Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

VM are said to be contemplating launching a budget brand to compete with TalkTalk and Plusnet.

It would include slower broadband speeds than currently provided

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-budget-brand/

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Makes sense, I've thought previously that they should have had another brand eg NTL for their non-cable broadband customers but they decided to sell the clients to TalkTalk.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

50meg is pretty cheap as is

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Thought VM was a budget brand anyway. Not exactly a high class proposition anyway.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

It's not a budget brand for broadband or TV, it's a premium offering.The mobile offering - like BT Mobile and Sky Mobile - is more of a value offering.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

There are plenty of people who do not have the "Need for Speed". A budget cable connection would be ideal for them myself included. 10Mbps is more than enough for my needs and there's thousands more like me.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Indeed there is a market for everybody as some families and people require the faster speeds while others are quite happy with the smaller speeds and personally l think it is a wise move by Virgin..

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

It might backfire if a lot of VMs current customers downgrade to save some money. Doubtless it will only be available to 'new' customers. Once speeds went above 20MB it all became a bit of a silly numbers game.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I doubt it Mr K, Consider this. VM either are in or with project lightening going to an area with high ADSL demand, why shouldn't they offer a service to them that doesn't depend on distance from the exchange.

Even if VDSL is available not everyone upgrades to it. It would be a good move to offer say 10Mbps to those at the same or slightly better price.

Don't forget who started the silly E-willy waving.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I'm not sure why a new brand would be needed, surely just a new tier would do it? I presume it would need to be a standalone BB offering as the V6 requires 100mb I believe

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Never mind plenty of people, it's more like the majority of people.

Certainly when I was there, most customers were on the base package (not the S tier retentions deal) and quite happy.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I wonder what VM's budget brand might offer as a box? Tivo V6? YouView? Horizon V6? Netgem?

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Suppose it puts all the old sh1 and v+ to good use

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Because if they just did a new tier it could cause current customers to downgrade to save money.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Obviously these are just my opinions, but people would just leave VM for the new company, which could potentially cost more money as im assuming the secondary brand would use different equipment to differentiate the 2 companies, so said customer rather than just having a config file sent down will need account closed, new account created billing set up etc equipment swapped. There would be plenty of ways to prevent people just downgrading for the sake of it, e.g. They will lose they bundle discounts etc. That's just my 2 pence worth I'm sure if it is true the accountants have looked at their spreadsheets and decided it's viable

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

But don't you think if they're willing to switch to the cheaper VM brand that they would have just gone to another budget DSL based brand anyway?

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I can't see many customers downgrading to something really slow, not in this age of Netflix and online streaming. Not when a new customer can already get 50mb for only £18 a month and there are always offers on for the various FTTC providers, especially with cashback, that work out similar. There is no lack of cheap broadband options.

How many people are realistically going to want 10mb? I'd guess only a small percentage of people who live alone.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I've never worked for VM, but from what I've been told, they actually take a loss on the higher tiers, subsidising them from the profits from the lower tiers, purely because more people buy the lower tiers.

---------- Post added at 11:44 ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 ----------

Depends. If they are trying to position Virgin Media as a premium brand, having the bulk of their customers on a low tier will detract from that premium brand. This is why (for instance), Panasonic have two different brands. Panasonic for the low end and consumer stuff, Technics for the high end consumer and studio stuff (although, oddly, Panasonic do a well recieved range of professional video cameras under the Panasonic name). Similarly, TEAC have two brands, TEAC (for the low end and consumer stuff) an Tascam (for the high end consumer and studio stuff).

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I can forsee many customers opting to downgrade as "austerity" bites even more. Increased Poll Tax and utility bills coming early next year, way over official inflation levels.

So having package available for them makes commercial sense.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

If it's a separate brand they can offer different service levels eg the way that Sky's Now TV offering is entirely online. You don't get VW selling its Bentley cars in its Skoda garages! Yet it owns all three brands which appeal to different markets and it offers different levels of support.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

About half the country? Personally I'd be delighted to be able to get 10Mbps.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I'd have a third of 77Mb/s for a third of the price. :)

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Perhaps a budget brand would include the data usage caps that Virgin quietly introduced earlier this year, before dropping very soon afterwards. That might reduce the number of customers downgrading, but would put then at a disadvantage versus the other budget brands that offer unlimited usage.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I expect a budget brand would be differentiated by service and speed but not usage caps.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

It's called 'Project Prosecco'!

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Virgin has always touted itself as a premium product with "no limits" (Even when there were limits). They've started doing packages with download caps, but they're not very heavily advertised or marketed - I wouldn't be surprised if those are the precursor to the budget brand.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

ISPreview are reporting Virgin are going to pilot re-introducing 50mb broadband as a budget broadband service next week:
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...et-option.html

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I think it's a good move, what they might lose on more expensive packages they'll gain back from new customers coming onto the smaller ones.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

What hub will they use? Wonder if they will use the crappy sh1

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

From the site:

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

I moved house and use BTinfinity 1 and I have no need to go any faster. Stream 4k to tv no problem.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Thanks for the update Ben.
As someone who doesn't need 100mb, this is definitely of interest to me.
I guess the fact you can't take it as part of a TV bundle is to do with the V6 requiring a 100mb internet connection.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Is today the launch day? Any VM linked info?

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

£26 for solo broadband ain't bad. With Telco line it's £29 which doesn't seem worth it

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Says £26 per month plus £20 activation here http://www.virginmedia.com/shop/broa...band-only.html

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

It was £26 when I looked.

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

Oh, not so cheap after all;

ISPreview quote "UPDATE 3rd July 2017

As reported last week, the 50Mbps package has now returned to Virgin Media’s website. The prices mentioned earlier (plus the usual £20 one-off setup fee) still appear to be correct for a 12 month term, although we note that the standalone option becomes £32.25 per month when you take a 30 day contract (this also increases the setup fee from £20 to £65).

Oddly the £29 per month broadband and phone bundle becomes £40 per month after the initial 12 month contract period (the 30 day contract alternative also charges £40 per month +£65 setup for the package), which is strange because that’s the exact same post-contract price as VM’s 100Mbps package."

Wonder if this is for new customers only. Limited time?

Re: Virgin Media considering launching budget brand
 

According to the Telegraph, plans for the new budget brand, to be called Ruby, have been shelved. Fierce price cuts from Vodafone and Sky are cited as the reason - premium brands operating in Ruby's budget service price point:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...ats-broadband/