Switching from Virgin Media to BT Broadband

Author: Emma Davenport

Last updated: 07 July 2025

Thinking about switching from Virgin Media to BT?

Fed up with Virgin Media and wondering if you could get a better deal elsewhere? Whether it's rising prices, patchy service or poor customer support, you're not alone in considering a switch to BT Broadband.

Changing home broadband providers is a lot easier than it used to be. Thanks to One-Touch Switch, BT can now handle the whole move for you — no awkward phone calls or double bills. Better yet, switching could save you money, improve your customer experience, or give you access to more flexible deals.

As well as having an excellent customer service reputation with 24/7 support, BT has broadband only deals as well as phone packages and good value TV bundles available.

There’s also no traffic management or fair usage policies, the access to millions of Wi-Fi hotspots included and a Wi-Fi guarantee in place.

Here's everything you need to know about making the jump from Virgin to BT.

Why switch from Virgin Media to BT?

This depends on what matters most to you. BT may not be able to match Virgin’s ultrafast broadband packages unless full fibre is available in your area. But if your package is now too expensive thanks to mid-contract price hikes, or you’ve experienced customer service letdowns, it could be a worthwhile move.

BT broadband packages offer:

• 24/7 customer support
• Broadband-only, phone and TV package options
• Access to millions of Wi-Fi hotspots
• A Stay Fast Guarantee with compensation if your service drops below promised speeds
• No traffic management or fair usage limits
• Regular gifts such as rewards cards when you switch

Use our postcode checker to see what BT broadband deals are available where you live.

Get a BT Reward Card when you sign up to these deals:

• What's the BT ‘Stay Fast Guarantee’?

  When you sign up, you'll be given a personalised speed guarantee for your home. If your speed falls below what you've been quoted, your Hub will be reset remotely.

  If there continues to be a problem, an engineer will be sent out to fix the problem.

  If your speeds aren't back to normal after 30 days, you'll be given a £20 cashback. You'll also be able to choose to exit your contract without paying an early termination fee.

Find out more pros and cons in our guide: ‘BT vs Virgin: which is better?’

Will I be able to keep my current broadband speed?

Not necessarily. Virgin uses its own cable network, while BT operates on the Openreach network. To match Virgin’s top speeds, you’d need access to BT Full Fibre (FTTP) or G.fast (available to around 69% and 10% of the UK respectively).

If you’re downgrading speed, check our broadband speed guide to make sure your new service still fits your household’s needs.

• What’s FTTP/FTTH?

  Full Fibre broadband is also known as ‘Fibre To The Premises’, ‘Fibre To The Home’. This is often shortened to FTTP or FTTH. They’re all the same thing!

  Instead of copper telephone wire making up the final part of the journey from that green cabinet on the street, fibre optic cables are installed right up to your home.

  It’s amazing the difference in speed this small data journey can have. With access to a full-fibre broadband network you can expect to receive speeds of 1Gb+.

  The downside is full-fibre is only available to a small percentage of homes in the UK, and it’s taking a good while to get everyone up to speed.

  Compare Full Fibre Deals

• What's G.fast?

  G.fast is type of broadband technology that can offer download speeds of up to 330Mb. It uses the same lines which currently supply Fibre To The Cabinet fibre optic broadband. Higher speeds are achieved by expanding the frequency range. Unfortunately, this only works over short distances. This means it's limited to customers who live no further than 500 metres from an exchange. The rollout of G.fast has been halted, for the most part, in favour of full fibre broadband.

The fastest package offered by BT without full fibre is currently BT Fibre 2. This has average download speeds of 74Mb and upload speeds of 18Mb. It’s plenty fast enough for multiple devices streaming at the same time.

Recommended broadband speeds by household size

What’s the switching process from Virgin to BT?

Here’s what to expect when switching from Virgin to BT:

• Check your contract: Find your Virgin Media contract end date by logging into My Virgin Media.
• Out of contract? Great – you're free to switch without exit fees.
• Still in contract? You can still switch, but you might need to pay an early termination fee. This could be the remaining monthly cost of your deal. You might also have to pay if you’re still in contract but moving home out of a Virgin Media service area.
• Use One-Touch Switch: Choose your new BT deal. BT will handle the whole transfer, including contacting Virgin to end your service. No downtime, no duplicate billing.
• Return Virgin equipment: If asked, you’ll need to return your Virgin Wi-Fi Router or TV box. You may be charged if you don’t return the equipment.

