O2 broadband vs Virgin Broadband

Gray-Fox

I'm thinking of switching TO Virgin FROM O2 for price reasons.

I have had no problems with O2 at all, but wondering if Virgin has many problems?

kwikbreaks

I made that switch and don't regret it but don't understand why you are saying "for price reasons" as VM is marginally more expensive than O2 + BT - unless you are ob O2 Access of course and then the switch is a no-brainer - VM wins on everything.

VM Phone £11.99
VM cable 10Mbps £12.50 or 20Mbps £20.00

If you don't take the phone then the 10Mbps costs £20 and the 20Mbps £30


BT Phone £11.99 (probably by now)
O2 8Mbps £12.50 20Mbps £15.00 but both can be reduced by £5.00 if you have an O2 mobile.

The real extra cost can come if you actually use the VM phone as the call costs and call packages are more expensive than the corresponding BT ones.

macman

How much are you going to save?
After 12m contract, you should be able to get 02 Standard for a fiver a month, assuming you have the £5 mobile discount.
Depending on your tariff, VM may throttle you, and their CS is dire.
Assuming you are on O2 LLU, and not O2 Access, IMHO you'd be mad to move.
And once you are on VM cable, you cannot leave until you get an ADSL landline reconnected first.
And VM's telephony is the most expensive around, which you'll have to use as you will no longer have an ADSL line.

Gray-Fox

It's OK anyway, I think I'm going to get O2's home phone package and combine it with my broadband, meaning I'll be paying:

9.50 + 7.50 = £17 per month.

I'll have to cancel my BT line though...will this cost?

Gray-Fox

macman wrote: »

How much are you going to save?
After 12m , you should be able to get02 Standard for a fiver a month, assuming you have the £5 mobile discount.

I get the mobile discount, but can I still get o2 standard for a fiver, even though I'm already a customer?

Jomo

I'd say VM is miles better, if you can get it via the cable anyway.

macman

Gray-Fox wrote: »

I get the mobile discount, but can I still get o2 standard for a fiver, even though I'm already a customer?

There is no charge for migrating from BT unless you are still in contract. Do not cancel your line with BT, sign up with o2 Home Phone and they handle it for you.
I've just finished my first year on O2 broadband, phoned up CS to ask what they could do in return for a further year's contract, and was immediately offered a £2.50 discount which was applied the same day and reflected in my next bill the day after. Took about 3 minutes.

kwikbreaks

macman wrote: »

Depending on your tariff, VM may throttle you, and their CS is dire.

The VM traffic management policy is published unlike most - http://help.virginmedia.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1002&PARTITION_ID=1&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&USERTYPE=0&VM_CUSTOMER_TYPE=Cable&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2781 If you want to run torrents flat out during the day and evening then you will be throttled for sure unless you take the 50Mbps product which has no traffic management (although VM may still moan at you for breach of the Acceptable Use Policy).

I've heard horror stories about VM CS too but on the few occasions I've called them they've been fine. On the occasions I had to call O2 because there was a BT line fault their CS was useless and even sent a (totally unnecessary) router replacement to the address I'd moved from 2 months earlier. I lost my patience with both BT and O2 and moved to VM. As I said - no regrets about that at all.

Jomo

kwikbreaks wrote: »

The VM traffic management policy is published unlike most - http://help.virginmedia.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1002&PARTITION_ID=1&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&USERTYPE=0&VM_CUSTOMER_TYPE=Cable&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2781 If you want to run torrents flat out during the day and evening then you will be throttled for sure unless you take the 50Mbps product which has no traffic management (although VM may still moan at you for breach of the Acceptable Use Policy).

I've heard horror stories about VM CS too but on the few occasions I've called them they've been fine. On the occasions I had to call O2 because there was a BT line fault their CS was useless and even sent a (totally unnecessary) router replacement to the address I'd moved from 2 months earlier. I lost my patience with both BT and O2 and moved to VM. As I said - no regrets about that at all.

They have improved alot over the years...especially since changing over to Virgin.

But I suppose they will have a lot of trouble shaking that reputation off!