O2 or Virgin Mobile

[AlexanderMTTH]

Hey.

My contract is due to end. I have a Virgin Mobile as part of an oomph bundle. I see all the options for new clients including an O2 SIM. 

Does anyone understand the strategy and future planning if Virgin Mobile vs O2? 

Is Virgin trying to slowly move away from Virgin Mobile or will this be constant for of clients? I still see ads and campaign for Virgin Mobile but bundle wise I see O2 sims. 

[Robert_P · Accepted solution]

Hello AlexanderMTTH

Thanks for taking the time to post your query in regards to your mobile services, O2 and what the future holds. We understand the validity of the question and will do our best to answer it.

At this time, Virgin Media and Virgin Mobile will continue to operate as they have done previously, there are no plans at this time to 'wind down' or 'move away' from Virgin Mobile and we will continue to offer all of the current services apart from the recently closed Pay As You Go service.

The joint venture with O2 opens up opportunities to offer different packages and benefits such as Volt to our customers but also to Virgin Media customers who may have our home services but their mobile services with O2.

I hope this has gone some way to alleviate any concerns you may have had.

Rob

[AlexanderMTTH]

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@Robert_P wrote:

Hello AlexanderMTTH

Thanks for taking the time to post your query in regards to your mobile services, O2 and what the future holds. We understand the validity of the question and will do our best to answer it.

At this time, Virgin Media and Virgin Mobile will continue to operate as they have done previously, there are no plans at this time to 'wind down' or 'move away' from Virgin Mobile and we will continue to offer all of the current services apart from the recently closed Pay As You Go service.

The joint venture with O2 opens up opportunities to offer different packages and benefits such as Volt to our customers but also to Virgin Media customers who may have our home services but their mobile services with O2.

I hope this has gone some way to alleviate any concerns you may have had.

Rob

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Thank Rob. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. 

Although from a PR standpoint you're most surely making sense, from a design of the product you do not. 

All bundles I saw on VM in the last couple of months or so include an O2 SIM, not a Virgin Mobile. I appreciate the company is not looking to actively wind down this product, it surely does not promote it as part of its most sold service. It does look like a passive phasing out of it. I'm aware of some 5-years contract with VDF, which I believe would cost more to move everyone and buy us that contract, but still...

Is it me making up corporate strategies in my head, or no (new) bundles include Virgin Mobile as part of it - but include an O2 sim? 

[enlli]

Knowledge of future corporate strategies is well above the pay grade of anybody who works on this forum, so don't expect any definitive answers.

Combined packages such as the defunct Oomph and Volt are just a small part of Virgin Mobile's customer base. The vast majority who come on here are phone only users.

The only info I got when the merger was announced is that it will be a considerable time in the planning and implementation of two distinctly different systems, not just billing but network wise as Virgin run their own core network on the mobile side.

Lutz, the CEO, plays everything close to his chest, so don't expect to hear anything  until it is released to the press.

I expect Virgin mobile to be around for quite some time yet. Whether eventually it will become O2 or whether both will get a new name, or even Virgin Mobile remaining running like GiffGaff we will have to wait and see 

Don't expect any answers yet.

[HughJarsse]

'I expect Virgin mobile to be around for quite some time yet. Whether eventually it will become O2 or whether both will get a new name, or even Virgin Mobile remaining running like GiffGaff we will have to wait and see''

Enlli, possible new name 'V02' (think there was a shampoo named something like that? ) a complete 'washout' 🤐 

probably the worst bits of both providers, but worse??