Re: VM General News Thread
 

I agree. I think there's space for the altnets in a few large cities but otherwise the altnets are ripe for Nexfibre to pick them off one by one.

Vodafone is not in acquisition mode nor does it have broadband infrastructure intentions in the UK. Its key objectives at the moment are to merge its businesses in Italy and the UK with competitors to increase its profitability.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Pierre,

On Vodafone, it already has nationwide fibre infrastructure linking all their masts together. Whether they want to buy the altnets at the moment, who knows. But looking at their competitors, they are the only mobile co without an existing consumer landline network. I don't believe they will remain a standalone mobile co forever.

On VM, it's already got this offshoot company installing fibre all over the place. At some point I reckon VM will fully split into two companies (which already now exist) one being a consumer facing co and one a network company, including the 02 stuff.

On Comcast, no, I don't think Comcast will buy Liberty. Not now. Perhaps a few years ago, but not now. Liberty is clearly being wound down, so I reckon Comcast might bid for the network part of what we currently call VM.

And further, I don't think Comcast and Sky will be part of the same company.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Vodafone do have an extensive fibre backbone network, they could go for City Fibre with whom they already have a relationship (which has it's own backbone that it bought from Torch..so that would be a waste of money to VF) but I don't see them picking off all the individual Altnets. Maybe City Fibre first, and then several other Altnets, might work. otherwise I don't see it happening, and it won't be cheap.

I don't see it happening but time will tell.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It all depends on who owns what and when.

If BT changes hands and becomes a predominately foreign owned company (whether the government will allow that, is another matter entirely) but if that happens, that entity will push from day one to be rid of all other operators off its network.

And the new BT may have a good case to make, because with other networks out there, BT is not the monopoly provider anymore, so it could argue that why does it have to allow access to its poles and ducts when others don't.

Comcast is and always will be a cableco, first and foremost. Yes, the bosses (like AT&Ts) are enjoying hobnobbing with Hollywood stars, but I reckon that will come to a end, especially when the tech giants make all their moves on Hollywood, as I expect they will do. So, I'm jumping ahead, but I'm asssuming that once Comcast has offloaded its media assets, it may go on the hunt for more cablecos and Virgin Media's network seems an obvious target.

With the altnets, I am 99% sure they will not stay as independent companies, for exactly the same reason why dozens of cable tv companies couldn't remain independent in the end. It's just too expensive. And as Vodafone has no landline network, it seems the obvious way to go for them. But perhaps VM might pick some of them off, who knows. Or/and perhaps Vodafone and Verizon might come back together again.

Specifically on VM, Liberty Global has already disposed of most of its assets and was always nothing more than a holding company for John Malone. He's busy with Warner and all things American and I see LG selling the remainder of its assets off to the highest bidder in the not too distant future. Doesn't have to be Comcast, it could be Charter or a Euro telecom, but I reckon our telcos, as we currently know them to be, will change hands..

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I was told in November that Verizon was said to be interested in buying all of Virgin Media O2 - but no bid was on table at the time.

https://mediaboyukblog.blogspot.com/...rizon-are.html

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I think VM02 can, I think the phrase north of the border is, 'Get Tae F.' at the end of my contract. There are cheaper out there and equally as speedy BB wise.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

There was never any talk around the water cooler that Verizon was interested in VM ;)

Re: VM General News Thread
 

👍 Spot on

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Your link to this “made up, never going to happen” story, is to your own blog.

There is no link to a verifiable independent source.

Unless I’ve missed it, in which case please point me towards it.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Virgin Media have won the Which? Shoddy Awards for being the worst broadband provider.

Virgin Media O2 also lost 13,600 customers in Q2

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Is that the actual broadband or the customer service?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

And you are surprised why?:p:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I would think their customer service, which has never been great.
Their actual broadband has always been good (around here anyway).

I'll be leaving it not becasue its poor, but the price, and lack of fixed IP.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Sounds about right

Re: VM General News Thread
 

i get the price issues but i thought we had a fixed IP address?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Nope, VM IPs are dynamic, they dont often change, but they can.
My VM IP has changed 3 times this year, its a real pain as all my server access is IP based.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

i had no idea. i thought with broadband it remained the same forever. ah every day is a school day!

Re: VM General News Thread
 

https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/jo...ks-1236154920/

The old codger John Malone is still knocking around and still doing deals, merging Charter with Liberty Broadband. Unlike what I said in the first post of this thread, the deals have come at a slower pace than expected, but he's still at it.

The first post in the thread has a helpful, yet out of date infographic of all Malone's interests and I had expected him to merge all of them by now, but there's still time.

As the article says, Malone also has a large shareholding in Warner Discovery. He used to control Discovery and Discovery's ex boss who is the current Warner boss, is Malone's man, so more consolidation may still happen after this latest deal. Malone sits on the Warner Board and has now been joined by his nephew, so there's little doubt that Malone wields considerable influence, if not control, on Warner Discovery.

Malone is also close to Comcast boss Brian Roberts, so we may still end up with a mega cableco/media company at some point, which may or may not include VM, but ultimately I still believe that Big Tech will gobble up the lot in the not too distant future.

