Let’s not mince words: Virgin Media Gig1 is one of the fastest broadband options you can find in the UK right now. It claims a headline download speed of up to 1130Mbps, which is enough to make the average home internet plan look like a dinosaur. And with upload speeds hitting around 104Mbps, it’s designed to handle the content-heavy lifestyles we’ve all adopted—think 4K streaming, massive file transfers, and daily Zoom marathons.
Of course, an impressive number on the box only goes so far. The real question is whether Gig1 delivers steady, everyday service in real homes, or if you’ll end up whingeing online about buffering at prime time. Then there’s the matter of pricing: at £35 – £40 a month for the first 24 months, it appears reasonable.
We’ll dissect the major talking points—reliability, streaming performance, coverage, competition, and the coaxial vs. fibre debate. We’ll also look at Virgin Media’s pledge to upgrade everything to XGS-PON (full fibre) by 2028. If you’re juggling the idea of signing up for Gig1, you should know precisely what you’re buying into—and what might come next.
Read on for a no-nonsense evaluation of Virgin Media Gig1 and how it holds up in a rapidly evolving gigabit landscape.
Reliability
If a broadband line drops the ball during your family’s movie night or your midday work call, all the speed promises in the world won’t help. So how does Gig1 fare in real life?
| Provider/Plan | Advertised Download | Advertised Upload | Average Latency | Minimum Speed Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Media Gig1 | Up to 1130Mbps | Up to 104Mbps | ~15.80ms | 565Mbps |
| BT Full Fibre 900 | Up to 900Mbps | Up to 110Mbps | ~6.93ms | 700Mbps |
Real-World performance
Virgin Media’s network is partly based on coaxial cable for the last mile. The company calls its approach “fibre,” but for many customers, the actual cable entering their home is coax. That can be a recipe for shared bandwidth—when many neighbours hop online after dinner, local performance might sink.
Now, does that kill your connection entirely? Typically not. Despite the coax aspect, Gig1 often maintains speeds of hundreds of Mbps even during busy times. Virgin Media also guarantees a minimum of 565Mbps on Gig1. If you drop below that threshold consistently, you can complain and see if they’ll investigate.
Latency
Latency matters if you’re a serious gamer or a connoisseur of real-time interaction. Gig1’s average 15.80ms ping is fine for most people. It’s not perfect, especially if you crave the sub-10ms of certain full-fibre networks, but it’s generally more than enough for streaming and casual online gaming. Still, if you need absolutely minimal lag—for example, competitive eSports or hyper-responsive remote work—this might be something to keep in mind.
WiFi Max
No matter how good your line is, WiFi inside your home can be a separate can of worms. Walls, layout, and random interference can sabotage the best connection. Virgin Media tries to handle this with WiFi Max: if you can’t get 30Mbps in every room, they promise a £100 credit. That’s not a bad fallback, but you’ll likely have to jump through some hoops (like speed tests) to prove the coverage shortfall.
Future Upgrades
Virgin Media’s coax won’t be around forever. The company invests £2 billion a year upgrading to XGS-PON—full-fibre technology that’ll ditch the coax approach and presumably trim latency. By 2028, they aim to bring symmetrical or near-symmetrical speeds, so those sub-10ms pings might eventually be on the table. For now, coax plus upgrades here and there means reliability is typically solid but not immune to congestion.
In short, if you’re not in an unlucky pocket of oversubscription, Gig1 generally delivers on stability. Just don’t be shocked if speeds vary at 8 p.m. on a Saturday, especially if half your neighbourhood is also trying to stream in 4K at the same time.
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Check your postcodeWiFi and Streaming
In a home full of laptops, phones, smart TVs, and maybe half a dozen IoT gadgets, your WiFi performance can make or break your broadband experience. Let’s see how Gig1 handles streaming loads.
Thanks to Gig1’s up-to-1130Mbps downloads, you could realistically stream several 4K shows at once, plus handle a big game download and still have bandwidth left for a Zoom call in another room. In simpler terms, it’s enough to keep a big, tech-hungry household from elbowing each other offline.
If you’re the type who hoovers up new shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ simultaneously, you should see minimal buffering, assuming your WiFi holds steady. The biggest threat to buffering is local WiFi interference or your device being too far from the router. But if you’re within a reasonable range, most users experience a smooth stream.
