Anyone use Virgin Fibre Broadband?

buffybegoodbuffybegood
in General Chatter
I'm having problems with my broadband atm, I'm with EE which, like BT, Plusnet and various other ISPs, uses Openreach. I've no particular issues with EE themselves, but, having used Plusnet previously, I'm really fed up with the Openreach in my area; repairs take forever, and they almost always want access to the property even though the issue is never within the property. The speed is dreadful in my area too (6Mbps on the outskirts of a major city) with no date for Openreach fibre yet, and so I've been looking around at alternatives.

I was seriously considering 4/5G home broadband, although slightly worried by how reliable it would be (I'm with EE as a mobile provider, and get 2 or 3 bars of 4G signal at home, although the "3" home broadband offer is much cheaper), and then discovered Virgin actually offer fibre broadband in my street now. My previous experience of Virgin wasn't good; I found their customer support dreadful as they, at the time, were using overseas call centres and I found it very difficult getting issues resolved. However, I'm tempted to sign up to an 18 month contract to get fibre now, and then maybe review at the end of the contract, but just thought I'd check if anyone has any more recent experience of them than I do.

Comments

  • Expat_HammerExpat_Hammer
    Their customer service is dreadful. They have a script and stick to it and won't believe what you tell them, but on the plus side, I have only had to call them three or four times over the last 14 years.

    The broadband rarely has serious problems, maybe down an hour or two at most. Only one occasion where we were without any VM service from Friday to Monday, but then the whole area was out with any provider, IIRC.

    They are pretty good.
  • IrondukeIronduke
    I would`nt recommend any of them, they are all a pain in the butt. Wike has virgin mobile and they keep pestering her. I had` 10yr dispute with BT over premium phone charges....EE cold called me` so I told their company name sounded like Eeyore squealing. Sky wont let you leave and hound you. I am you jjstill wiith Plusnet who have`nt pestered me. I got deal upon renewal but they are part BT. you just`` have to shop around. use the free broadband width thingy to test your speed, if thats important to you. mine in Elsenham has rece3ntly been upgraded and wifi, now works in every room upstairs and downstairs, even works in my bunker which is about 30ft from house. Good luck
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited April 2023
    Expat_Hammer said:

    Their customer service is dreadful. They have a script and stick to it and won't believe what you tell them.....

    That was exactly my experience, and what really turned me off of overseas call centres. It's not the individual's fault; if English isn't their first language then it's not surprising that they might struggle with anything off script, but it does make you wonder why they can't transfer you to an English speaker if your reason for calling is something other than upgrading your phone package.
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    I think Openreach does the cabling for everyone.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    thornburyiron said:

    I think Openreach does the cabling for everyone.

    Virgin do their own cabling as do CityFibre, Geo etc. over their own duct network.

    Openreach do all of BT's cabling and in doing so maintain all the other Operators services that run across that network that include SKY, Vodafone, Talk Talk, Plusnet, and others.
  • SlackerSlacker
    I live in the sticks and we’re not expecting fibre until about 2090, but we are due to get BBC2 within five years so it’s not all bad.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Slacker said:

    I live in the sticks and we’re not expecting fibre until about 2090, but we are due to get BBC2 within five years so it’s not all bad.

    Has colour TV arrived yet? 😁
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    IronHerb said:

    thornburyiron said:

    I think Openreach does the cabling for everyone.

    Virgin do their own cabling as do CityFibre, Geo etc. over their own duct network.

    Openreach do all of BT's cabling and in doing so maintain all the other Operators services that run across that network that include SKY, Vodafone, Talk Talk, Plusnet, and others.
    Yeah, it's Openreach that I'm trying to get away from, or, at least, the very old cabling in my area; I'm one of maybe 150-200 houses that are across a railway line and all the cabling in this little area is old and unreliable. We had fibre laid in the pavements here a month or two ago so should be able to get FTTP when fibre is finally available (nothing to suggest that is imminent on the Openreach website), bypassing the old cabinets that seem to be at the root of most of the problems here, so hopefully that will be a reliable alternative to Virgin in a couple of years time, but might have to bite the bullet with Virgin until then.
  • OutcastLondonerOutcastLondoner
    I've never had it but it felt like the one people had the most problems on when everyone was working from home during the lockdowns. I've known a few people who weren't happy with them but to be honest, I haven't been happy with most of my internet providers until now. I'm on Community Fibre, which is full fibre and I think not on open reach but they serve a limited area.
  • SlackerSlacker
    IronHerb said:

    Slacker said:

    I live in the sticks and we’re not expecting fibre until about 2090, but we are due to get BBC2 within five years so it’s not all bad.

    Has colour TV arrived yet? 😁
    What is this alchemy of which you speak?😳😱

  • IrondukeIronduke
    For those watching in black and white..Newastle are easier to identify..
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