UPDATE: A Virgin Media spokesperson told TechRadar Pro that, “Our broadband services are running as normal - there is no widespread issue with our network. If customers are experiencing individual connectivity issues they can contact our customer service team for assistance.”
Customers across the UK are reporting faults in their Virgin Media broadband connection this morning.
The outage began around 07:00 BST on Wednesday, according to tracking site DownDetector, with customers flocking to social media to complain about a lack of connectivity.
A second peak of complaints followed at 08:00 BST, as millions of Brits attempted to log on to their home or work networks to start the day, with outages reported up and down the entire country.
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Virgin Media issues
DownDetector's tracking service showed high numbers of complaints in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and London. The issue is the second to hit Virgin Media in a matter of weeks, with the company suffering a similar event late in April 2020.
However Virgin Media said its network was handling the strain of millions of Brits now needing to work from home during the coronavirus lockdown.
The company has not acknowledged any issue online or via social media at the time of publication, despite multiple users taking to Twitter to complain.
Given the current reliance on telecommunications during lockdown, frustration was perhaps more amplified than usual. Mobile and broadband networks have been essential for communicating with colleagues and loved ones, accessing business applications or education resources, and for entertainment purposes that lessen the constraints of restricted movement.
No explanation has yet been given for the problems with an investigation currently ongoing. There have been continued complaints about the service on Tuesday morning but it appears as though these are unrelated to the wider outage.
The outage is the first significant hiccup to affect the UK’s broadband infrastructure since lockdown measures were implemented by the UK government last month. Broadband and mobile providers have enacted a series of measures to support spikes in demand.
There had been fears that these networks would struggle under the weight of additional data traffic but any predicted meltdown has failed to materialise. Most networks have been built to withstand peak demands, while major streaming services have reduced transmission quality at the request of the EU. The signs are that the dramatic growth on traffic has now plateaued.
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