Dan Howdle October 21st, 2025
Virgin Media’s Gig1 broadband is the provider’s fastest widely available package, delivering average download speeds of 1.1Gbps and uploads of 104Mbps. It’s designed to handle the busiest of homes without breaking a sweat – multiple 4K streams, cloud backups, large downloads, gaming, and video calls can all happen at once without slowing you down. Virgin Media also offers an even faster Gig2 service, but that’s only available in limited areas, so Gig1 remains the top-end option for most people.
Virgin Media has, for a limited time only, reduced the price from £35.99 to £26.99 per month over the 24-month contract. That's an extremely competitive price for gigabit-capable broadband, and with zero upfront fees. Currently, we're expecting that to end in early November, so it's a great time to switch.
Gig1 Fibre Broadband
Fixed price until March 2026 bill
1.1Gb
Average speed
No phone line
24
Month contract
Zero upfront cost
£26.99 Per month
Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.
Lowest price ever – reduced from £35.99 per month, meaning a saving of £216 over the contract period.
At it's current pricing, Virgin Media’s Gig1 is rare in that it delivers both very, very high speed and huge savings. Indeed the writer of this very blog chooses this package above all others for his own home broadband! For £26.99 per month, over a 24-month contract, you’ll be getting average downloads of 1.1Gbps, which is comfortably enough even for large families or shared homes juggling streaming, gaming, and work calls all at the same time.
However, the best part here is without doubt that incredible £216 saving, which makes this probably the best value, widely available gigabit broadband in the UK right now. While Virgin Media does sell a faster package – the limited-availability Gig2 option – that's far more expensive and, in our view, offers speeds that most households just won't need.
Gig1 Fibre Broadband
Fixed price until March 2026 bill
1.1Gb
Average speed
No phone line
24
Month contract
Zero upfront cost
£26.99 Per month
Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.
Lowest price ever – reduced from £35.99 per month, meaning a saving of £216 over the contract period.
With Virgin Media’s Gig1, you’ll be getting average download speeds of 1.1Gbps and uploads of 104Mbps. Really, that’s also more than most households ever actually need, so you’ll have breathing room for everyone to do their thing at once — whether that’s 4K streaming, online gaming, cloud backups or endless Zoom calls. Even if you’ve filled your home with smart gadgets, Gig1 will keep it all ticking along without any fuss.
If you’re used to older fibre packages, the difference is going to be massive. A chunky game update that might once have taken all night can now be finished in minutes, and sharing large files or backing up data feels almost instant thanks to the much faster uploads. In short, this is broadband that won’t just keep up with you today — it’s got plenty of headroom for the future too.
For more information, see our guide to getting broadband installed.
Virgin Media supplies the Hub 5 (Wi-Fi 6) with Gig1 as standard. It’s a big step up in terms of Wi-Fi performance compared to Virgin's older kit and includes a faster 2.5Gbps Ethernet port alongside its standard Gigabit ports.
Hub 3 is now only supplied with Virgin Media’s slowest tiers, and Hub 4 is long-discontinued. If you’re renewing your contract, upgrading to Gig1, and still have a Hub 3, you can (and should) ask Virgin Media to swap it for a Hub 5.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi version | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Bands | 2.4GHz & 5GHz |
| Ethernet ports | One 2.5Gbps, three 1Gbps |
| Modem mode | Supported |
| USB ports | None |
| Antennas | Seven |
The Hub 5 will be more than enough for most homes on its own, with faster Wi-Fi and better wired options than earlier Virgin Media routers. Larger properties or those with thicker walls may still benefit from adding Virgin’s optional Wi-Fi pods, which extend coverage as a mesh network. For the majority of households though, the Hub 5 included with Gig1 is fast and ready to handle whatever you want to throw at it.
Virgin Media runs its own broadband network rather than relying on Openreach, so the installation process is a little different to most other providers. If your property has already had Virgin Media services before, there may be an existing connection point inside your home. In that case, Virgin can often send the Hub 5 out in the post for a self-install, and you’ll just need to plug it in and activate it online. Most new customers will need a new connection, though.
If your home hasn’t been connected to Virgin Media before, or if the existing socket isn’t usable, Virgin will arrange an engineer visit. This usually involves running a cable from the street cabinet to your property and fitting a Virgin Media wall socket indoors. In some cases this may mean drilling a small, tidy hole through an external wall to feed the cable inside. The engineer will then set up your Hub 5 and make sure everything is working before leaving.
To add a bit of additional complexity, where available Virgin Media is insisting on installing its new pure fibre network, which differs greatly from its traditional cable network. So you could find yourself in a situation where Virgin Media will install a brand new line into your home even when you already have a Virgin Media socket available, swapping out the old for the new. It's a sensible move on Virgin Media's part and better future-proofs your home for faster speeds at a later date.
Virgin Media doesn’t charge anything extra on your Gig1 package at sign-up. Installation, activation, and the Hub 5 router are all included in the monthly price, and there’s no delivery fee for the router either. So when your first bill arrives, you’ll only see the standard monthly cost you agreed to – nothing added on top.
That might sound like a small detail, but it does set Virgin apart from some other providers who still tack on setup fees of £30 or more. With MGig1, you can be confident that the price you sign up for is exactly what you’ll pay, with zero surprises on your first bill.
Virgin Media is different from most other UK broadband providers because it runs on its own network rather than simply using Openreach like all the other national providers. It means it isn’t limited by the same pace of rollout or speed caps, and can offer packages like Gig1 in some areas where rivals are still stuck on much slower standard fibre connections. The upshot is that for many households, Virgin is the only way to get these kinds of speeds right now.
Another point in Virgin’s favour is how well it marries broadband, TV and mobile. If you want everything on one bill, Virgin’s bundles let you combine fast broadband with TV packages that include Sky channels, the option to add premium channel bundles, and streaming apps. Few providers can match that level of integration, which makes Virgin Media particularly appealing if you’re after an all-in-one package. And Virgin really is the only provider right now that allows you to get broadband, phone, TV and mobile all in one bundle.
Virgin Media also supplies a very good router as standard. The Hub 5 comes with Wi-Fi 6, something providers like BT and Sky still hold back for top-end packages or paid add-ons. It’s designed to handle multiple high-demand devices at once, so big families and shared households can get more from their connection without having to pay extra for more advanced kit. Virgin Media’s appeal goes well beyond raw speed or value for money. For more detail, check out our Virgin Media Broadband review.
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