Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

I was just building a custom bundle at http://store.virginmedia.com/build-your-bundle and noticed three new options for broadband:

Up to 50Mbps (50GB) - £25.25/month

Up to 100Mbps (50GB) - £30.25/month

Up to 200Mbps (50GB) - £38.25/month

It seems quite a strange offering, especially as a 200Mb user could burn through 50GB in 35 minutes. 50GB is lower than the UK monthly average, so I wonder who the target market is? Who downloads so little but needs 200Mb?

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

It also seems expensive, looks like you only save £5 a month.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Odd, VM used to pride themself on having no Caps, especially pertinent 10 years or so ago when a lot of the ADSL offerings had pretty severe caps (Do they still?)

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Possibly something in the works with caps along with increased uploads.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

It has been picked up here:

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...-packages.html

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Ewww, bandwidth caps :td:

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

I can't see them taking off, the cap isn't terribly high in todays HD World, and the savings.... aren't really huge either - to be avoided.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

I don't think this is aimed at the kind of person who visits this forum. think of the kind of person that doesn't know what netflix is and probably still uses Outlook Express.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

But that kind of person doesn't need 200Mb to download a few emails. These packages might have made more sense if the higher tiers had more allowance, eg 100Mb = 100GB, 200Mb = 200GB.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Crivvens, a cap thread. We haven't had one of these in at least a decade. :Yikes:

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

May see another one at some point if a plan of action can be formed to deal with ultra-heavy users without causing too much fallout.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

I hope this action by VM doesn't become the norm and all their packages/tiers become capped in some form.

Comcast brought in data caps in America, or at least trialling them in various places. It was 300gb per month, although this has now raised to 1tb. And you pay $10 dollars per 50gb if you go over the limit.

If VM go down this route and other UK ISPs don't, then its goodbye cable. Their tv service has always been crap, the tivo is useless and if their internet service does this, then its of no use to me,.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Do the ADSL guys still have caps? (it's been 10 years since I last used them)

I'll have to try and figure out some way to see what my monthly usage might be (standard shub1 in modem mode on a 615 router)

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

50GB cap and 200Mb/s they are having a right laugh asking for £38.25 for that lol

Packages like this are absolute insanity.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

As a heavy user, the idea of caps does bother me, but as long as there's an unlimited option I am ok with it also being an option. I wouldn't be too surprised if Virgin put caps on all the low tiers but left the higher tiers as unlimited.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

I'm not opposed to them offering a cheap capped tier but it's the principle of offering 100 or 200Mb/s with such a ridiculously low cap, while saving just £5 over the unlimited package price. it's a complete utter ripoff for anyone who gets it. I could understand a cheap capped 20Mb tier for those who don't need a fast connection.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

Do VM offer a way to view your usage, even if in modem mode?

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

For those on a capped package, there is an option within My Virgin Media to see your usage.

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

*Cracks Knuckles in anticipation*

---------- Post added at 11:20 ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 ----------

I can see the advantage for Virgin. They get the users on the higher speeds,which brings the average speed up (which looks good on the books), and these users don't cost as much.

I don't see the advantage for end users though. If you are not a heavy user, you are unlikely to see any practical advantage to a high speed connection. Facebook, twitter, instagram and email are unlikely to be any faster for you.

In fact, with software getting ever larger (particularly games and OS updates), a cap would be even more of a hinderance than it would have ten years ago. Just installing a blockbuster game, such as GTA 5 (65Gig install) or Wolfenstein: The New Order (50 Gig install) would wipe out your monthly cap. Even watching a few programmes and/or films on various on demand services could severely dent your monthly allowance (although Virgin may well exclude these from the cap, as they are actively pushing their use).

In fact, the only real advantage I can think of is bragging rights. So you can say to the neighbours "Pah!, you only have an 80 meg connection? I have a 200 meg connection.".

Re: Virgin Media launches discounted packages with 50GB caps
 

The three 50GB options have been removed and replaced with an up to 20Mbps (30GB) option.