From today, anyone with a Virgin Media TV and broadband package can apply for an upgrade to the company's latest and greatest hardware. Gone is the £20 activation fee the company used to charge and so is the need to enter a new contract, allowing subscribers to utilise the V6 until they decide whether they want to renew their custom.

Virgin Media says it will begin contacting eligible customers in the "coming weeks" with details on how to apply for the upgrade. As it utilises the same infrastructure, the majority will be able to swap their old box with the new one without the need for an engineer visit.