Virgin Media O2 is getting into the Christmas spirit early by handing out free broadband speed boosts to thousands of its customers.
The company’s M100 and M200 broadband packages have been upgraded to M125 and M250 packages, respectively. Existing M100 customers will see their max internet speed increase by 22% (from 108Mbps to 132Mbps), while those subscribed to the M200 service will enjoy a 24% boost (from 213Mbps to 264Mbps).
New customers will also benefit from the freebie, since Virgin Media’s M125 and M250 packages are now available for the same price as their previous lower-tier counterparts.
In practice, these upgrades mean it’ll now take M125 customers around 15 minutes to download one of the best Netflix movies in 4K (compared to 19 minutes previously), while M250 users can do the same in approximately seven-and-a-half minutes (versus nine minutes previously).
That’s a tangible difference on both counts, especially given the ever-increasing file sizes of new movies and games in recent years (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, for instance, requires well over 100GB of free space on PS5).
How to get the free upgrade
If you’re subscribed to either package, getting the broadband speed upgrade is easy. Simply reboot your Virgin Media hub by switching it off and on again, or update it via the Virgin Media Connect app.
Incidentally, if you’re a Volt customer, you’ll also benefit from the uplift at no extra cost (on top of your already boosted broadband speed).
Virgin Media says the handout comes as its “latest customer generosity initiative” to “give households a welcomed speed boost at a time [when] connectivity is more essential than ever.” The move follows a recent announcement concerning free upgrades to the company's Essential Broadband bundle, which is available to anyone in receipt of universal credit from the government.
Virgin Media is boosting upload speeds for its small business customers, too, though these upgrades won’t roll out until early next year.
In the meantime, at least, home-based Virgin Media subscribers can jump on those early Black Friday deals extra fast.
