Virgin Media aiming to launch 100 Mbps broadband service in the UK

Virgin Media are setting in motion plans to roll out a 100Mbps broadband service across the UK. Beginning with 50Mbps trails in the Berkshire village of Woolhampton, as many as one million homes could be set to benefit from the new service.

The six-month long Woolhampton trial will connect each resident’s home to Virgin Media’s 50Mbps fibre optic network using overhead telegraph poles. The village until now has relied upon BT’s copper network for their internet connection, and could see villagers gaining a ten-fold increase in internet connection speeds.

Neil Berkett, chief executive officer of Virgin Media, said: “This unique trial will allow us to understand the possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting new way to extend next generation broadband services. With everything from BBC iPlayer to YouTube increasingly demanding reliable ultrafast broadband speeds, we’re keen to ensure that all communities, in towns, cities and villages right across the UK, stand to benefit.”

With the government currently considering altering planning guidelines to make large scale developments of overhead deployments possible, this could be the first major step towards a super-fast internet connection across the entirety of the UK.

For more info, visit www.virginmedia.com.