BTW: Talking of Comcast and Warner, they're at war over Harry Potter. Sky is suing Warner over it:

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/sky...it-1236158357/

Sky's deal with Warner for Sky Atantic content expires at the end of 2025 and that will not include the new Harry Potter series. Also, Comcast is very keen to retain HP for its theme parks, including the new one for the UK. Planning permission for that is going to the government soon, so either these companies settle their differences in court, or in bed.;)

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I randomly stumbled on this, but do you know you can get a fixed IP through some VPNs? No idea of the cost, but an option if your service is otherwise fine.

KR,
B

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Yes, I'm well aware of that. I already have one for work. :)
However, I dont want one at home, I want my main home IP to be fixed.

Aside from that, VM are also expensive, and worse, they are ripping me off compared to a new user with the same service. :td:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Cool.

Agree - frustrating to see family members on VM being charged price increase every year while new deals are super cheap.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

When your deal is up, simply get a better deal to avoid a price increase. I had Sky Cinema thrown in for free last time, and this year ahead a tenner reduction on my monthly bill.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

What they seem to be doing is signing people up for extra services rather than offering a decent price cut.

For example, if their system says you could get the same services for £25 less, they offer free Sky Cinema and a tenner off.

A bit like a restaurant offering a free starter as opposed to a price cut on the same meal.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

That could be 12+ months away.

Simply ?
There is nothing simple about it, esp with VMs customer "service".

Aside from which I should not have waste lots of my time trying to get better deals that new customers just get. I should just get them as well.

Many companis reward loyalty, VM does the exact opposite.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Altnets are the way to go. Beating the incumbents on speed, service and price.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Agreed.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

* main meal.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Usually changes as the result of a network re-segmentation exercise. If you end up on a new CMTS, either through a reseg or a fault, you end up with a different IP.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Absolutely Paul - well said.

Some of the regulators (eg car insurance) are stopping "new customer only" discounts.

The telecom regulator should take note and do the same

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Virgin Media will implement the steepest broadband price rises of all providers so far, equivalent to £3.50 a month from April 2025.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I agree. Existing customers especially those less able to shop around are being price-gouged.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

This must be why they are now proactively contacting customers to get them to renew their contracts before the current ones expires.

Sly barstewards

---------- Post added at 17:03 ---------- Previous post was at 17:02 ----------

Yep, they are blatantly taking advantage of the most vulnerable in society, such as the elderly, disabled etc.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Guess it depends on the starting price. ie £100 per month the 3.9% is greater on its own :sleep:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

The Essential broadband package isn't increasing in price though

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It's the regulator that is forcing them to contact you before the end of contract.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

No, they are contacting people months before their contract expires in order to try to get them to recontract (this is different to the requirement by the regulator).

---------- Post added at 19:56 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

That's good, so at least some vulnerable people will be protected.

---------- Post added at 20:02 ---------- Previous post was at 19:56 ----------

True, but for the majority on an average cost package of £65ish or less(particularly those with broadband only) the new formula will cost more.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

The regulator requires them to inform people their contract is coming to an end and to inform them of the best possible deals that might be available.
Ofcom from 2020

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Isn't 3.9% on 65 about £2.50 + rpi so about the same:shocked:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It was RPI + 3.9% on the bundle price, so would more like £4.20...on £65 package.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Whatever the increase, it won't make up for the thousands of customers they are losing. Along with their latest poor downgraded 360 tv box, it's a company in trouble. Liberty Global (aka VM) shares down 50% in the last 5 years.

First I was with Bell Cable Media, then Cable and Wireless, then NTL, then VM. Who next? Poundland Cable ?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Pfffff!

Johnny-come-lately! I was with Jones Cable before it was Bell Cablemedia (and you missed out C&W Comms…). ;)

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It’s a very competitive industry that demands massive investment annually just to stand still let alone grow.

It’s not in trouble, this run of results is in line with expectations and shareholders are fully aware.

The next few years are going to continue to be volatile, as the company reorganises itself into a NetCo, ServeCo, PropCo model, and while the Altnet boom declines and consolidates.

It’ll be quite a different landscape in 5 years and the company will still exist but perhaps not exactly in its current form.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I am thinking when my 18 month VM contract expires in March 2026, I might ditch TV & Phone and just have Broadband.


I mean I can watch most important stuff on iPlayer etc, plus I have enough DVDs, Blu-Rays & 4K discs to watch (8 months of solid viewing 24/7).
On top of that I have Prime & Netflix.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

VM really don't like people downgrading so will probably quote you a ridiculous standalone broadband price. You're more likely to get a better deal keeping phone and tv as well, it's just the way they seem to operate.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Great couldn't be bothered to do the maths ;) do you save Richard ? I certainly will against the old pricing :p:

---------- Post added at 17:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:37 ----------

Yep last time I looked at it bb on it's own was the same as taken the three , crazy but there it is ( or not )

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Love Virgin Media's email today giving customers the news of a 7.5% price rise , (despite inflation being 3%). They've just given the percentage rather than the actual price rise, desperately hoping the customers can't do the maths.....

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Wasn't it 3.9% + inflation . I still save over the £3.50 increase because of the very low 18 month offer .

