Virgin Media is closing its free email service, leaving account holders to decide whether to transfer or move elsewhere.
Users who want to keep their existing address can switch to Junara, an email provider owned by Atmail.
The change affects addresses ending in virginmedia.com, virgin.net, ntlworld.com and blueyonder.co.uk.
Virgin Media says it is contacting affected account holders in phases and they will have at least 45 days from the first communication to decide what to do.
They can sign up with Junara, download their emails and data before moving to another provider, or close their account.
Junara says users whose accounts are suspended after their deadline have another 120 days to sign up and reactivate them.
After that period, the account and its data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered, the provider says.
Virgin Media stopped offering email accounts to new customers in May 2022.
Current Virgin Media broadband, landline or TV customers who move to Junara will be offered their first 12 months free, subject to a 99p transfer fee.
Customers who have told Virgin Media they need additional support will be offered their first 18 months free.
Former Virgin Media customers who no longer have those services will need to sign up to a standard Junara plan to keep their email service.
Those who do not want to transfer can download their data and move to another provider, including a free service.
Virgin Media says its messages about the change will not include clickable sign-up links, and customers should be cautious of unexpected requests for personal details, passwords or payment information.
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: "As we focus and prioritise our investments and resource on ensuring our customers have the best connectivity experience, we've taken the decision to close the remaining Virgin Media email accounts.
"We are transferring our email service to Junara, a specialist cloud-based email provider owned by Atmail, giving users a clear route to keep their existing Virgin Media email address if they choose to.
"We're writing directly to all impacted customers to clearly explain the changes and will provide a 45-day window to either sign up with Junara, move to an alternative email provider, or close their account.
"To support users through this transition, all current Virgin Media customers wishing to move to Junara will receive their first year of service free of charge, with additional support available for those who need it."
Share