Virgin Media is giving the West Midlands a huge broadband update
Virgin Media is boosting internet speeds in the West Midlands by switching on gigabit broadband.
The company is planning to deliver speeds of 1104Mbps to over a million homes around Birmingham, Coventry and surrounding areas.
According to Ofcom, Birmingham’s median download speed is 52.8Mbps. Virgin Media are claiming that the new Gig1 Fibre Broadband has a download speed of 1104Mbps and an upload speed of 52Mbps. However, it comes with a hefty price tag. It’s currently £62 a month!
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, visited Virgin Media’s national apprenticeship centre in Birmingham ahead of the switch-on.
“Connectivity like this has the potential to make life easier for people here in the West Midlands and is sure to help our businesses and economy grow,” said Street. “I’ve spoken frequently on the need for good, reliable connectivity in the region and Virgin Media’s investment here in network expansion is an important step towards making the West Midlands one of the best connected places in the country.”
Related: Virgin Media is doubling some users’ broadband speeds with free upgrade
Digital Secretary, Oliver Dowden, also attended the facility ahead of the switch-on. The MP for Hertsmere was keen to argue that the Broadband speed-up was part of the Conservative Party’s plan to boost British connectivity.
He said: “Today’s announcement means we’re a million homes closer in delivering our plans to deliver gigabit broadband to everyone in the UK. We’re working closely with companies like Virgin Media and investing £5 billion to ensure the hardest to reach areas aren’t left behind – so that every part of the country can enjoy the benefits of a world class internet connection.”
Faster speeds will better allow internet users in the area to multi-task in the home, allowing streaming, gaming and more to run smoothly at the same time, without tiresome lag, buffering and delays.
Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media, said: “Virgin Media is delivering on its promises, putting its money where its mouth is and bringing next-generation broadband to its entire network. Switching on gigabit speeds for more than a million homes in the West Midlands, the UK’s largest gigabit roll-out to date, will be a leap forward for the region and a big step for the Government’s gigabit broadband ambition.
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So, it sounds like Virgin Media is speeding up its broadband offering, but the prices are pretty hefty, for now. Take a look at their packages below.
| Bundle |
Monthly price |
| Broadband only |
£62 |
| Broadband and phone |
£67 |
| Big Bundle (Mixit TV, broadband, phone) |
£72 |
| Bigger Bundle (Maxit TV, broadband, phone) |
£89 |
| Bigger Bundle + movies (Maxit TV + Sky Cinema HD, broadband, phone) |
£99 |
| Bigger Bundle + sports (Maxit TV + Sky Sports HD+ Sky Sports HD, broadband, phone) |
£105 |
| Bigger Bundle + sports and movies (Maxit TV + Sky Sports HD and Sky Cinema HD + Sky Sports HD, broadband, phone) |
£109 |
| Ultimate Oomph Bundle (All the TV, broadband, phone and a truly unlimited SIM) |
£119 |
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
