Broadband News & Mobile Broadband News

Virgin Media (virginmedia.com) is already planning for future fibre optic broadband speeds up to 400Mbps as it gears up to launch its up to 100Mbps service in Q4 of this year.

According to techradar, the ISP is launching a new modem by the end of the year that will be up to 400Mbps capable and that’s in addition to the ongoing commercial trials of its up to 200Mbps broadband speed service.

Commenting on the capabilities of Virgin Media’s fibre optic broadband network, Jon James, Virgin Media’s Executive Director of Broadband said: “The DOCSIS 3 network really gives us a dial we can turn to give more speed to customers if we think that is the right thing to do both for those customers and commercially”.

James continued: “We will continue to give Virgin Media customers free upgrades on an equipment basis because we are the speed leader and we think it’s going to continue as a way we do broadband”.

Around 55% of UK homes are currently capable of receiving Virgin Media Broadband speeds up to 50Mbps, with prices starting from £15 a month when taken with a Virgin Media phone line.

Readers can find out further information at the virginmedia.com website.

Virgin Media (virginmedia.com) has launched a web exclusive £5 per month offer for its up to 10Mbps fibre optic broadband service.

Usually £12.50 a month, this new online offer means new customers switching to Virgin Media’s size L fibre optic broadband package can now save themselves £22.50 over the first 3 months of their contract.

Virgin Media’s broadband service comes with an unlimited download usage allowance (a fair use policy applies), free PC Guard security and a free ‘N’ wireless router.

The £5 per month broadband offer is available when taken with Virgin Media’s Talk Weekend package which includes phone line rental and unlimited weekend UK landline calls for £11.99 a month. Weekend calls to Virgin Mobiles are also included.

A BT phone line is not required while many customers switching to Virgin Broadband from a rival supplier like TalkTalk or BT will not need a MAC code in order to switch.

Readers can find out more at the virginmedia.com website.

The new super fast broadband network that BT has been given the go ahead for is set to debut in South Wales. The fibre optic network will be installed in Cardiff and nearby Taffs Well at the start of 2010 – aswell as more urban areas like Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Greater Manchester.

Currently South Wales is one of the worst broadband coverage areas in the UK, especially in its rural areas. When the installation takes place, roughly 16,000 homes and businesses will benefit from broadband speeds of up to 40Mbps and potentially up to 60Mbps.

When talking about the new super fast broadband plans, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said:

“Access to broadband is important to businesses and citizens across Wales. It is important that the telecommunications infrastructure in Wales is able to meet this challenge and this announcement is a further demonstration of the important role that Wales wants to play at the forefront of the development of next generation broadband services across the UK”.

However, whilst it is great news that Cardiff and surrounding areas are set to benefit from this new network, there is still some concern about more rural parts of the country. David Melding AM, the Conservative Shadow Minister for the Economy said:

“While we welcome proposals to link the Cardiff area to a super-fast broadband network there are still parts of Wales struggling to get any broadband connection at all. Wales has been stuck in the slow lane of the information super highway for far too long, with the average broadband speed here slower than London and Scotland.”

BT’s installation of fibre optic broadband is the largest investment in super-fast broadband ever seen in the UK with the project set to cost BT up to £1.5bn.

More than 500,000 customers across the UK will benefit from the first phase of the BT installation scheme, with the next set of locations, serving a million homes and businesses to be announced in the autumn.

By 2012, BT is hoping that 40% of UK homes and businesses (circa 10 million premises) will be able to access super fast fibre optic broadband.

After it gave BT the go ahead for its new super-fast fibre optic broadband network, Ofcom is now urging more providers to make an investment.

Ofcom is hoping to increase broadband speeds to an average of 40Mbps across the whole country over the next few years and wants further investment in broadband networks to make this happen.

When talking about the changes in the regulation policies regarding broadband networks, the chief executive of Ofcom, Ed Richards, said:

“It will deliver significant benefits to consumers and businesses with the prospect of new digital services delivered over the internet at high speed.”

One way in which Ofcom is making it easier for broadband providers to invest is by letting them set their own price for wholesale broadband.

Usually Ofcom would interfere and set policies on how much each provider should charge – an action that has prevented suppliers from gaining as much profit back from their investment as they’d like.

However, with Ofcom now wanting to encourage broadband network growth, the regulations have been changed to benefit more providers.

In supporting this, Mr Richards said:

“Our message today is clear. There are no regulatory barriers in the way of investment in super-fast broadband. We want to promote investment but will also ensure that there is fair and effective competition for the future.”

Ofcom also proposed to help support industry developments and to continually review the market. However, they have admitted that they do not know how successful private investment would be.

Overall it is hoped that the changes in the regulations will encourage further private investment in the advanced broadband networks that are required for high-speed internet access in every UK home.

New customers can now order Virgin 10Mb fibre optic broadband for just £5 per month for the first 3 months, followed by £14.99 a month thereafter.

There’s no download limits to worry about, though an acceptable usage policy does apply. There’s also a free wireless router included together with free PC Guard Total security.

According to research from independent measurement organisation, Epitiro, the average actual download speed of Virgin 10Mb fibre optic broadband (up to 10Mb) is at least 2 times faster than BT, Tiscali and Orange up to 8Mb ADSL packages.



To take advantage of this offer, customers must also take the Virgin Media Talk Weekends package that includes telephone line rental and unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines for just £11 a month.

Alternatively, customers can opt for 10Mb fibre optic broadband with no phone line required and pay just £15 a month for the first 6 months, followed by £20 a month thereafter.

Please go to the virginmedia.com website for more information. The offers end on the 28th February 2009.

You can also read our full review of Virgin Media Fibre Optic Broadband packages here.