Virgin Mobile gives pay monthly customers unlimited minutes and data boost for free to help them cope with working from home
- Virgin Mobile is giving pay monthly customers unlimited minutes to landlines
- It is also offering a 10GB data boost at no extra cost for a month
- The new plan will kick in on Monday 23 March, to help those working from home
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Virgin Mobile has announced it will be giving its pay monthly customers free unlimited minutes and extra data for a month.
The network said it will be offering unlimited minutes to landlines and other mobile numbers, plus a 10GB data boost, at no extra cost, for a month to 2.7million pay monthly customers as of Monday 23 March.
It added that it will be keeping an eye on the ongoing situation and how it can continue to support customers, which could mean extending these extras.
Millions of people are now working from home thanks to the coronavirus crisis, meaning they will be using more of their own minutes and data.
Virgin Media is giving its pay monthly customers extra data to help those working from home
Virgin Media added that its technicians and support teams are keeping an eye on its network and its performance to ensure it can respond to the extra traffic.
It is also looking at ways it can help customers if they find it difficult to pay their Virgin Media bill during this uncertain time.
This is Money has contacted other mobile firms to find out if they intend on offering a similar deal to their customers.
Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert at Uswitch, said: ‘Virgin Media deserves huge credit for giving out free minutes and data to help more than a million of their pay monthly customers.
‘The offer by Virgin Media comes soon after Sky gave its customers free data and calls to landlines.
‘Mobile phones are a vital lifeline for consumers working from home and especially for vulnerable and older people who are self-isolating and need to keep contact with the outside world.
‘It’s commendable that Virgin Media are looking at ways of helping customers who cannot pay their bills, but struggling consumers need to be told exactly what assistance is being offered.
‘Every small gesture helps at this time of uncertainty, and it will be interesting to see how others respond to providers’ generous offers.’
Virgin Media also announced that it will officially launch its gigabit broadband services in the West Midlands.
More than a million homes across the West Midlands will gain access to the faster broadband service with residents in Birmingham, Coventry and the surrounding towns set to benefit.
This will no doubt help those who are now having to work from home for the foreseeable future.