If you have a Virgin Media broadband connection plumbed into your home, you've unlocked a clever new feature that promises to monitor and patch any internet issues before you've even noticed. Best of all? It's completely free.
Dubbed Smart Support, Virgin Media has rolled out the proactive feature to all of its broadband subscribers for the first time.
It operates in the background every hour of the day, all week long, examining your broadband performance behind the scenes to identify any connectivity or speed problems. Should the system detect something that could cause issues with your broadband connection, it'll suggest a few simple steps – like tightening loose cables or resetting the Hub — to get things back on track.
Virgin Media believes these quick fixes will keep most users online and avoid any annoying outages. But if you don’t have time to follow these instructions, or the fixes don't work as expected, the broadband firm promises to work remotely overnight on whatever is causing the connectivity issue.
All being well, whatever the hiccup was, it should be completely fixed by the time you wake up in the morning.
This approach means disruption occurs during periods when internet usage is typically at its lowest, rather than interfering when thousands of Britons are trying to stream the latest must-binge boxsets, playing games online, making video calls, or working from home.
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If none of the fixes work, Virgin Media promises to send out engineers to your property
| VIRGIN MEDIA O2 PRESS OFFICEBut what if the troubleshooting steps and the remote fix don't work? Virgin Media promises that its team of expert engineers will visit the property to help out. You won't need to stay on hold with customer support in the hope of setting up an appointment — instead, Virgin Media will proactively send you an email with a link to book a free engineer visit to get everything back in shape. All you have to do is pick a date and time that works for you.
The new Smart Support solution started to roll out last month to broadband subscribers across the UK. It's a dramatic shift from Virgin Media — moving towards pre-emptive maintenance rather than reactive troubleshooting, so that it can resolve issues before you're even aware there's a problem.
If the Smart Support system detects a problem with Wi-Fi signal strength, Virgin Media will offer complimentary equipment to extend the wireless strength and range, such as Wi-Fi Pod or an updated Hub model, depending on availability.
After you've set up the new kit, Virgin Media continues tracking your wireless performance to confirm the equipment has been installed properly and your connectivity has improved.
Discussing the new initiative, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2, Gareth Lister said: "Every year, we see demand on our network continue to rise and with it, the need for fast, reliable connectivity. smart support monitors broadband 24/7 and fixes issues quickly, giving our customers extra peace of mind they'll stay connected.
"Combined with our ultrafast speeds and award-winning reliability, it's just another way Virgin Media is keeping customers connected when it matters most."