VMO2 launches support service to automatically fix home networks

The system is based on technology from Cisco ThousandEyes smart support, and will initially target 300,000 Virgin Media broadband customers. Those connections will be checked throughout the year as the service ‘learns and evolves’, and it will be rolled out to all customers in the future.

The service is designed to constantly monitor broadband speeds and connection performance, and if a fault is detected, a WiFi Hub will work automatically overnight to try and resolve it. If that doesn’t work, customers will be sent personalised advice on how they can try to fix the issue themselves, or invited to book an engineer appointment.

VMO2 promises that the smart support service will become more sophisticated later on, diagnosing a wider range of in-home connectivity issues and providing guidance on tackling in-home wifi blackspots.

“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,” said Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2, Gareth Lister. “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.”

The announcement is loosely hung off some provided stats claiming that 34% of British broadband users say they wouldn’t feel confident trying to fix their wifi if something went wrong, even though 98% of them rely on the internet every day.

Anything that does manage nip connection issues in the bud hardly needs too much of a hard sell of course. With remote working now the norm for many, and more of our entertainment and life in general than ever relying on a stable internet connection, losing it suddenly becomes an ever bigger pain.

Last year, a report by Ookla placed the UK near the bottom of a list measuring the gap between ethernet and wifi performance –  with wifi clocking in at 29.8% of ethernet speeds. Globally it ranges between 30-40%, so said the report.