Virgin Media’s speed doubling starts

Virgin Media has announced the start of customer upgrades for its national Double Speeds upgrade programme. Following significant and ongoing investment in its network to support the upgrade programme, through the course of the next 18 months Virgin Media will be doubling the speeds of over four million cable broadband customers for no extra cost as the upgrades roll out across Virgin Media’s footprint of nearly 13 million homes. The upgrades will also see the company boost its top speed to 120Mb, solidifying the company’s position as the fastest broadband provider in the UK1.

Starting this week and throughout March and April several areas up and down the country will be upgraded to support double speeds, covering 1.5m cable homes. Initial areas include Newcastle, Ashford, Ipswich, Dundee, Belfast and Cambridge, with customers in other areas to be upgraded automatically as the Double Speeds programme rolls out. Customers can check when their area will be upgraded online through virginmedia.com/doublespeed.

Subscribers to Virgin Media’s current 10Mb, 20Mb, 30Mb and 50Mb services will see their speeds at least doubled, with 100Mb customers seeing an increase to 120Mb whilst also receiving a price reduction. These speeds will ensure customers get high quality access to the huge growth in new online services, helping meet the growing demand for next generation broadband services in the UK

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media said: “Virgin Media has driven broadband development in the UK and we’re delighted to be boosting our customers’ broadband speeds once again. Following our Double Speeds programme, all of our customers will be ‘superfast’ as standard and ready to access a new breed of high bandwidth entertainment services. By continuing to give our customers faster speeds and greater value services, we’re committed to providing our customers the best broadband in the UK.”

Virgin Media’s Double Speed upgrade programme follows an unparalleled track record of boosting its customers’ broadband speeds for free – in 2007 Virgin Media upgraded its 10Mb customers to 20Mb, in 2008 it upgraded 4Mb customers to 10Mb whilst also launching a brand new 50Mb service. In 2009, 2Mb customers were upgraded to 10Mb for free and in 2010 Virgin Media launched its 100Mb service whilst also giving all customers another free uplift, this time boosting upload speeds.

For more information on Virgin Media’s products and services, head to virginmedia.com.