Virgin says that those who subscribe to its M100 plan will now see things increase from 108Mbps to 132Mbps and its M200 plan will rise from 213Mbps to 264Mbps. It basically means that some will now see a full HD movie arriving around 30 seconds faster than before.
If you think you are due an upgrade then it’s worth checking your email as Virgin is currently informing eligible customers.
“To thank you for being part of the Virgin Media family, we’re giving you a speed boost – at no extra cost,” the email reads.
“You’ll be moving from M200 to M250 Fibre Broadband, which serves up 25% faster average speeds – with average download speeds going up to 264Mbps from 213Mbps and average upload speeds to 25Mbps from 20Mbps. “That’s perfect for streaming guilty pleasures, gaming with the gang, posting that #fire selfie, or downloading the latest blockbuster (which you could do in just over 7.5 minutes).
“All you need to do is reboot your WiFi Hub.”
That last part of the email is vital as the boost won’t take place until the router is turned off and switched back on again. It’s very simple to do and only takes a few minutes although it’s worth making sure nobody is in the middle of a Zoom call of vital downloads as the Wi-Fi will stop working during the reset process.
How to reboot the Hub
• To reboot the Virgin Media Hub, follow these steps:
• Switch off the Hub at the wall socket, wait 10 seconds, turn it back on
• Wait 5 – 10 minutes for the Hub to reboot
You’ll know when your router will be ready as you’ll see the white power light on the front glowing steadily without any blinks or flashing.
Once it’s all done, you should then see the free speed boost. A good way to check is to sites such as Ookla which will show just how fast your downloads really are.
Speaking about the changes, Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Virgin Media O2 set out with a clear aim to upgrade the UK, and giving millions of our customers enhanced value through our latest broadband speed boost is another step towards this.
“As reliance on connectivity continues to grow – and at a time when value matters more than ever – we’re proud to be giving our customers even more, on us.”