Virgin Media O2 launches ‘smart support’ to proactively solve issues

Virgin Media O2 has begun rolling out a new “smart support” service aimed at proactively solving broadband issues for customers at no extra cost.

According to the company’s research, over a third (34%) of British broadband users wouldn’t feel confident trying to fix WiFi issues themselves—despite 98 percent relying on the internet daily.

The smart support service promises to enhance streaming, video calling, and gaming by monitoring customers’ WiFi hubs and connection health. It will flag potential problems like speed drops and disconnections to build a full picture of performance.

Using technology from Cisco ThousandEyes, smart support will initially target 300,000 Virgin Media broadband customers whose connections will be checked throughout the year as the system learns and evolves before wider rollout.

The multi-layered approach includes always-on monitoring, overnight automated problem-solving attempts by the WiFi hub, tailored advice if issues can’t be fixed remotely, and easy booking of free engineer visits if needed.

Later in 2024, smart support will expand to diagnose more in-home connectivity issues, assist new customer installations, and provide guidance on eliminating WiFi blackspots for whole-home coverage.

Gareth Lister, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2, says: “Virgin Media has long been recognised for ultrafast speeds, but we also know that reliability is equally important which is why we’re rolling out a new, innovative smart support service that will proactively act as a helping hand to fix network niggles and optimise the performance of our connectivity – often with customers not needing to do a thing.

“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.” Telecomstechnews