Virgin Media extends gigabit rollout
March 19, 2020
UK multiplay operator Virgin Media has switched on what it says is the Midlands’ fastest gigabit home broadband service in the city of Birmingham, offering connectivity more than 20 times faster than the current local average.
In what is seen as the UK’s largest ever gigabit broadband switch-on, more than a million homes across the West Midlands can now benefit from the next-generation broadband service.
Hundreds of thousands of homes in Birmingham can now benefit from the broadband boost which is part of the company’s plan to bring gigabit speeds to nearly 15 million homes across its entire network by the end of 2021.
Ahead of the launch, Oliver Dowden CBE, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Andy Street CBE, Mayor of the West Midlands, visited Virgin Media’s National Apprenticeship Centre at its Eagle Court office in Birmingham.
Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media, said: “This is a next-generation broadband boost for more than a million homes in the West Midlands. Gig1 Fibre Broadband offers speeds more than 20 times faster than the local average broadband connection, meaning that households can do everything they want to do online, at the same time and without delay.”
“This year we’ll bring the service to even more cities as we roll out gigabit broadband across our entire network at a speed and scale unmatched by anyone else. Whatever the future holds, we’re connecting our customers to what’s next.”
“Connectivity like this has the potential to make life easier for people here in the West Midlands and is sure to help our businesses and economy grow,” added Street. “I’ve spoken frequently on the need for good, reliable connectivity in the region and Virgin Media’s investment here in network expansion is an important step towards making the West Midlands one of the best connected places in the country.”
“Today’s announcement means we’re a million homes closer in delivering our plans to deliver gigabit broadband to everyone in the UK,” commented Dowden. “We’re working closely with companies like Virgin Media and investing £5 billion to ensure the hardest to reach areas aren’t left behind – so that every part of the country can enjoy the benefits of a world class Internet connection.”
Virgin Media will announce which further cities are set to benefit from its Gig1 Fibre Broadband service later in the year as it continues its national gigabit rollout plan. In 2019, the company launched gigabit broadband services in Southampton, Greater Manchester and Reading.