MOBILE BROADBAND

• Do I need to be a Virgin Mobile customer to get Mobile Broadband?
• How much does it cost?
• What is a gigabyte or GB?
• Is Mobile Broadband available everywhere?
• What if there isn't coverage where I live?
• How can I check if my computer is compatible?
• How fast can I go?
• What does 1GB of data give me?
• What does 3GB of data give me?
• What happens when I use up my allowance?
• Do I get a Virgin Media e-mail account?
• Can I use the USB modem abroad?
• Can I use start using Mobile Broadband right away?
• Can I make internet voice calls using my Mobile Broadband service?
• Can I use my USB Modem in any laptop?
• What if I need home broadband and mobile broadband?

Do I need to be a Virgin Mobile customer to get Mobile Broadband? 

No – anyone can get a great value Mobile Broadband deal from Virgin Mobile. Though, if you're after the latest phones and stacks of airtime, you can check out our mobile phone offers here.

How much does it cost?

Flexible (2 month minimum term) or 18-month contracts start from just £10 a month, and we'll give you a free USB modem on 18-month contracts. If you go over your allowance, each additional MB of usage within the UK costs 1.46 pence.

What is a gigabyte or GB?

GB is short for 'gigabyte', which is a chunk of data. Everything which is sent over the Internet is made up of chunks of data, whether it is a web page, an email, a music track or video clip.

• If 8 Bits of data = 1 Byte, then
• 1024 bytes of data = 1 Kilobyte (KB), then
• 1024 KB of data = 1 Megabyte (MB), then
• 1024 MB of data = 1 Gigabyte (GB)

Of course, each involves a different amount of data - the average email (without attachments) is around 4 KB, whereas digital photographs are around 1 MB. An MPEG3 music file is around 3-4MB.

Is Mobile Broadband available everywhere?

With mobile broadband you're connected to the internet through our 3G mobile phone network which covers over 85% of the UK population. So whether you want to check your Facebook profile in the park, catch up with your emails on the train or stick a bid on eBay from the pub, just plug the USB Modem into your laptop and away you go. You can check your coverage here.

What if there isn't coverage where I live?

Our 28 day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee lets you get a full refund, less any data access you've bought. We'll even send you prepaid packaging to post it back.

If you're after broadband for your home, visit virginmedia.com and see if you can get the mother of all broadband where you live.

How can I check if my computer is compatible?

• a USB port (2.0 - Most computers bought in the last 5 years will have this. Check your computer's user guide if you are unsure).
• for PC: Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP (Service Pack 2), or Windows Vista
• for Mac: OSX (10.4.5 and above)
• a screen resolution of at least 800 x 600 pixels
• If you're not sure which operating system your computer uses, just take a look at its manual.

How fast can I go?

With Mobile Broadband from Virgin Media, our new faster USB modem gives you download speeds of up to 7.2Mb per second. Download speeds for mobile broadband vary though as you move around. If you want the fastest broadband in the land, get the mother of all broadband from Virgin Media – perfect for surfing in your home.

What does 1GB of data give me?

With our 1GB data allowance, you can:

• Send 700 emails
• Download 65 music tracks
• Download 30 two-minute videos, and
• Browse online for 30 hours

Check your usage with our data calculator.

What does 3GB of data give me?

With a huge 3GB worth of data access, you can do all this (and a little bit more!)

• Send 2000 emails
• Download 300 music tracks
• Download 100 two-minute videos
• Browse online for 100 hours

Check your usage with our data calculator.

If you'd like to download large files like TV shows and films, check our fibre optic broadband from Virgin Media. At up to 50Mb, it's perfect for super-fast surfing in your home. And even better, you can get 20% off Mobile Broadband when you buy a home broadband package.

What happens when I use up my allowance?

After you’ve used up your monthly allowance, each additional MB of usage within the UK will cost 1.46 pence. You can easily keep an eye on how much you're downloading by visiting Your Account.

Do I get a Virgin Media e-mail account?

No. But you can set up your own e-mail account with providers like Hotmail and Gmail.

Can I use the USB modem abroad?

You can use Mobile Broadband in over 180 countries worldwide. You will need to call us to register before you go away on 0845 6000 789.

Can I use start using Mobile Broadband right away?

Yes. Just plug it into your laptop, install the software and away you go!

Can I make internet voice calls using my Mobile Broadband service?

No, not at the moment. But we're always looking for ways to improve our services, so keep your eyes peeled, it may be available in the future.

Can I use my USB Modem in any laptop?

Yes - as long as the computer has a USB port, and it has a compatible operating system, you can plug it in and away you go!

If you do use your USB modem in lots of different computers, you can keep track of your usage by visiting Your Account at virginmobile.co.uk

What if I need home broadband and mobile broadband?

You can get it all from the same place! If you live in a cabled area, you can get our fibre optic broadband for your home and Mobile Broadband for when you’re out and about. And you’ll get 20% off Mobile Broadband too. Just call us on 0845 045 1096 to talk through what you need.