- Full-fibre broadband with top speeds of 2Gbps now available to more than 11,000 additional homes in Chester
- Chester residents can now sign up to broadband up to 28 times faster* than the local average.
- Services are now available in Chester following investment by nexfibre, which is investing £4.5bn in the UK to build a new full-fibre wholesale network to 5 million homes by 2026
11,000 more homes in Chester can now access Virgin Media’s gigabit broadband services for the first time.
Customers in Chester can now sign-up to services including Gig2 broadband which offers top speeds of 2Gbps – 28 times faster* than local average. These hyperfast connections are perfect for busy households working remotely, streaming UHD TV shows and films, video calling friends and family and playing games online.
Virgin Media’s services are now available to more homes locally after work to bring full fibre connections to the area has been completed. The network has been built on behalf of nexfibre, which is investing £4.5bn to deliver high speed fibre to the home (FTTH) connections to 5 million homes across the UK by 2026. nexfibre recently announced it has already reached a total of one million premises passed and ready for service.
Virgin Media O2 is using this next-generation network to deliver its broadband and TV Stream services to homes and businesses in the area.
Cllr Nathan Pardoe, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration & Digital Transformation at Cheshire West & Chester Council, said: “Thanks to nexfibre and Virgin Media O2, 11,000 more homes in Chester will have access to gigabit broadband via the Virgin Media O2 network. Full-fibre services like this are about more than speed upgrades – they are more reliable than services carried over legacy networks and give homes connections that are fit for the future.”
Julie Agnew, Managing Director of Fixed Network Expansion at Virgin Media O2 said: “11,000 more homes in Chester can now feel the benefit of Virgin Media’s services – with packages that include everything from next generation multigigabit broadband to easy-to-use TV streaming and entertainment services.
“These ultrareliable full fibre to the home broadband connections come with speeds – up to 28 times faster than local average – providing total peace of mind that whatever you’re doing online, you’ll never be slowed down by your service.”
Rajiv Datta, CEO at nexfibre said: “nexfibre’s multi-million pound investment in Chester will enable thousands of households to access the benefits of full fibre broadband, including being able to participate in the local economy and connect with the community. It marks a significant step on our journey to connect 5 million premises by 2026.”
Virgin Media O2 is leading Britain’s gigabit charge with speeds of 1,000Mbps+ available across its entire network. The company invests around £2bn a year in its networks and services and is also in the process of upgrading its entire fixed network to full fibre to the home (FTTH) technology over the coming years.
In addition to its ultrafast broadband network, Virgin Media O2’s mobile network covers 99% of the nation’s population with 4G, with the business also rolling out 5G services to bring the latest mobile connectivity to more parts of the country. O2 is the only mobile network operator not to have reintroduced roaming fees in Europe and customers can save week-in week-out through Priority – its reward scheme which gives exclusive access to offers, prize draws, competitions, and presale tickets.
Customers of both Virgin Media and O2 can supercharge their services and reap extra rewards through Volt. Alongside double mobile data, roaming in 75 countries, new and existing customers who take a Virgin Media broadband service and an eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan will receive a broadband speed boost to the next tier available – meaning customers on a 500Mbps Virgin Media package could be boosted to Gig1 at no extra charge.
nexfibre is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global and Telefónica and is financed with £4.5 billion of equity and debt investment. It will initially roll out fibre to 5 million homes not currently served by Virgin Media O2’s network by 2026, with the opportunity to expand to an additional 2 million homes. Virgin Media O2 is the anchor tenant of this joint venture and provides build services to nexfibre. Taken together, nexfibre and Virgin Media O2 will cover up to 23 million premises or around 80% of the UK later this decade.
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Notes to Editors
*The average (median) broadband speed in Chester is 69.8Mbps. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations Report 2022, published 15 December 2023.
nexfibre is a next generation broadband company on a mission to deliver high-speed fibre to the home (FTTH) to millions across the UK. It is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners and Virgin Media O2’s shareholders, Liberty Global and Telefónica
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