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Virgin Media O2 already offers some pretty impressive downloads with some customers able to get films and PS5 games whizzed into their homes at a rate of 1Gbps. At that speed, it would take around 40 seconds to beam a full HD blockbuster movie to a TV – that’s around 15 times faster than the current UK average.
Although that 1Gbps broadband is good, things could be about to get even better for Virgin users. The company has just revealed some huge investment which will see new full-fibre technology rolled out to streets across the UK.
Right now, Virgin offers its speeds via a mixture of fast fibre and a unique cable system which brings the internet into properties. That’s allowed the firm to offer users much-improved speeds when compared to older copper lines but to boost things further it needs to roll out a major upgrade.
And that’s exactly what’s coming with Virgin promising that around 14 million homes will have access to full Fibre to the Premises FTTP technology by 2028.
This should not only improve reliability but also offer the capability to download files at ludicrous 10Gbps speeds.
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If that becomes a reality, a movie would take just 4 seconds to download and a 50GB PS5 game would be ready to play in under a minute.
Virgin already supplies around 1.5 million with an FTTP connection but this will be boosted over the coming years.
Speaking about the upgrade, Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media O2, said: “Our mission is to upgrade the UK, and we are doing exactly that. This major new fibre upgrade programme will see us begin the next evolution of our network, building on the investment, firepower and leadership we already have and ensuring we’re fibre fit for the future.
“Right now, we have the UK’s leading gigabit network, and this upgrade means we’ll be even stronger for the decades ahead, pursuing new opportunities and putting words into action
“In 60 days since the formation of Virgin Media O2, we have achieved a lot, but this is just the beginning. With strong foundations for growth in place, we will boost connectivity, provide greater choice and be a challenger the country can count on.”
Even if that 10Gbps sounds too fast for your needs, Virgin also says it remains on track to complete its gigabit upgrade by the end of 2021 meaning more customers will have access to quicker downloads.
It will be interesting to see how Virgin’s rivals respond to this mighty upgrade. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) including Sky and TalkTalk use BT’s Openreach technology which only offers speeds up to 1Gbps.
Virgin Media O2 could soon offer its services to rivals which means more homes may be able to enjoy much faster speeds.
It’s thought that, like Openreach, the company is keen to enter the fixed wholesale market which means its fibre could be accessible to rival firms.
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