Virgin Media broadband users across the UK are reporting being unable to access the internet due to a nationwide outage.
The problems started just before 5pm BST, according to data from website Downdetector, which monitors online outages.
Over three quarters of those affected are reporting having problems with their wired internet connection.
Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Eastleigh and Liverpool were among the locations with the highest rate of reports.
Virgin Media is yet to reply to MailOnline’s request for comment regarding the outage.
Problems were reported in towns and cities across the UK including Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Eastleigh and Liverpool
Virgin Media is yet to reply to MailOnline’s request for comment regarding the outage
Customers took to social media to vent their frustration at a time when reliable home internet networks are proving crucial.
@valinor__ tweeted: ‘When I die, you lot better get Virgin Media Wifi to sponsor my funeral so they can let me down one last f****** time.’
@VijayArogyasami wrote: ‘Second time in a month my Virgin Media service has gone down. This time it was only half a hour. Last time, it went down at 8pm in the evening and wasn’t back on until 11am the next day.’
Another user, @youneshh, said: ‘Feel for all you who use Virgin Media for internet. Richard Branson has just taken you all as ransom for government bailout.’
The outage appears to have lasted for less than an hour, with some Twitter users reporting a short-term issue.
‘Who tripped over the plug that goes to the UK at Virgin Media Thinking face Entire country down for like 7 minutes and then straight back up,’ tweeted @blakeinghearts.
Another said: ‘Mine went off for about 15 odd minutes then came back on. I hope this has resolved for everyone else? Tbf Virgin Media have been quite good, for us at least.’
The number of reported cases shot up to almost 20,000 at around 17.30 BST on Monday, 27 April
Some Twitter users reported that the outage lasted for a few minutes before they were reconnected
Other users were cut off from virtual meetings and were forced to stop teaching mid-lesson when their internet stopped working
Other users were cut off from virtual meetings and were forced to stop teaching mid-lesson when their internet stopped working.
One said: ‘So @virginmedia went down temporarily during a zoom meeting and suddenly the precariousness of my online existence became all too clear.
‘I know we’re all moaning but without it I would not have seen another human I know for 6 weeks.’
Another wrote: ‘Looks like I can blame @virginmedia for my @zoom_us lesson cutting out this afternoon.
‘Looking at their tweets they are aware there is an issue and are working hard to resolve it. That’s good then – let’s hope I can teach online tomorrow okay! #teachingfromhome’
Customers took to social media to vent their frustration at a time when reliable home internet networks are proving crucial
Thousands of Virgin Media customers were left without internet or phone access early last month due to another outage affecting parts of England, especially Southampton and surrounding areas.
At the time, one Virgin Media broadband customer in London told MailOnline that they have been without internet for a whole week with ‘no clear explanation’.
The outage will come as a shock as the nation works and studies from home.
It comes after it was revealed Britons are using the coronavirus lockdown to upgrade their internet, with the amount of people switching broadband supplier jumping by 30 per cent from the end of February to the end of March.
Millions of adults and children are stuck inside all day during the nationwide lockdown and high-speed internet has become a necessity.
Children are e-schooling, parents are working from home, and streaming TV programmes is a key hobby in the evenings.
As a result, internet consumption has almost doubled in the UK in March and many are looking to boost their internet speed.
Comparethemarket.com says it has seen considerable demand for products with faster speeds since the restrictions began.
The comparison site also claims four in 10 households have experienced issues with their broadband since lockdown, which has impacted their ability to work.
Customers opting for download speeds of 51+MB or more – fast enough to easily download files – made up less than half of all switches at the start of March.
But by the end of the month, after lockdown was implemented, customers opting for these speeds made up almost two thirds of those switching.
Figures from comparethemarket.com also reveal a huge spike of 95 per cent in people purchasing the fastest internet package,providing more than 61mbps.
Children are e-schooling, parents are working from home, and streaming TV programmes is a key hobby in the evenings. As a result, internet consumption has almost doubled in the UK in March and many are looking to increase their bandwidth and have quicker internet speeds (stock)
Holly Niblett, head of digital at comparethemarket.com, said: ‘We have seen a surge in demand for faster broadband packages since the lockdown began.
‘Broadband is increasingly being recognised by the government as an essential utility, yet many people adjusting to the new ways of working are realising that their existing connection isn’t up to scratch.
‘Millions of households are stuck on out-of-contract deals with their existing provider which are often expensive and uncompetitive.
‘The reality of a patchy connection speed, combined with a growing awareness that cheap, reliable and fast broadband is no longer a pipedream, is motivating growing numbers to switch provider.
‘Switching provider is straightforward and can generate savings over the course of a year that can easily run into hundreds of pounds.’