Virgin Media O2 has started rolling out a new “smart support” service designed to proactively detect and resolve broadband problems for customers at no additional cost.
Company research suggests that over a third (34%) of UK broadband users lack confidence to troubleshoot WiFi problems on their own, even though 98% depend on the internet in their daily lives.
The smart support offering aims to improve streaming, video calling, and gaming by continuously monitoring customers’ WiFi hubs and overall connection health. It identifies potential issues such as speed drops and disconnections to create a comprehensive view of performance.
Powered by technology from Cisco ThousandEyes, the initial phase will cover 300,000 Virgin Media broadband customers. Those connections will be monitored and assessed across the year as the system learns and refines its diagnostics ahead of a broader rollout.
The service uses a multi-layered approach: continuous monitoring, overnight automated attempts by the WiFi hub to resolve problems, personalised guidance when remote fixes aren’t possible, and simple scheduling for complimentary engineer visits when required.
Later in 2024, smart support will extend its capabilities to diagnose more in-home connectivity challenges, streamline assistance for new customer installations, and offer advice on eliminating WiFi blackspots to achieve whole-home coverage.
Gareth Lister, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2, said the company is known for ultrafast speeds but recognises that reliability matters just as much. He explained that smart support is an innovative service intended to proactively address network issues and optimise connectivity—often without customers needing to take action.
“Smart support will evolve over time, reducing hassle for our customers and further improving connectivity for those that need it to offer a best-in-class service for all,” Lister added.
More information about smart support can be found on Virgin Media’s help pages.
(Image Credit: Virgin Media O2)
See also: CMA launches an in-depth probe into the Vodafone‑Three UK merger.
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