Virgin Media is switching its 3m mobile customers to Vodafone

[HEXUS]

It has signed up to a 5 year MVNO contract with Vodafone, starting from late 2021.

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[Output]

According to a report in the FT, the loss of Virgin Media's business will leave a £200pa hole in BT's income stream.

Now that's a cheap MVNO deal, I didn't think it would cost only £200 per year.

[[GSV]Trig]

My immediate question, what about those that have an EE locked phone and are on a SIM Only deal, their device will stop working when the move happens..
Wonder what Virgin will do about that..

[Zak33]

that will be me gone I think

I like Virgin exactly as it is, and that's more than 50% because it's EE.

Oh well, end of another era. Vodabroken have 2 years to get it utterly screwed up ready to transition.

[scaryjim]

Now that's a cheap MVNO deal, I didn't think it would cost only £200 per year.

Good to know I wasn't the only one thinking that

My immediate question, what about those that have an EE locked phone and are on a SIM Only deal, their device will stop working when the move happens..
Wonder what Virgin will do about that..

I'd imagine something like "You've known this has been happening for two years, you've had plenty of time to sort yourself out, and what on earth are you doing with a network locked phone* in 2021 anyway?", followed by the offer of the cheapest possible dumb-phone replacement to anyone who still whinges.

*and I'm serious about this - I can't remember the last time I ended up with a network locked phone regardless of how I obtained it. Is it still a thing that some networks do?

that will be me gone I think ... Vodabroken have 2 years to get it utterly screwed up ready to transition.

Recently transitioned to Vodafone (well, VOXI), and I honestly can't say I've noticed any difference in reliability from my last two contracts. Also seem to remember them being just fine when I was with them around 6 - 7 years ago. Was I just lucky? Or have you just been unlucky?

[Smudger]

Isn't there some rule where if you're out of the period of the contract where you originally obtained the phone, they have to unlock it for free?

*not that I've had a network-locked phone for many, many years...

[AGTDenton]

Ironic I just received my VOXI SIM today to replace my Virgin contract as Vodafone is the only one that penetrates buildings at home.
Now, do I hang on for a year with awful service to save my unlimited everything contract or do I take the plunge...

In fact being dual sim I will change my GiffGaff number to Virgin so I have at least 1 good SIM at home

[[GSV]Trig]

I'd imagine something like "You've known this has been happening for two years, you've had plenty of time to sort yourself out, and what on earth are you doing with a network locked phone* in 2021 anyway?", followed by the offer of the cheapest possible dumb-phone replacement to anyone who still whinges.

Yeah you'd like to think that, and on a tech forum like this, carrier locked devices are less of an issue, but how many will "think" that they are with Virgin so it doesnt matter, as they are still with Virgin after the change?

I've got a friend at the minute with an old S9+, shes moved from EE, which the phone is locked too, to GiffGaff, and I have a phone here that needs unlocking lol..
People that want to save money by moving from a contract to a PAYG/SIM Only setup will tend to bring a handset with them, and thats where the locked devices come in..

[Phrontis]

I went to Virgin because we use Virgins phone line TV and internet so got a really good deal on the SIM only package I have. The other thing was the fact it was on the EE network as I had had Vodafone before, I had started with them in 1996, and it is dire where I live, EE is the best but still not fantastic. So it's going to be a suck it and see when it all changes.

[3dcandy]

Recently got a Virgin sim for free as our tinternet and phone are with them....
Not noticed any difference to be fair from 02

[Tabbykatze]

EE has faults with bandwidth and fluctuations but everyone I know just complains and complains about Vodafone these days.

I've been on Three for just over a decade and for all their coverage faults I rarely have bad things to say about them. The only time I would ever use a Vodafone Sim is when I'm hiking across the werefold infested lands of dartmoor or the were-sheep hills of Wales.

[Saracen999]

The advantage of Vodafone for me is a SIM that suits me perfectly, which is to say, perfect for a very low volume user, and almost entirely for calls. Then again, it's PAYG anyway. Not had any service issues, though.

[Millennium]

I've been happy with my Vodafone sim but I sincerely hope they have the capacity to field this. I don't want to see my 4g speeds in London affected (they can beat my FTTC). I have a sneaking suspicion my love affair with Voda will be over in around 18 months both for phone and fibre/ADSL.

[cheesemp]

Glad I didn't switch to virgin recently like I planned to. We only get EE and (as I recently discovered) 3 signal. Vodaphone and O2 are utterly useless in our house - It not like we live in the wilderness either. A small (but not tiny) town not too far from Southampton. Its so poor signal where we are they gave up on a smart meter fitting!

[Ravuncher]

I just switched from Vodafone (terrible signal in my area) to Virgin because great EE coverage here at lower pricing... shame.

[V1nny]

Such a shame, I was going to go back to VM when my Three contract expires in Jan. Do not rate Voda at all, poor cyst service