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Why M250 and VOIP phone?

grahamm77
On our wavelength

I have been using Virgin for Broadband started off at I think 20Mbps.  Now they have just upgraded me to 200Mbps (M250).  But when this contract expires next year it will go up from around £7 to £45!  As 2 senior citizens we do not need 250Mbps.  Yes we sometimes stream a movie or catch up TV - do we need that speed - NO!  Pretty sure 50Mbps would be ok which is where I really started then they upgraded to 100Mbps - no extra cost at first.  Now they have upgraded me to 200Mbps - I didn't ask for that.  On the web site only upgraded no way to back down to 100Mbps (M125?) and save myself some money.  At the moment we have a landline (copper) phone with TalkTalk. But wouldn't it be good put phone over the broadband - I thought Virgin did this.  My mobile phone was with O2 so now I am a VOLT customer !!!  So do I now negotiate Phone over IP/broadband with O2 sorry VOLT?  I thought I might be able to add phone with virgin over IP.  On web site it says add a landline - no I don't want to add a copper landline - eventually I feel they will disappear.  I love there broadband but dealing with Virgin as supplier I feel is awful.  Maybe I should say I want to leave and try and negotiate cheaper broadband and see if I can add phone over IP??  I don't want TV I an happy with FreeView and I have FreeSat and have one film streaming service over Internet.  I know I am a senior citizen but trying to do anything over there web site is terrible.  And last time I spoke to them about adding my Talk Talk anytime phone service they said they  couldn't do it in a way that would save me money.  

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Accepted Solutions

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

Virgin Media are in the process of changing over to what they term 21CV, which uses your broadband connection for the phone - it's very similar to VOIP, but the technical details are a little different, but not in any way that matters to you or me.

Do you still need a landline?  You say you've got a mobile, if you use a phone & provider that offer wifi calling, then you could use that, choosing a package that gives you unlimited calls (eg if you use little or no data, then an iD Mobile sim for six quid a month fits the bill).  

If you do want a VOIP line, then consider Vonage if you want bundled calls.  If you just want a cheap as chips VOIP line then Andrews & Arnold will offer you a VOIP connection for peanuts (£1.20 a month).  Outgoing calls are charged, but at decent prices, the main downside is that you'll need to have a chat with them about getting things setup, and possibly configuring the Analogue Telephone Adaptor that's needed to sit between your hub and your landline handset.

And if you're unimpressed with VM's attitude and service, why not look for a new deal with somebody else that includes the things you want, but not the things you don't?  What about Zen Internet?  They're a good balance between price, ease of dealing with them and service.  If changing provider, don't cancel VM until the new service is connected and working - better to pay for an overlap of service, than be without service if the new connection gets delayed, eg by strikes. 

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Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

If you are with Talk Talk, can you not just get a lower tier BB from them?

As for the phone, all copper based landlines will be phased out by 2025 (?) so they will all be VoIP eventually.

VM have stopped the old phone installs for some time now, and all the new VM phone/broadband contracts are VoIP, or "digital voice" in Marketing speak.

The "landline" phone connects to the back of the Hub using an adapter and runs over the same co-ax cable as the broadband supply (and TV if contracted)

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Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

Virgin Media are in the process of changing over to what they term 21CV, which uses your broadband connection for the phone - it's very similar to VOIP, but the technical details are a little different, but not in any way that matters to you or me.

Do you still need a landline?  You say you've got a mobile, if you use a phone & provider that offer wifi calling, then you could use that, choosing a package that gives you unlimited calls (eg if you use little or no data, then an iD Mobile sim for six quid a month fits the bill).  

If you do want a VOIP line, then consider Vonage if you want bundled calls.  If you just want a cheap as chips VOIP line then Andrews & Arnold will offer you a VOIP connection for peanuts (£1.20 a month).  Outgoing calls are charged, but at decent prices, the main downside is that you'll need to have a chat with them about getting things setup, and possibly configuring the Analogue Telephone Adaptor that's needed to sit between your hub and your landline handset.

And if you're unimpressed with VM's attitude and service, why not look for a new deal with somebody else that includes the things you want, but not the things you don't?  What about Zen Internet?  They're a good balance between price, ease of dealing with them and service.  If changing provider, don't cancel VM until the new service is connected and working - better to pay for an overlap of service, than be without service if the new connection gets delayed, eg by strikes. 

grahamm77
On our wavelength

I did guess that when Virgin say landline!! they mean VOIP over the Internet.  But I couldn't on their web site see how to add just phone to my M250 broadband.  Plus because my Mobile is on O2 and not that Virgin and O2 have sort of joined I am treated as VOLT customer.  So O2 just doubled my data amount on my phone (I didn't even use the original 12Mb.  I am senior citizen I don't stare at my phone all day.  I use it as a tool.  Send SMS connect WhatsApp etc... Sometimes stream a small amount of music.  Ok so I went to O2 store in my town do they offer broadband (from Virgin).  Yes you say I could get broadband cheaper from O2 but Virgin are offering their cable broadband to the house (via their coax cables).  Not many of the others are like that.  They can't offer the speeds always.  Yes they might give me 50Mbps.  But why should I have to change as a Virgin customer.  Do I really want to change my Email - I had enough problems the other day with Virgin media to sort out a problem.  Their help desk in India was pretty awful in trouble shooting.  I am ex IT engineer networking.  

Hi grahamm77,

Thanks for posting 🙂

If you're thinking about changing your package you can speak to us on 150/ 0345 454 1111 and the team would be more than happy to go through option with you.

Alex_Rm