UPC Ireland is to become Virgin Media. All UPC Ireland operations, products and services – residential and business – will transform into Virgin Media, from next Monday, October 5.
In the first of a planned new series of innovations, which aim to put "customers at the heart of all Virgin Media products and services", Virgin Media said it will introduce mobile to customers in Ireland for the first time, with a simple new Unlimited Mobile plan, offering infinite data, calls and texts.
Celebrating its launch, Virgin Media is also offering three months of unlimited mobile for free, exclusively to its 500,000 customers – and for a price of €25 a month thereafter.
Virgin Media said it will "keep bringing magic to its customers” – with many more trail blazing developments in the coming months. Virgin Media’s mobile launch also signals a new four-way offering of digital TV, broadband, mobile and landline in a single bundle, or any selection of these services that customers want.
Virgin Media is a part of Liberty Global plc, the world’s largest international cable company.
Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson burst into the launch event in Dublin in a massive Virgin Media Juggernaut which will also be seen in a nationwide new advertising campaign starting next week. At the launch, Richard met guests and staff, and also held a Q&A session with entrepreneurs and founders from a range of high-tech Irish start-ups.
“As we have done time and again, we’re making what’s great even better," Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of Virgin Media in Ireland said. "Transforming the UPC business into Virgin Media will keep our customers at the heart of everything we do. It will bring magic to our overall offerings and change the Irish telecommunications market for good.I’m thrilled that we’re also simultaneously launching a mobile service with a great offer for existing customers. As Virgin Media, we’re going to provide new choice and simplicity to help people to do more with the best products, prices and services available in the market.
“We’ll continue to break barriers with Ireland’s best broadband and the best connected entertainment,” he added. "As well as digital TV, ultrafast broadband and phone, we now have the most competitive mobile service and an overall market leading offer for our customers. This all forms part of our strategy to build locally, while serving our customers using the many advantages of our global presence as part of the world’s largest international cable company."
“This is a fantastic day for me and everyone at Virgin Media,” Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson said. "I’m thrilled to bring our brand to homes and businesses all over Ireland. Virgin Media is going to shake up the market with an unbeatable service – we have a great foundation to build on and there are no limits to what we want to achieve for our customers. ”
Virgin Media is writing to all home and business customers to let them know its plans and will start an extensive marketing and advertising campaign titled ‘Here comes The Magic’ next week.
UPC Ireland was named Best Broadband Provider (for the second year running) at the annual Switcher Broadband Awards in April 2015. UPC was also named as the provider of Fastest Home Broadband, Best Customer Rated Home Broadband and Most Recommended Broadband.