Hub 5 and WiFi 6
Virgin’s Hub 5 is no slouch, boasting WiFi 6 (802.11ax). That means better throughput, especially if you have multiple devices online at once, which is the norm these days. You also get one 2.5Gb Ethernet port and three 1Gb ports. If you’ve got a gaming PC or a 4K streaming box that can handle multi-gig speeds, that 2.5Gb port might be a selling point—although right now, many consumer devices can’t push beyond 1Gb anyway.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| WiFi Protocol | WiFi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Ethernet Ports | 1 x 2.5Gb, 3 x 1Gb |
| Security | WPA3 |
| WiFi Bands | Dual-Band (2.4GHz, 5GHz) |
| Antennae | 5 internal |
WiFi 6 also helps manage “spectrum efficiency,” basically using fancy scheduling so devices aren’t talking over each other all the time. If you’re pulling a large 4K file in one room and someone else is streaming from a phone, both tasks should proceed more gracefully than on older routers.
Beyond 4K
As 8K content ekes its way into the mainstream, this kind of broadband capacity will matter more. Even if 8K streaming is niche for now, the demands of immersive AR or VR might ramp up in the next few years. Gig1 is well-placed to handle those future jumps—though your local WiFi environment might still be the limiting factor if you’re not careful with extenders or mesh systems.
| Package | Monthly Cost | Features | Contract Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gig1 Broadband Only | £36.99 | Up to 1130Mbps download | 18 Months |
| Gig1 + Home Phone | £36.99 + £10 | Includes Anytime Calls | 18 Months |
| Gig1 + TV 360 | Varies by channel pack | Broadband + TV box | 18 Months |
| Gig1 + Flex TV | £36.99 + £5 | Low-cost TV option, £10 upfront | 18 Months |
In general, if you’re worried about consistent 4K or multi-stream performance, Gig1 ticks the boxes. The only time you might see issues is if your local WiFi coverage is a nightmare or your area’s coax segment is maxed out by other heavy users. For the average home, though, you’ll notice a big jump from standard fibre or older cable speeds.
3. Performance and Availability
Even the fastest broadband plan is worthless if you can’t get it at your address. So, where does Gig1 stand in terms of coverage, and how does it hold up under pressure?
| Year/Phase | Premises Covered | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| End of 2024 | ~18.3 million | 60% of UK homes |
| By 2026 (Project Lightning) | ~23 million | +7 million added |
| By 2028 (Full Fibre Goal) | TBD | XGS-PON upgrade completion |
Virgin Media says Gig1 reaches 18.3 million premises already, which is about 60% of the UK. By 2026, with Project Lightning, they’re adding another 7 million households, aiming for 23 million total. Realistically, that means if you’re in a city or a large town, you likely have access. Smaller towns might be a toss-up for now, but expansions are ongoing.
Performance vs Advertised Speeds
The minimum speed guarantee of 565Mbps is a key selling point—at least it signals that if you’re paying for the gigabit label, you shouldn’t be stuck with drastically lower speeds in typical usage. That said, you might rarely see the full 1130Mbps in practice. The real figure might hover around 700–900Mbps on a good day, which is still more than enough for most tasks.
Latency, as mentioned, lands around 15.80ms on average. It won’t annoy the typical Netflix binge-watcher, but serious online gamers might prefer the sub-10ms of a dedicated FTTP line. This distinction doesn’t matter for the everyday streaming crowd, but it’s worth noting if you’re hyper-picky about ping.
Upload speed
Uploads can go up to 104Mbps. That’s far higher than older cable or VDSL lines, which often trap you around 20Mbps or less. It’s not symmetrical, so don’t expect 1130Mbps up, but for anyone uploading large files, hosting a video call, or frequently sending big content, 104Mbps is more than a small improvement.
Ultimately, Gig1’s coverage leads the UK’s gigabit pack, especially outside city centres. If you live in an area not yet served by an alternative full-fibre provider, Virgin might be the only gigabit option. That’s a double-edged sword: you get top-tier speeds, but local competition might be lacking, which can affect customer service or pricing flexibility.
Connecting Legacy and Modern Solutions
Virgin Media has a bit of an identity crisis: “fibre” marketing on top, coax in the trenches. Let’s look at how the provider balances this hybrid approach and where it’s heading.
