Virgin Media O2 completes gigabit upgrade nearly four years early boosting Britain’s broadband
Virgin Media O2 has today completed the upgrade of its entire national network to gigabit speeds, delivering nearly two-thirds of the Government’s broadband ambition four years ahead of the target date.
The operator completed its rollout after switching on gigabit speeds to a final 1.1 million homes for the first time, meaning all 15.5 million homes passed by Virgin Media O2’s network can now access this hyperfast connectivity.
Virgin Media O2 is the only major internet service provider to have completed a gigabit upgrade programme at this scale, rolling out next-generation services to every home on its network in a little over two years without the need for lengthy construction work.
The Gig1 broadband service offers average download speeds of 1,130Mbps – 22 times faster than the national average – which enables households to do more online at the same time and on multiple devices.
Gigabit broadband also paves the way for future technologies and applications such as metaverse style augmented and virtual reality experiences and cloud gaming.
Since Virgin Media first launched gigabit services in September 2019, the UK’s average broadband speed has increased by almost 50 per cent predominantly due to the fact Virgin Media has continued to provide its customers with faster speeds.
Lutz Schüler, chief exec at Virgin Media O2, said: “Just two years ago we set out to spearhead the UK’s gigabit revolution and today we’ve delivered. Our investment to bring gigabit broadband to every home on our network has catapulted the UK’s digital infrastructure forward by a decade and forced others to up their game.
“As the country’s largest gigabit provider by far, we’re the driving force behind widespread gigabit availability four years ahead of the Government’s target.
“Having reached this major milestone in just two years, we’re doubling down on our mission to upgrade the UK by continuing to innovate and invest in our network to support the technologies of tomorrow – there’s no slowing down at Virgin Media O2.”
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries welcomed the news, and commented: “Getting high speed broadband into everyone’s homes is a top priority and Virgin Media O2’s efforts mean we’re making quick progress in our mission to level up the UK with better connectivity.
“We must ensure that rural areas are not left behind, which is why alongside industry’s roll out we’re investing up to £5 billion to make top-of-the-range speeds available in hard-to-reach communities.”