UK operator launches its first fixed-mobile convergence offering, but PP Foresight analyst warns of low consumer appetite for buying numerous services from one provider.

Ken Wieland, contributing editor

October 18, 2021

3 Min Read
Virgin Media O2 sparks into converged life with Volt

Virgin Media O2, less than 150 days since it came into official existence through the merger of Liberty Global's broadband business with Telefónica's mobile operations in the UK, has launched its first "converged" bundle.

Dubbed Volt – dangerously close to VoLTE in Light Reading's opinion – the package offers new and existing customers a bagful of goodies if they are signed up to both broadband and mobile services from the provider.

Among the converged carrots dangled in front of customers are double broadband speeds and double mobile data allowances – at no extra charge from existing tariff plans – when they take a broadband service from Virgin Media in combination with an "eligible" pay-monthly plan from O2.

So, if a customer is getting a 100Mbit/s broadband service, they get shunted up to the next tier (200 Mbit/s). They also get double mobile data, which means a 10GB allowance is bumped up to 20GB [Ed. note: Didn't know you were such a whizz at math].

Another converged sweetener is £150 ($206) off a connected device, such as a tablet or smartwatch, when taking a new O2 monthly custom plan as part of Volt.

Small businesses and startups, which take a Voom broadband service from Virgin Media Business and are on an eligible O2 Small Biz tariff, also receive some benefits.

They include "4G start-up and back-up" to keep businesses connected – presumably in the case of a broadband outage – and a doubling of existing mobile data allowances. Again, all this comes at no extra charge.

Curb your converged enthusiasm?

Jeff Dodds, chief operating officer at Virgin Media O2 – as you might expect – spoke effusively about Volt.

"The launch of converged services in less than 150 days as a business is a huge milestone moment and demonstrates the momentum we have behind our commitment to supercharge connectivity across the UK," he said in prepared remarks. "This is just the start."

Paolo Pescatore, a tech, media and telco analyst at PP Foresight, was impressed by the pace of rollout for Volt, although he added some caveats.

Want to know more about optical? Check out our dedicated optical channel here on Light Reading.

Volt, he said, "represents a first big step in unlocking the benefits of convergence for [Virgin Media O2's] combined subscriber base," and he expected a "strong pipeline of new products and services that will be positioned as a means to attract users on rival networks."

On the other hand, however, Pescatore cautioned that while there may be "plentiful opportunities" in the converged space, "the appetite for consumers to buy numerous services from one provider still remains lacklustre."

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— Ken Wieland, contributing editor, special to Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Ken Wieland

contributing editor

Ken Wieland has been a telecoms journalist and editor for more than 15 years. That includes an eight-year stint as editor of Telecommunications magazine (international edition), three years as editor of Asian Communications, and nearly two years at Informa Telecoms & Media, specialising in mobile broadband. As a freelance telecoms writer Ken has written various industry reports for The Economist Group.

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