The Coax Conundrum
When you read “fibre broadband” from Virgin, they’re often referring to Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) combined with a coaxial run to your home. That’s different from full Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), where a fibre cable lands directly in your router. Coax can still carry substantial data speeds, especially with the DOCSIS 3.1 or 3.1+ standards, which is how Gig1 gets to four-figure Mbps. But coax is also subject to shared bandwidth—everyone in your area might be dipping from the same local loop. Full fibre lines, in contrast, tend to isolate each property more effectively.
| Technology | Current (Coax + DOCSIS) | Future (XGS-PON) |
|---|---|---|
| Download Speed | Up to 1130Mbps | Potentially Multi-Gig |
| Upload Speed | Up to 104Mbps | Could be Symmetrical |
| Latency | ~15–16ms | ~5–7ms (estimate) |
| Target Completion | Currently Nationwide | By 2028 |
XGS-PON Upgrade
Virgin’s pumping around £2 billion a year into switching from a DOCSIS coax approach to XGS-PON, a full-fibre technology that can handle symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds. The company expects to finish by 2028, which might feel distant, but hey—network overhauls aren’t done overnight. When it’s finished, coax’s disadvantages (like moderate latency and shared last-mile capacity) should fade.
Hub 5, Ready for the Future
In the meantime, the Hub 5 is a robust piece of kit. It supports WiFi 6, has a 2.5Gb Ethernet port, and includes WPA3 security. If you’re a power user with a multi-gig network card in your laptop or desktop, that 2.5Gb port might be a neat perk. Most standard consumer devices aren’t going to break the 1Gb barrier, but as more hardware supports multi-gig speeds, the Hub 5 can accommodate that without forcing an upgrade.
Bottom Line
The bridging of coax and full fibre might leave some folks uneasy—why pay for a gigabit line that’s slightly hampered by older tech? But in practice, Gig1’s speeds are high enough for 99% of everyday uses. Once Virgin’s XGS-PON rollout is done, we’ll likely see even faster speeds, symmetrical connections, and lower latency. If you’re determined to have a purely modern network today, you may need a competitor’s FTTP. Otherwise, Gig1’s hybrid approach is more than capable of fuelling a data-hungry household.
Is Gig1 full fibre?
Over the last few years, gigabit broadband has become the new gold standard. Let’s contextualise Gig1 against the wider gigabit scene in the UK.
Streaming 4K content, online gaming, huge file uploads, working from home, video calls—any one of these is fine on moderate broadband. But when you stack them together in a busy household, your network can buckle. Gigabit connections, by contrast, shrug off these loads. If anything, many households adopt gigabit not because they must have it, but because they don’t want to fight over limited bandwidth.
As of early 2024, around 80% of UK homes can get gigabit speeds through some combination of providers. Yet many families find themselves with no real choice beyond Virgin for gigabit. Altnets like Hyperoptic or CityFibre aren’t always in smaller towns or suburban areas. BT’s FTTP coverage is still expanding. That means if you want near-1Gbps speeds now—outside of city centres—Virgin might be your only game in town.
Coax is a shared medium, so if everyone in your area is slamming the network simultaneously, speeds can dip. Another factor is that some older in-home wiring or older hubs might not handle gigabit well, but Gig1 customers get the Hub 5 by default, solving that latter issue. Realistically, these bottlenecks might reduce your speed from 1100–1130Mbps down to something like 400–500Mbps in the worst prime-time scenario. That’s still faster than most standard broadband lines, but it’s definitely short of the top-line figure.
All told, Gig1 places Virgin near the front of the UK’s gigabit parade. It’s not pure fibre, but thanks to heavy investment and wide coverage, it often stands out as a feasible high-speed solution for a majority of households.
6. Comparing Broadband Rivals
It’s not just Virgin Media competing for your gigabit loyalty. Let’s see how Gig1 stacks up against the rest.
BT and Other Big Players
BT’s Full Fibre 900 plan (where it’s available) might have lower latency (around 6.93ms) and symmetrical speeds for the top-tier options, but coverage is patchy outside major towns. If you can get it, that near-symmetrical performance is attractive, especially for gamers or frequent uploaders. However, installation times can be longer, and monthly costs can be comparable.
