A million connections will be surpassed this year
Virgin Media has set out bold targets to connect up to 15 million UK homes with gigabit broadband by the end of 2021.
The first
homes will be connected with the gigabit speeds this year, with
Southampton the first city to receive the broadband, where customers
have trialled the speeds already.
Virgin
Media is targeting one million connections by the end of this year,
where customers can use speeds of up to 1Gbps.
The
project has been backed by Liberty Global, with billions invested to
expand the network and provide speed upgrades unmatched by other
providers, as broadband usage has surged by almost 40 per cent in the
last year.
Virgin Media CEO Lutz Schüler has called the move a “giant digital leap forward for the UK”.
“Very
soon, for the first time ever, millions of people right across the
country will be able to experience hyperfast and reliable gigabit
internet connections.
“This
upgrade plan will see gigabit speeds rolled out at an unrivalled pace
right across the country, bringing our customers the future-proof
connections of tomorrow.”
Ofcom
chief executive Sharon White added: “We welcome Virgin Media’s
commitment to investing further in its network, providing gigabit
speeds to millions more households.
“This
shows the race to roll out ultrafast speeds to people and businesses
across the UK is really gathering pace.”
