9 in 10 Virgin O2 homes can now get gigabit broadband

Hyperfast gigabit broadband is now available to more than 90% of Virgin Media O2’s UK network, the company has said, meaning more than 14 million homes can access faster internet speeds.

As part of today’s gigabit switch-on, Virgin Media O2 has upgraded its network to 1.6 million more homes in Lincoln, Bath, Lancaster, Fife, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Slough and Salisbury among many others.

With average download speeds of 1,130Mbps, Virgin Media’s next-generation Gig1 broadband service is the fastest available from a major broadband provider in the UK – 22 times faster than the national average.

As well as preparing homes for the technologies and applications of tomorrow, gigabit speeds enable consumers to do more online – from working, streaming, socialising and gaming – all at the same time and on multiple devices, claims the company.

Says Lutz Schüler, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Media O2: 

“We’re making great strides ahead in upgrading the UK and are within touching distance of bringing the benefits of future-proof gigabit broadband to everyone on our network.

“With our gigabit rollout progressing at an unmatched pace, we’re building the next-generation broadband network that’s ready for the technology of tomorrow.”

As part of its mission to upgrade the UK, the company has committed to invest at least £10bn over the next 5 years in the UK and, building on the success of its existing fibre network expansion activity, is actively exploring options to go further and faster by deploying fibre to millions of additional homes across the country.

This investment includes an accelerated monthly rollout of gigabit speeds to multiple locations across the UK between now and the end of the year.

Recently, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – using ThinkBroadband data – revealed that more than 50% of UK homes now have access to gigabit broadband. The Government has set a target of achieving at least 85% gigabit-capable coverage across the UK by 2025.