Smaller Fibre Providers
Hyperoptic, Community Fibre, CityFibre-based ISPs—these can sometimes deliver symmetrical gigabit at lower prices, but they’re famously region-dependent, mostly in cities or select postcodes. If you’re in those areas, you might snag a better deal or more stable speeds. If not, it’s back to Virgin or BT (if BT FTTP is even an option).
Contract Details
When comparing, note Virgin’s 18-month contract at £36.99, eventually leaping to £78 after that period, plus the £3.50 from April 2026. Some rivals also hike prices but often include a slightly clearer inflation-based formula rather than a sudden jump. Gig1 can be a good “introductory” plan, but keep a reminder on your calendar for month 17 to negotiate or switch.
Customer Support
The real kicker for many is customer service. Virgin’s phone and chat lines might test your patience, especially during peak hours. If you care about quickly resolving issues, some smaller ISPs pride themselves on friendlier service. With Virgin’s bigger footprint comes bigger call volumes and, sometimes, longer hold times. If stable or personal support is a priority, do your homework on local providers.
Should I choose Virgin Media Gig1?
What’s on the horizon for Virgin Media, and for gigabit broadband generally?
Virgin invests heavily in converting the existing network to XGS-PON full fibre, aiming to retire coax by 2028. With that shift, the average latency should plunge well below the 15–16ms mark, possibly in line with other pure-fibre providers. Symmetrical speeds (or at least closer to symmetrical) may also arrive, letting you upload as fast as you download. If that’s music to your ears, keep your eyes peeled for announcements in your postcode.
If you think 1Gbps is excessive, wait until you see 2Gbps or 5Gbps consumer plans. Globally, a few ISPs already offer these, so it’s plausible that once Virgin has XGS-PON in place, multi-gig packages will follow. The Hub 5’s 2.5Gb Ethernet port hints at some readiness, though truly harnessing multi-gig speeds might require a Hub 6 or Hub 7 in the future. Still, the physical capability is there.
As more full-fibre networks launch, rural areas get new grants, and smaller providers expand coverage, there’s a good chance we’ll see more gigabit providers vying for the same customers. Virgin’s big advantage is existing brand recognition and a wide footprint, but that can only carry them so far if alt-nets start muscling in with symmetrical speeds or lower prices.
Ultimately, your best plan might shift over the next couple of years. If you sign up for Gig1 now, keep watch for better deals or improvements. Locking yourself into a multi-year plan without monitoring the competition is how you end up paying £78 when your neighbour’s on a cheaper, faster service.
Conclusion
So, is Virgin Media Gig1 worth your time and money? If you crave breakneck download speeds, have a houseful of streamers, or regularly upload hefty files, Gig1 meets those demands. It’s straightforward to set up if you’re already on Virgin’s network, and the Hub 5 router with WiFi 6 is quite capable. Latency around 15.80ms is good enough for most tasks, though serious gamers or real-time enthusiasts might prefer something lower.
Bear in mind that while the coax backbone can handle one-gig speeds, you might see dips at peak times, depending on your area’s load. Meanwhile, the pricing is £36.99 a month for the first 18 months but then £78 out of contract—plus a £3.50 monthly boost from 2026. No one loves a bill that doubles overnight, so watch your renewal dates carefully.
Coverage is the strongest argument in Gig1’s favour: if you don’t have another full-fibre provider in your postcode, it’s often your only realistic route to gigabit speeds right now. And for many people, that speed difference is transformative—no more complaining about “slow downloads” or wincing when three folks stream at once.
Yet if you do have alternatives—say, a symmetrical fibre plan from a competitor or an altnet offering cheaper rates—you’ll want to compare latency, reliability, and overall cost. Virgin’s forthcoming XGS-PON upgrade by 2028 should remedy coax’s drawbacks, so if you stick with Gig1, you might see even better results in a few years.
In the end, Virgin Media Gig1 is a top-tier contender in the UK broadband market. It’s not perfect, but if you need that extra capacity for a streaming-heavy household, it’s an appealing pick. Just go in with your eyes open about contract terms, potential slowdowns in oversubscribed areas, and the unstoppable progression of faster and faster broadband. Now you can decide if hooking up to Gig1 is the right move for your home or if a simpler plan will do the job until pure fibre becomes universal.