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.

[Shroko]

@madasaf1sh no worries. I do understand the frustration on the part of some people. Particularly with regards to VM CS staff. 

This forum is freindly and welcoming, it's good to see such a vibrant community. 

VM generally have an excellent range of products, I do appreciate that customer services are not always the best. I'm sorry but that's out of my control!

VM is a behemoth of a company, with an array of packages that have changed over the years, I appreciate it may be confusing for the average customer.

However, Volt is a significant development, the first offering from VMO2 to existing customers of either company. 

Gig 1 customers are excluded for now, other than taking advantage of free roaming in 75 countries and other Volt perks, not to mention double data on the mobile side. 

I'm pretty sure that once VM release the next Gig1 update, to 2Gig or whatever customers of O2 and VM would benefit, but I cannot say that for certain, that's just a hunch. 

Oomph customers with VM initially enjoyed a BB speed upgrade to the next tier, introduced a couple of years ago, confusingly later Oomph Mobile was offered as a SIMO reduced price but without the BB boost. This is problematic. Blame VM marketing department for that 

If you're on an oomph bundle did you get a BB speed upgrade or did you just get a cheap SIMO added. I think VM should have clarified this with regards to Volt. I totally agree it's confusing. 

If there's anything that I can help with, I will always do my best. 

[madasaf1sh]

I work in IT dealing with VMo2 at both sides, and then again on a private level..   So understand there packages but to a lay person they don't help themselves.

It would have been better to just rename the Oomph Packages  to Volt and do something for those who have both instead of the Speed Boost, as these customers are the ones paying a lot of money for those bundled services...

DOCSIS 3.1 can go all the way to 10Gbps (theoretically) so I can hope we see 2Gbps and up services as part of Volt...  and hopefully IPv6 native at some point, and then VM can upgrade to DOCSIS4.0 and the skys the limit...

Help is always valued on here... 

[Shroko]

Newly released super hub5 addresses all those points.

Officially announced a couple of days ago, not being rolled out to customers just yet as far as I know, only going to selected customers initially. 

More info here:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/10/virgin-media-o2-officially-launches-hub-5-broadband-ro...

[madasaf1sh]

Yeah I know, early 2022 for general availability, but may try some contacts 😉 to see if can get on the early adopter / test group... if you don't ask you don't get.....

Although getting the hub 5 means a new router as well, as we use the Hub4 in modem mode only...

[FeelSadgeMan95]

Hi, I am really interested in this promotion. To put it simply I am on an o2 pay monthly plan and also have Virgin Media (landline and internet) - I pay my own o2 bill but the Virgin Media is a household one not under my name. Can I still get the volt benefits? Currently it says "You already have Volt benefits or can't get them in your area." 

[Shroko]

@FeelSadgeMan95 you don't qualify unfortunately, both accounts need to be under the same name at the moment. This may change in the future. 

[gmarkj]

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@Shroko wrote:

@pgn you would go up to the next tier. If you are on 100Mbps then Supercharging your package will move you onto the next tier which is 200Mbps. 

VM BB tiers are as follows 50, 100, 200, 350, 500 Mbps and Gig 1.

Whichever of the above tiers you are on, you will get supercharged to the next one if it's  available. 

Exception is Gig 1 customers, as far as I know this is the fastest speed VM currently offer. 

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What happens if you want the WiFi pods instead then?

We've got 200Mbps at the minute, on a Hub 3 and not worried about a speed bump but would like the pods to get WiFi in the garden...

Not an urgent issue as VM is in wife's maiden name and o2 is in my name so will take a while to roll down to us!

[Chris_K]

Hey all,

Wanted to pop back in and clarify a few things and also address a few comments and misconceptions I've seen over the weekend. Please check my previous reply that covers off some of the issues we're aware of that we're continuing to work through and resolve.

Oomph

What I had previously said here was mostly true, but a slight error was made in assuming Oomph customers were on the fastest available speeds which may not be true. So I've amended this slightly below.

For Oomph customers, you're getting TV, fixed line, broadband and Virgin Mobile. Volt is available for customers of both VM and O2, and as Oomph comes within Virgin Mobile - not O2 - then you won't be eligible, unless you also have an O2 mobile number in the same name and address as your VM account, then you can still benefit from Volt - though if you're already on the fastest available broadband speed in your area, you won't receive any speed boost there.

Email Addresses
I saw a comment about email addresses potentially causing a mismatch. This isn't an issue and it's irrelevant what email address(es) you use across both O2 and VM accounts. They can be the same or different... All that matters is that your name and postal address across both accounts match.

Costs + Routers

Just to clear up some misconceptions here, Volt benefits are entirely free. So long as you're eligible for Volt, there are no costs or charges and if we upgrade your broadband speeds and you need a new router, one will be provided.

Wifi Pods

Once your Volt benefits have been applied, which can take up to 14 days, you'll receive a confirmation email which will include details on how to claim your WiFi Pods which can help bolster connectivity around your home.

HUB 5

You may have seen recently that Virgin Media launched the HUB 5, its first ever WiFi 6 router, supporting multi-gigabit speeds with a 2.5Gbps ethernet port. Right now these HUB's are rolling out to select customers on a trial basis and is not available by request. Virgin Media will share more details in the future around availability and any further rollouts.

Volt Terms

I also saw a comment or two around where the T&C's were for Volt. On O2 side, these are hosted in our Terms & Conditions section that you can find a link for in the footer of every web page on O2.co.uk. Here's a direct link however to O2's Volt terms. For Virgin Media's own Volt terms, there's also a link to those from our Volt terms, but here's a direct link to Virgin Media's terms that cover Volt.

Still having issues and it's not listed in our known issues, or any of the above? Give us a shout on Social Media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and we'll try and help you out.

[Shroko]

If you supercharge to Volt, you are entitled to Free WiFi Pods @gmarkj and all the other Volt benefits. 

[Carlton]

@Chris_K This doesn't answer the question or issue many people, like myself, are having where both my O2 and VM accounts are in the same name and address, but I'm unable to select or activate the Volt benefit, just get the 'You have a Volt Benefit/not available in your area" message....