Re: VM General News Thread
 

RPI was announced at 3.6%, and that's the figure they're using so 7.5% in total.
I think they calculate it on your unreduced price, regardless of offers/discounts, but who knows, they are as clear as mud about pricing.

In the old days they would tell you in pounds and pence what your individual rise was. Too transparent by far....

Re: VM General News Thread
 

If you log into your account there's a banner telling what your new price will be.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I thought the law had changed and they have to tell you in pounds and pence now ?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I think that’s just when you sign up during the initial contract period. This has to be displayed at the point of purchase. Once you get past the initial contract all bets are off.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

My price rise is on the reduced price.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

As is mine so less than the £3.50 :rolleyes:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Isnt that only for contracts taken out after a certain date ?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

It came into effect in January this year so any NEW contract since then has to have the increase in pounds and pence, if your contract was started before January it can still be done on RPI/CPI + a bit more.


https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-...-to-inflation/

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I think that only applies to contracts signed at or after ?/?/ 25 :dozey:

Re: VM General News Thread
 

We have just become aware that VM are giving away Apple iPads to new customers. What a shame its new customers only as we have been with VM a long time on their top tier packages and i need a new Apple iPad as mine is now very old and won't update any higher than iOS 12.7 so its becoming unuseable.
I don't expect id qualify for one to be fair.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I think the regulator should stop any preferential treatment for "new customers only"

Re: VM General News Thread
 

They're quite old iPads, tbh.

They're now on 11th generation, and 9th was superceded by 10th back in October 2022.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Liberty Global Q1 revenue up 7.3%; VMO2 sale on hold

https://www.advanced-television.com/...-sale-on-hold/

Re: VM General News Thread
 

VMO2 was not being sold.

They were going to spin off the network assets into a NetCo, something broadly similar to Openreach.

VMO2 is owned by Liberty Global and Telefonica, LG were all for the NetCo but Telefonica seem to have got cold feet.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

A neighbour suggested that I have a look at the latest offers from VM.

I was paying £131.77 each month.

With just a few clicks that dropped to £83.02 with no change in services.

There are, of course, increases that will appear in the future, but for the moment I'm quids in.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

This month's part-month bill is very welcome when the other bills are rising.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Out of interest what did you do ?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

And that does sound like a good deal. But, tell me, are you now tied in for 24 months (which seems to be the new norm), with built-in increases each year?

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Well done VM on their award! 3rd year running, wonder if they get to keep the cup?
https://www.which.co.uk/policy-and-i...r-awLXz0F7OWMO

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Three messages, saying I need to upgrade my box . Guess this is way the one I have is rubbish . The epg is a joke, the recording setting are so poor . And it can't tell new shows from repeats

Re: VM General News Thread
 

51,400 customers lost by VM in the last quarter. Very careless of them.
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/...n-last-quarter

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Not really a great surprise, they screw loyal customers rather than reward them, and CS is generally awful.

I noticed this as well, another screw the existing customers ...

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I left over 3 month ago after about 24 years or more, now with https://www.brsk.co.uk/ 2gig d/l and u/l, cheaper than the 1gb with VM.

If anyone decides to give them a go, I have a referral code that gets us both a £50 Amazon voucher pm if interested.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

I left 6 months ago and have no desire to go back anytime soon.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Would have left earlier, but had no other decent provider in my area. As soon as i got news that brsk was available it was installed the next day.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

See they are hitting the heights, in the ofcom provider's league of providers

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Be fair, they have won an award, 3rd year running...
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article...5-aH3Ht8d88q1Z

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Somewhere in VM headquarters the management are busy giving themselves high-fives and ordering trebles all round.

“Yes....a hat-trick...we’re number one, we’re number one.....

...oh wait a minute......"

Re: VM General News Thread
 

They cannot possibly not know how bad they are, I assume they just dont care.

Re: VM General News Thread
 

Pretty sure they know
https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/vir...tomer-support/

Re: VM General News Thread
 

A couple of weeks ago I was having problems when having to speak to the first line agents and couldn't get anyone to listen or take the time to read the notes already added to our account by the Faults team via the community forum. The stress was a unbearable and after trying several times I eventually ended up speaking to a lady from the Customer Relations team which I now suspect maybe part of this new "highly skilled customer service agents" setup.

She has been with VM for nearly 20 years, and has experience in all areas including technical issues, she just worked though every problem I was having from a security/login issue to our account being in my husband's name and who is no longer able to understand what is going on but who can not yet be regarded as vulnerable enough to let the account be transferred into my name.

She was an absolute gem and I came away with so much having been sorted and she even reduced, our already well discounted charges, to a lot less than we were paying 3 years ago.

Yes I chose to renew our contract but she has now marked the records to show all the details regarding my husband's health and hearing problems, and that I have full authority to deal with any future issues and to pass any queries about this instruction direct to her team if I have any problems not being the account holder in the future.

Whether I will be able to get anyone on the First Line to redirect my call, then get through to Customer Relations quickly ( 1 minute !!!! :erm:) is still to be seen, as just getting through to First Line agents let alone then have them listen to me is a massively, frustrating and long winded process to begin with.