There’s a full price list available on the website showing the cost for not returning equipment. For Virgin Media Hubs, this is currently:

• Ways to leave Virgin Media Broadband early for free

  Ending your Virgin Media contract if you’re not getting the speeds advertised

  Virgin Media is signed up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speed Code of Practice. This means, if your broadband is slower than it should be, but Virgin can’t fix it within 30 days, they must offer you the right to exit your contract without being penalised.

  Cancelling Virgin Media if you’re bereaved

  Virgin Media has a dedicated bereavement team who will arrange the termination of a broadband contract if a loved one has passed away. You can speak to the team by calling 0800 952 2302.

Will an Openreach engineer have to visit if I move from Virgin Media to BT?

You’ll only need to have an engineer visit booked if you don’t already have a suitable phone line, and it can’t be activated remotely. If this is the case, you may need to pay a broadband connection charge. In most cases, you’ll be able to set up your BT Smart Hub yourself.

How long does it take to switch to BT?

You should get an installation date within 14 days. If an engineer visit is needed (e.g. if you don’t already have a phone line), BT will let you know. The two services use different cabling, so the switchover should be seamless.

See also:

• Find your Virgin Media broadband contract end date
• Virgin Media broadband customer service contacts, problems and complaints

Giving notice to Virgin Media

If you're switching to another provider, as long as you're out of your minimum term, you shouldn't need to get in touch with Virgin. BT will do all the work for you and will let Virgin Media know when your new installation is complete. Your Virgin Media service will only be disconnected once it's safe to do so. You shouldn't experience any downtime when you switch.

What else should I know before switching?

• Set-up fees: Use our deals table to see if any BT packages waive the setup cost.
• Email addresses: You’ll lose your Virgin Media email after 90 days unless you migrate it.
• Phone numbers: You can usually bring your Virgin landline number to BT.
• TV services: BT doesn’t have every Virgin channel, but you can still access BT Sport, NOW, Sky Cinema and more.

Frequently Asked Questions about moving from Virgin Media to BT Broadband

• Do I need to pay set-up fees for BT Broadband?

  The easiest way to check this is by using our comparison table. This will clearly show you if you have to pay a set-up fee for BT Broadband. Quite often, BT waives this completely.

• Do I have to give Virgin Media notice I’m leaving for BT?

  Provided you're out of contract, you won't need to get in touch with Virgin Media. Complete the checkout to sign up to BT, and it will arrange the switchover and let Virgin Media know when to disconnect your old service. This is called 'One-Touch Switch'.

• How long will it take to switch from Virgin Media to BT Broadband?

  This will depend on your individual circumstances and whether you have suitable lines connected at your home. You can normally be set up and switched over within 14 days.

• Can I get compensation if there’s a delay in activating my BT service?

  If BT doesn’t activate your service in time, or you had an Openreach appointment booked in that’s missed, you’ll get automatic compensation. This will be set at £6.24, plus another £6.24 for each day you have to wait (excluding your eventual activation day).

• Can I keep my Virgin Media email address?

  Once you leave Virgin Media, you’ll have 90 days before this email address is closed down. If you were keen not to lose all your archived emails you could import to a free mail service, such as Gmail. For more information, visit our guide: "Can I keep my email address if I change broadband provider?"

• Can I keep my Virgin Media landline number when switching to BT Broadband?

  You can normally keep your existing home phone number. This will be confirmed when you sign up to a BT broadband with phone bundle.

• Do I get the same TV Channels with BT Broadband as I did with Virgin Media?

  You’ll have to lose a few channels if you move from Virgin Media to BT. However, you’ll still be able to add on BT Sport, NOW Entertainment, NOW Sports, NOW Cinema, Sky Atlantic, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, AMC and Netflix.

• Can BT use Virgin Cable?

  No. BT's and Virgin Media's broadband is an entirely different infrastructure. BT's broadband service uses the Openreach network. The two aren't comparable or compatible.

Final thoughts: is switching to BT worth it?

Switching broadband provider from Virgin Media to BT can feel like a big step, but it's easier than ever with One-Touch Switch. Just make sure you check your contract terms, compare what’s available in your area, and weigh up what matters most — be that speed, price or service.

Still not sure? Check out our full guide to BT broadband deals.

Compare BT Broadband Deals