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Virgin Media offers free gift worth £150 to all broadband, TV, and phone customers — how YOU can claim

If you rely on Virgin Media O2 for your broadband, television, or mobile phone — you can claim a gift worth £150.

For a limited time, it’s offering free access to Perplexity Pro, an AI-powered search engine backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos that rivals ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The exclusive UK partnership will enable those with an O2 Priority account to start using the advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) research assistant.

Upgrade to Virgin Media broadband and pay £0 for the first 3 months

Virgin Media’s Black Friday deals continue until December 8th. For a very limited time, you can upgrade to one of its full-fibre broadband bundles and pay £0 for the first three months. That means you won’t see a penny leave via Direct Debit until March 2025. Not only that, but Virgin Media will also include 3 months of Disney+ worth £8.99 too. Cancel anytime and you’ll pay nothing to stream exclusive films and series this Christmas!

Unlike a traditional Google search, which delivers a long list of links to websites based on their relevance, Perplexity was built from the ground-up to answer questions with clear answers. It uses citations to show you where it’s pulled the information used to inform its answer.

Perplexity is one of a number of AI companies trying to disrupt the stranglehold that Google has on search. Google commands a whopping 93.61% market share in the UK, when it comes to searching for information online.

Although anyone can use Perplexity, the Pro subscription offers a minimum of 300 “Pro” searches every day. These advanced searches allow you to upload entire files — including PDFs, CSVs, and images — to enable the Artificial Intelligence to analyse data, sort tables, and craft answers using only the information that you have provided.

It also offers the choice between a number of advanced AI models, each with its own unique strengths, like:

  • GPT-4 Omni: Advanced reasoning and natural language processing capabilities.
  • Claude 3 Sonnet and Haiku: Natural-sounding responses and file uploads, with limited daily usage.
  • Sonar Large 32k: Conciseness and accuracy, based on Llama 3.4

Lastly, the paid-for Pro services includes a conversational voice mode too.

Perplexity Pro is worth £150 a year. But for a limited time, this annual subscription is available to all O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers through O2 Priority until May 2025. Following the £31 billion merger between Virgin Media and O2, customers with either of these services can access the O2 Priority loyalty scheme.

This unlocks several rewards, including discount cinema tickets, free coffees and snacks from high street shops, early access to tickets for concerts, comedy shows, theatre and festivals, and much more.

The arrival of the Perplexity Pro perk comes as new research from Virgin Media O2 reveals that nearly three-quarters of Brits (73%) are embracing artificial intelligence technology. The survey found that 61% of respondents have used AI in the past six months. A significant majority (71%) of those using AI believe it is making them more effective at work.

The technology’s impact extends beyond the workplace, with half of Brits reporting that AI has improved their home life. These findings demonstrate a growing acceptance of AI technology among British consumers as they incorporate it into both professional and personal spheres.

The survey also revealed the top ways Brits are utilising AI technology in their daily lives.

A substantial 76% of respondents use AI to help with everyday tasks such as reminders and organisation. Two-thirds (67%) rely on AI for finding reliable product reviews and making comparisons. Travel planning and recommendations are popular among 59% of AI users. Perhaps most surprisingly, 41% of Brits are turning to AI for personal and relationship advice.

The research also found that 56% would consider using AI for managing money, while 21% would use it to write break-up texts. Some are even exploring AI to help train and communicate with their pets (15%).

Speaking about the new perk, Director of Priority, Loyalty, and Rewards at Virgin Media O2, Lisa Johnstone said: “Priority is committed to helping our members get the most out of life and get the best value from us, so we are thrilled to introduce our latest Perplexity Pro reward.

“With more and more of us embracing AI to improve the way we work, shop and travel, the technology is becoming helpful in everyday digital life and we’re here to help our members navigate it with confidence.

“Whether our members want to plan a holiday or save money on their weekly shopping list, our new Perplexity Pro reward is like having an expert in your pocket to find the best deals and manage day-to-day needs. And save members over £150 in the process.”

virgin media hub 5 wi-fi router is pictured on a wooden shelf with dried flowers and photo frames nearby

The free one-year subscription is available to Virgin Media O2 customers through the Priority app or website. Customers must claim the offer by May 2025 to access these premium features worth over £150 annually.

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Discussing the new partnership, Chief Business Officer of Perplexity, Dmitry Shevelenko said: “Everyone deserves instant, reliable answers to their questions without needing to sift through endless web pages and SEO-driven content.

“Instead, Perplexity delivers this experience in a way that prioritises trust and the user experience. Virgin Media O2 not only makes it possible for people to use Perplexity on their devices, but they are also taking their commitment to their subscribers a step further by giving them Perplexity Pro free for a year.”

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