Virgin Media half-price broadband may convince you to ditch BT and Sky

If you fancy downloading films and files at speeds that are over 10 times faster than the UK average it might be worth checking out Virgin Media’s latest discount. The UK Internet Service Provider (ISP) has just announced the launch of a new deal that’s dishing out its ultimate 1Gbps speeds for half the usual price. That means you can get those ludicrously quick downloads for just £30 per month.

Those with this service beamed into their homes will find that a blockbuster Hollywood movie takes just 40 seconds to download and it’s also ideal for gamers with 50GB files arriving in minutes rather than hours.

Virgin is also offering its latest WiFi Hub 5 device and there’s the firm’s Intelligent WiFi Technology as well which makes sure the broadband stays stable throughout the home.

There’s also no joining fee for those signing up today.

YOU CAN SEE THE DEAL HERE

Now you might be thinking that this all sounds way too good to be true and there must be a catch.

Virgin has confirmed that the half-price discount only lasts for the first six months of the plan with things then rising to £50 per month for the rest of the 24-month contract.

So, how does this deal compare to what BT and Sky has to offer?

Those switching to a new BT contract can currently get five months of access for half the usual price with those signing up for its Full Fibre 900 plan paying just £27.49. Things then rise to £54.99 for the rest of the term.

Sky isn’t offering any introductory discounts at the minute with its fastest 900Mbps speeds costing £54 per month. The only bonus of joining Sky is that it only ties you in for 18 months so you can look for a new deal sooner.

Here’s how these deal compare and how much you’ll pay over the term of the deal

VIRGIN MEDIA • GIG1
PRICE: £30 first six months then £50
SPEEDS: 1,130Mbps
SET-UP FEE: £0
CONTRACT: 24 months
EXTRAS: New hub and intelligent Wi-Fi
TOTAL PRICE PAID (over 24 months): £1080
SEE THE DEAL

BT BROADBAND• Full Fibre 900
PRICE: £27.49 first six months then £54.99
SPEEDS: 900Mbps
SET-UP FEE: £29.99
CONTRACT: 24 months
EXTRAS: 12 months’ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate free
TOTAL PRICE PAID (over 24 months): £1212.25
SEE THE DEAL

Sky• Full Fibre 900
PRICE: £30 first six months then £50
SPEEDS: 900Mbps
SET-UP FEE: £29.99
CONTRACT: 18 months
EXTRAS: 12 months’ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate free
TOTAL PRICE PAID (over 24 months): £1308
SEE THE DEAL

What speeds do you really need?

The better the download speed the more you will pay so make sure you only upgrade to the power you really need.

A single person who simply wants to send a few emails and stream the odd show on Netflix shouldn’t need anything more than a 30Mbps connection.

However, a house full of gadgets with people trying to stream in 4K, download games and make Zoom calls will need much faster speeds.

A busy family that doesn’t want a sluggish connection should look at upgrading to at least 200Mbps or faster.