A broadband provider is closing its email service and giving customers 45 days

Virgin Media O2 is shutting down the email service that has run under its own brand for decades, and it is telling anyone still using one of its addresses that they have a defined window to save their inbox or hand it to a new operator. The broadband provider confirmed the move on 9 September 2026, in a statement from chief operating officer Alan Stott, ending a service that stopped accepting new sign-ups back in 2022. Customers who still rely on the old addresses now have to choose between moving to a nominated replacement provider, exporting their mail elsewhere, or letting the account close.

Which addresses are affected

The closure covers every mailbox ending in ntlworld.com, blueyonder.co.uk, virgin.net or virginmedia.com, regardless of whether the holder is still a paying broadband, landline or TV customer. Virgin Media, the UK’s second-largest broadband provider, has not disclosed how many active accounts remain on these domains, but the company stopped issuing new addresses in 2022 as more people switched to dedicated services such as Gmail and Outlook. Anyone who kept an old address from that earlier era, even after cancelling their broadband contract, is included in the shutdown.

A 45-day window, backed by a longer safety net

Virgin Media O2 will contact affected customers in phases starting in September 2026, and each recipient gets at least 45 days from the date of that first message to decide what to do. Because notifications are staggered rather than sent all at once, the actual 45-day cut-off lands on a different date for each household depending on when its notice arrives, rather than on a single fixed deadline for the whole customer base. On top of that initial window, the company is adding a further 120-day recovery period, during which a closed or lapsed account can still be restored. Combined, that gives customers as long as 165 days from first contact before a mailbox and its contents are permanently deleted. Virgin Media O2 says an account can still be recovered during that extended window if a customer changes their mind, misses the initial notice, or simply needs more time, a design intended to stop old photos, documents or personal correspondence from being wiped by accident.

Three options on the table

Customers are being offered three explicit choices. The first is to sign up and transfer the existing address to Junara, the specialist provider taking over day-to-day management of the service. The second is to download stored emails and documents and move to a different provider entirely, including free alternatives. The third is simply to let the account close once the notice period runs out. Virgin Media O2 says all three paths are available to every affected user, whether or not they remain a broadband subscriber. Both Virgin Media O2 and Junara customer service teams, backed by published FAQs, are being made available to walk customers through whichever path they pick, including how to initiate a Junara transfer, how to export stored mail and attachments, and where to get extra help if the process runs into trouble.

Why the company is walking away from its own inboxes

In a blog post announcing the change, Stott said the way people use email has shifted markedly since telecoms operators first bundled it in with broadband, with most customers now preferring a dedicated provider over one tied to their internet service. Handing the remaining accounts to a specialist, he argued, lets Virgin Media O2 redirect its own investment toward broadband, mobile, landline and TV service rather than maintaining a legacy mail platform. Virgin Media stopped issuing new addresses in 2022 for the same reason, and this closure simply extends that logic to the accounts that were already active at the time.

A company spokesperson gave a fuller explanation to industry outlet The Register, saying the business is “focusing and prioritising investments and resource on ensuring customers have the best connectivity experience,” and framing the Junara handover as a way to give users “a clear route to keep their existing Virgin Media email address if they choose to,” even as day-to-day management moves outside the company entirely.

Junara, the specialist inheriting the mailboxes

Ongoing management of the accounts is moving to Junara, an email platform owned by Atmail, which the company says has nearly 30 years of experience taking over legacy mailboxes and running migrations for telecoms customers. Current Virgin Media broadband, landline or TV customers who transfer to Junara get their first 12 months of service free, subject to a 99p transfer fee, while customers who tell the company they need extra support qualify for 18 months free instead. After those free periods end, continuing to use the address means paying Junara’s standard rate. Former customers who no longer take any Virgin Media service will need to sign up for a paid Junara plan from the outset if they want to keep their old address running, since they do not qualify for the loyalty discount extended to current subscribers.

Guarding against scams during the switchover

Because the shutdown involves mass messaging about account changes, Virgin Media O2 says it is deliberately avoiding clickable sign-up links inside the emails it sends about the transition, to reduce the risk that scammers impersonate the notice. Instead, the first message to each customer will point to the official Virgin Media website, where the relevant account information and next steps are published directly. The company is also warning customers to treat any unexpected request for personal details, passwords or payment information with suspicion, and to act only on instructions delivered through verified, official channels rather than unsolicited messages that claim to be part of the migration.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

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