Pre-registration to sign up for the super-fast broadband network opens today. The service offers Virgin customers nearly twenty times the UK’s average broadband speed, which is 5.2Mb, according to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds report.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has welcomed the news, which comes hot the heels of the Government forcing the BBC to commit £300m from the licence fee to fund the roll out of super-fast broadband across rural parts of the country. He said: “We want to see super-fast broadband brought to peoples’ homes and businesses right across the country and this exciting news takes us a step closer towards reaching that goal."
Virgin says its 100Mb service will allow users to download a music album in five seconds, a TV show in 30 second and a high definition movie in approximately seven minutes.
The cost of the new service when bought as part of a bundle will be £35 per month or £45 when bought as a solo product.
Virgin also claims that nearly 13 million homes will have the potential to access the new 100Mb service as coverage is extended nationally during 2011. Yorkshire, London and the south-east are the first areas to receive coverage, with roll out expected to be complete by mid 2012.
Neil Berkett, chief executive officer at Virgin Media said: “The world of possibilities that broadband will enable is set to explode and we’re excited about the innovations we can bring to consumers in the next decade.”
He added: “We have already seen a massive uptake in the number of customers watching video rich services and bandwidth hungry high definition programmes and clips. We are now in a world where people want the best connectivity with whatever screen they are using and those service providers that aren’t able to deliver this will simply be left behind.”
Charlie Ponsonby, chief executive of broadband comparison service, Simplifydigital said: “Virgin Media is putting clear blue water between it and BT with this new 100 Mb broadband service and it will stand alone as the fastest widely available broadband package in the UK.
“Rather like car companies are in a horsepower war - the broadband companies are in a Mb war. And just as customers will buy a 500 horsepower Mercedes, so customers will buy 100 Mb Virgin broadband.”
The 100Mb service also delivers 10Mb upload speeds, in order to allow customers to share content such as live HD video more easily.
The company is continuing with its 200Mb trials in selected homes.
