Thousands of homes set for superfast broadband
THOUSANDS of homes across Kirklees can now access superfast broadband after being added to Virgin Media O2’s gigabit network.
As part of yesterday’s switch-on, homes in Huddersfield and Mirfield will now have access to the next generation Gig1 service – the fastest broadband currently available from any of the mainstream providers across the country.
With average download speeds of 1,130Mbps, 21 times higher than the local average, users can stream, work, socialise and game on multiple devices at the same time.
More than 14.3million homes in the UK are now able to access Virgin Media’s Gig1 service, making the operator by far the largest gigabit broadband provider in the UK.
It has also pledged that by the end of this year, Virgin Media O2 will deliver gigabit broadband speeds across its entire network of more than 15.5million homes.
But as well as connecting Huddersfield to gigabit speeds, Virgin Media has also recently connected an additional 6,800 homes in Chickenley to its network, as part of its ‘Project Lightning’ network expansion programme.
Lutz Schuler, chief executive officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We’re making great strides ahead in upgrading the UK with Kirklees the latest area to benefit. We’re now within touching distance of bringing future-proof gigabit broadband to everyone on our network.
“With our gigabit rollout progressing at an unmatched pace, and Kirklees residents set for a speed boost, we’re building the next generation broadband network that’s ready for the technology of tomorrow.”
The new rollout forms part of the company’s mission to invest at least £10bn over the next five years in the UK.
This investment includes an accelerated monthly rollout of gigabit speeds to multiple locations across the UK between now and the end of the year.
Building on the success of its existing fibre network expansion activity, it hopes to further and faster deploy fibre broadband to millions of additional homes across the country, with plans currently in the works to upgrade its fixed network to full fibre with competition in 2028.