Virgin Media now offers up to 100 Mbps broadband as standard
The company's also started promoting the up to 300 Mbps tier to regular consumers.
Virgin Media's slowest fibre broadband package is now faster than the top speeds offered by other mainstream UK providers. In its first tariff reshuffle in some time, Virgin is scrapping its up to 50 Mbps plan, making the up to 100 Mbps package the new entry-level tier. What's more, there's now a VIVID 300 plan promising top speeds of 300 Mbps, which eclipses the best competitors like BT, Sky and TalkTalk can offer (up to 76 Mbps max). Virgin first made up to 300 Mbps fibre available this time last year, but only as a special upgrade aimed at home workers. Today it becomes a more visible option for regular consumers.
Prices have gotten a little bit cheaper across the board, too. Assuming a 12-month contract length, the VIVID 100 plan is a fiver cheaper at £32.25 per month. The up to 200 Mbps VIVID 200 tier is now £37.25 per month (down from £45.25), and the gamer variant (with a slightly better up to 20 Mbps upload rate) is £42.25 per month instead of £50.25. The new VIVID 300 plan is obviously the priciest at £47.25 per month. Various deals are also available if you take a TV package in tandem.
By making 100 Mbps its slowest package and the 300 Mbps tier more visible, Virgin Media is keeping a couple of steps ahead of its rivals. Particularly BT (or should we say Openreach), which has been piloting G.fast technology for a while now, alongside increasing its fibre footprint. G.fast promises top speeds of around 300 Mbps while still using old copper wires for the last few hundred metres, meaning less upgrade work is needed to deliver it.
