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Virgin mobile broadband

Virgin overview

  • Straight forward dongle-only deal with a choice of either 1GB or 3GB download allowance each month.
  • Advertised speeds of up to 7.2Mb and no connection fee on 18 month contracts.
  • Virgin use the T-Mobile network, so coverage is pretty good across the UK.

Best selling Virgin mobile broadband deals

Virgin Broadband Genie Road Test results

Virgin Media Road test
Virgin Media TCTX 200S
Downloads
rating -4 stars4 stars
Uploads
rating -5 stars5 stars
Most stable
rating -3 stars3 stars
Coverage
rating -4 stars4 stars
Feelgood factor
rating -5 stars5 stars
Dongle software
rating -4 stars4 stars
Overall rating
rating -4 stars4 stars

May 2010

2010 Awards: Overall Dongle on the Move runner-up, Best Uploader Winner, Best Coverage Joint Winner & Best Downloader runner-up

Following last year's victory, this was again a strong showing from Virgin Media. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, seeing as Virgin Mobile uses the same network as this year's runaway winner, T-Mobile - it has clearly made the right choice in who to hitch a ride from in the world of mobile broadband.

We weren't so keen on the glossy finish of this year's dongle, the TCT X200S, but it's interesting to note the two leading 2010 Road Trip dongles were made by companies other than Huawei. The software that came with it wasn't anything to write home about either, but we didn't really have any complaints - pretty standard fare. Overall, if you don't really notice the dongle and its software, you're probably not complaining, so frankly they're the categories least worth worrying about.

At the business end, the Virgin Media dongle took awards in both the download and upload categories, proving once more that T-Mobile's network is having a good time of it right now. Whether that's because it isn't having to prop up any iPhone deals is a matter for speculation, but it certainly can't be doing any harm.

However, we did have some difficulties with stability. These were normally overcome by its general speed and an uncanny ability to stay connected in tunnels, but its failure to download several files from the BBC website should be slight cause for concern. That said, its average speed test results and slick streaming still saw it take the runner-up award for Best Downloader 2010. For the second year running, we'd be happy to recommend this dongle.

Overall analysis of the Mobile Broadband Genie Road Trip 2010

by Chris Marling May 2010

About Virgin

There's no denying Virgin Media has a great brand, but is it a great mobile broadband product? We've found it to be one of the best out there, but this could well be due to a lack of numbers using its service: where others seem to be a victim of their success, Virgin Media seems to have plenty of bandwidth to play with as far as the mobile internet is concerned. We also get very few customer complaints about it, compared to its rivals. That said, its not like you're spoilt for choice: currently Virgin only has one mobile broadband deal on offer, which probably explains why not many people are heading its way.

While part of the Virgin Media brand (since February 2007), Virgin Mobile isn't actually a mobile network in its own right: it's what is know as a 'mobile virtual network operator', or MVNO - which means it uses another company's network for its mobile phone and mobile broadband service (in this case T-Mobile). In fact, when it launched in 1999, it was the world's first MVNO. Virgin Media was a distant last into the 3G mobile broadband UK market in October 2008. There is currently only a solitary mobile internet contract available, just one lonely dongle, and nothing at all if you're looking for pay as you go mobile broadband. Sorry - no free laptop deals either.

While its mobile broadband product doesn't write many headlines, its worth remember it sits alongside the Virgin Media Quadplay offer: the company is now offering cable TV, telephone and fixed-line broadband as well as its mobile phone deals. We guess 'quinplay' doesn't have quite the same ring to it...

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Virgin customer reviews

Show all 28 Virgin Mobile Broadband reviews»

  • unhappy

    by Alan at 22:45 on 29 Jul 2010Report abuse

    Being an existing Virgin customer for TV, cable broadband & telephone when I wanted to get mobile broadband a few months ago I opted to stay with the brand and get one of the new 7.2Mbps Virgin dongles on a two month rolling contract. I was assured by the Virgin sales staff that their reception was great all over southern England. However, after three months of trying to use it in various locations, from Cornwall to Kent I admit defeat. Coverage is poor and despite paying for a 3gig/month download limit most of my browsing time has been spent swearing at my laptop, waiting for one web page to load before the thing freezes completely. After many complaints to the customer "service" bunch I managed to get a refund of one month's cost but because I'm outside the 30 day period I'm stuck with a £25 useless dongle. I know where I'd love to shove it if I met a Virgin customer servant!
  • unhappy

    by JMPATRICK at 09:08 on 20 Jun 2010Report abuse

    We had a perfectly good virgin expensive £25 per month wireless broadband at home. Then Virgin did us a favour and sold us 18 months of mobile broadband. Its a joke took all night to see how the sim card went in then although virgin has miraculously loaded we could not tell cos there was no home page. My laptop is modern and ran well on wireless but my old c64 was better than this mobile broadband. Mis sold the sevice very upset could never recomend it to anyone else. Have seen friends with excellent results with other providers. For a bit more i could have new laptop and dongle.why do people miss sell. At work i have tiscali one gb thro bt and its instant not 5 min wait wore mouse out cos it was so slow
  • unhappy

    by Janice Blackley at 22:44 on 12 Apr 2010Report abuse

    The worst service anyone can get cut off all the time was told it would work in a rural areait didnt had to pay for ir for a year it lay in a box to frustrating to try to use it
    WOULD NOT RECCOMMEND
  • neutral

    by Ray Sutton at 18:42 on 15 Feb 2010 | registered | 1 postReport abuse

    chris powell - e-mail me on raysutton @ aol.com if you still have the virgin dongle

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