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.

[Chris1979]

Can anyone help me understand the Volt "O2 Travel Inclusive Zone" benefit and how Volt will apply it. From what I understand, this is an extra that is normally included in O2 Refresh plans or any plan over 100GB. I don't have one of these - I just signed up to a "O2 Sim Only Unlimited 12M 100GB" plan. The Volt T&C say that the "Travel Inclusive" benefit is added as part of Volt to "Eligible Plans".

I am a Virgin Media customer...would I qualify for this benefit? This is the primary reason I have just joined O2 and have about a week left of my cooling off period. If I wont qualify I will leave...but I suspect Volt wont be applied until after my cooling off period ends!

[lojelo5]

To me this has been a total farce, it's decided on where I am going next. I have never been with any other ISP or Phone provider for the last 25 or so years all this hassle because of the 1st name on one package when all this could have been sorted if both parties decided it would go on surname/address basis. 

Another issue I have is with o2 how stupid some of your customer support staff are or how your system works out contract lengths. The wife spent nearly 2 hours on the phone last week trying to sort the contract we have with you, and got no where.

She signed up what seemed to her as a better contract I got home from work and told her it was worse so she phoned back 2 days later to revert back to the old contract which ran out in March 2022. Though you thought it was good to revert us back to the old contract and put an extra 18 month contract on top of the remaining contract making it 24 months!!  

[madasaf1sh]

Have you waited the 14 days @Navtej 

Also the Name and Address need to match at both o2 and Virgin Media, as otherwise never the twain will meet

[madasaf1sh]

@lojelo5 

And you have just proven why no one wants to work in Customer Service and deal with customers when all they do is call them stupid. 

VMo2 have agreed the process and that is the one we all have to follow, and the account names have to match completely as do the address details to process, simple as.  

The process is has been put in place by o2, and you can't revert back to the old contract and usually you can't go back to the old tariff. 

It just looks like a simple system process where it hasn't updated.

The whole Volt has been a joke from VMo2 but things will settle down, and this will become a seamless process.  I have spoken to both o2 and VM and in VM's case lodged a formal complaint, and have had a chat with the COO office on how they are trying to upsell people to get the benefit and have called out the BS from their call centre staff  before you say I'm defending VMo2.

You could always go with another ISP and Mobile Network such as BT(EE) or Vodafone, who both offer packaged services that have more flawed processes

[madasaf1sh]

@Chris1979 

I have the understanding that the Volt Benefits now dont get applied to new customers until the 14days have past, as you may be stung for charges on some of the packages if you start cancelling services, and no one wants that. 

And Trust me and I'm sure you know that VM like to add charges on

The o2 Travel Inclusive Zone is explained here O2 | O2 Travel in our Inclusive Zone

Once the Volt Benefits are applied, you get the Inclusive Travel Zone bolt on 

[lojelo5]

@ madasaf1sh

I know how customer services work the stupid remark was against it doesn't and shouldn't take over 2 hours on a phone being passed from one agent to another just to revert back to the same package you were on 2 days prior, sorry if you don't agree that's your opinion and the stupid remark is still my opinion.

Yes I can go to another provider this is what we will be doing, if we encounter the same problem then so be it that will be *our* stupid mistake.

[unisoft]

I agree. Day 19 of no Volt benefits. Looks like the O2 CS rep yesterday just beefed up the data to the double amount, as the roaming bolt-on not applied by VOLT yet. Every time you ask them its "allow 14 days" even though we are well and truly past that. VM did their part instantly originally.

Secondly, the Keep my mobile for transferring a PAC in did not happen. IT said it was successful after filling in the details but on day of port (next day as before 5pm) I got suspicious as no SMS or Email confirming. After 30 minutes yet again, was told there was no record and the rep had to enter details in.

I want to be positive about O2 as not used them previously, but; and this is the truth; so far they have been the company I have had to contact the most. I've been with Orange, EE, Three and Virgin Mobile before and its probably an average of 1 call to them in the WHOLE of the time I was with them. Also THREE of the transmitter masts I am likely to be using in different areas (one at my parents 120 miles away) with O2 have issues on their status page with no indication of fix time!

When I tested my company's business SIM a few months ago VoLTE and Wifi Calling were working on Xiaomi 10T Lite 5G phone. When I got my personal SIM, neither would work despite being enabled in Android 11, and when I popped the business SIM back in, it no longer works on that. So looks like O2 dropped support and it isn't in that (small) devices supported list either but then anything other than Apple or Samsung.....

[aldaweb]

I've been with Virgin since it was United Artists Cable and Cable Internet but they insisted my address was different from what the Council have it as or the Post Office address finder has, so 3 different addresses for the same property. I've tried to get it changed to the same as that which o2 has (the Post Office address lookup), but still can't seem to activate Volt benefits. Why don't they just link it by account numbers?

[GoosePlays20]

Why is it only for pay monthly, what do us on pay as you go get out of this?? UNFAIR

[jonsie]

Maybe one day @GoosePlays20 ....