Virgin Media’s cable performance versus Plusnet’s award-winning service represents a choice between speed and customer satisfaction excellence.
Speed and Performance
Virgin Media delivers high speeds through cable infrastructure from 54Mbps (M125) up to 1.1Gbps (Gig1). Popular packages include M250 (264Mbps), M350 (362Mbps), and M500 (516Mbps).
Plusnet provides speeds from 38Mbps to 900Mbps through Openreach infrastructure. Their Full Fibre packages include 145Mbps, 300Mbps, 500Mbps, and 900Mbps options.
Winner: Virgin Media for consistently higher baseline speeds
Pricing
Virgin Media pricing starts at £26.99/month for M350 and £28.99/month for M250. Gig1 costs £36.99/month during promotional periods.
Plusnet offers excellent value starting from £23.99/month for Full Fibre (rising to £27.99 from March 2026). Full Fibre 500 costs £31.99/month and Full Fibre 900 is £33.99/month.
Winner: Plusnet for better pricing at equivalent speeds
Network Coverage
Virgin Media covers approximately 60% of UK premises with their cable network, concentrated in urban and suburban areas.
Plusnet uses Openreach infrastructure covering 96% of UK premises, providing much broader geographical availability.
Winner: Plusnet for broader coverage
Customer Service
Virgin Media has faced historical customer service challenges, though improvements have been noted recently.
Plusnet achieved outstanding 89% customer satisfaction according to Ofcom’s 2025 data and 93% according to Uswitch – the highest rating among major providers.
Winner: Plusnet by a significant margin
Awards and Recognition
Virgin Media receives recognition for their cable technology and high-speed services.
Plusnet won three major Public Choice awards in 2025: National Broadband Provider of the Year, Best Value for Money, and Best Customer Service.
Winner: Plusnet for customer-voted recognition
Contract Terms
Virgin Media typically offers 24-month contracts with £0 setup fees but substantial exit fees (up to £45 per remaining month).
Plusnet uses 24-month contracts with £0 activation fees and transparent pricing with fixed £4 annual increases clearly communicated.
Winner: Plusnet for fairer contract terms
Network Reliability
Virgin Media claims 99.91% network reliability with cable infrastructure, though localised outages can affect multiple customers simultaneously.
Plusnet uses established Openreach infrastructure with excellent fault resolution and customer support processes.
Winner: Plusnet for better fault handling
Service Focus
Virgin Media offers comprehensive TV bundles, entertainment packages, and multi-service integration.
Plusnet focuses exclusively on delivering exceptional broadband service, resulting in superior core service quality and customer satisfaction.
Winner: Virgin Media for service breadth, Plusnet for broadband excellence
Value Proposition
Virgin Media targets customers wanting high-speed cable performance with entertainment integration.
Plusnet focuses on delivering outstanding broadband value with award-winning customer service at competitive prices.
Winner: Plusnet for overall value
The Verdict
Choose Virgin Media if you’re in their coverage area, want consistently high speeds, and value comprehensive entertainment packages. They’re suitable for customers who prioritise speed over service quality.
Select Plusnet if you want award-winning customer service, excellent value for money, broader UK coverage, and transparent pricing. They’re perfect for customers who value reliability and support quality.
Plusnet wins decisively on customer service, value, and coverage, whilst Virgin Media offers faster baseline speeds. For most customers, Plusnet’s superior service quality and value make them the better choice unless maximum speed is the priority.
