fibre cable through the Open reach existing ducting.

This may mean you could get VM services in the near future. Previously it would have meant physically digging up the road/footpaths, an expensive undertaking. 

There could be other factors involved of course, preventing getting cable to you. 

[anticpated]

To be fair. If they stated it was being implemented and rolled out. There would brle less frustration and less people expecting things to happen yesterday.

In conclusion, nobody should be surprised at the nonavailability.

[madasaf1sh]

Im not saying owt else on this sorry mess... 

Every different person gives an answers and VM's social media team really are useless as they have given 3 different answers to the same question... and VM's Forum team are all AWOL..

Thank God we have an awesome Community Team here...

For anyone thinking of joining o2 to get the Volt Benefits, id wait till they fix the mess that is currently ongoing....

[Soulja]

I was being messed around every time I called virgin so I decided to use their Web chat and I managed to get it sorted straight away. 

[madasaf1sh]

@saabw1 

FTTC in non Virgin Areas is not going to happen as that means paying BT through Openreach to provide the service, and its a nightmare, just look at the likes of Zen or Claranet, who keep putting their FTTC products on hold.. 

I used to with o2 BB which was also provided by BT, it was one of the best in class at the time.. 

Just so you know all FTTC is provided by BT,  FTTP is provided by the likes of CityFibre and Trooli

[saabw1]

FTTC is maintained by so called BT independent Openreach, as they do for LLU networks such as Edge Telecom:  Entanet: Fluency: KCOM:  Timico Partners: Node4: Orbital: Origin Broadband: Redcentric: Rutland Telecom: Sky: Spectrum: TalkTalk (CPW): Vodafone: WB Internet: Zen Internet.

As I've said the VM O2 merger does nothing for O2 users like me that likely are to never get VM, currently only half of UK households can access Virgin broadband.

When my contract is up I'll more than likely be moving to Sky mobile , nb a O2 MVNO, they also allow unused data to rollover. And get preferential Sky TV deals.

[Shroko]

@saabw1  You may be interested to know that VM are in talks with Sky and other ISP's over providing their BB to them. 

Just Google "virgin media wholesale sky"

It no longer will be the case that you only get VM BB just from Virgin. 

[saabw1]

Thanks, that's great but you still need a VM connection. The wholesale is to let the Sky, TalkTalk and other Openreach LLUs have access to VM cable network customers. In similar way that they have present with Openreach fibre and ADSL network.

But there is no VM available , and probable never will, only Openreach ADSL and FTTC or if your lucky FTTP

[Shroko]

@saabw1  for decades that was the case, yes. If you're not in an existing VM cabled area, the cost of bringing VM cabling to you may have precluded you. 

From last year however, VM (and other ISP's) were allowed access to Open reach infrastructure, known as PIA (physical infrastructure Access)

PIA means VM reduce their costs for providing VM FTTP to some areas where they could not previously. As they can feed their fibre cabling along Openreach ducting or poles. 

If you look on the web for PIA, you will find the previous announcements and press releases. 

PIA allows VM to grow their network further at a much reduced cost. 

In the first trial back in 2019 VM provided their ultrafast FTTP broadband and TV network to a further 2,000 premises in Pontyclun (South Wales) by using Openreach’s (BT) existing cable ducts.