Virgin Media paints a Vivid future for UK broadband

• Virgin Media launches Vivid, a new standard of ultrafast broadband and new 200Mbps speed

• Virgin Media customers can choose to upgrade to speeds of 70Mb, Vivid 150Mb & Vivid 200Mbps

Virgin Media today announced a new standard in ultrafast connectivity with the launch of Vivid 200Mbps broadband speed.  Vivid will be used to brand all ultrafast broadband speeds and services of 100Mbps and above from Virgin Media.

This week, the Company will start contacting its 4.6 million broadband customers to explain how they can opt-in to an upgrade from 1 October 2015.  Customers do not need to take any further action right now. 

This is the third time the company has boosted customer broadband speeds in five years, quadrupling the fastest speeds available from 50Mbps in 2010 to Vivid 200Mbps in 2015.   With Vivid 200Mbps customers can download an entire two hour HD movie in three minutes two seconds and a music album in just three seconds.

Upgrading the nation to next generation of connectivity

Virgin Media is rewarding its existing broadband customers by offering them the chance to upgradefrom existing speeds of (up to) 50Mbps, 100Mbps and 152Mbps to more powerful speeds of 70Mbps, Vivid 150Mbps and Vivid 200Mbps. By choosing to upgrade, Virgin Media customers on even the lowest available package will receive broadband speeds at the top end of the range available from providers operating on the BT network.

Thanks to its DOCSIS 3 technology, Virgin Media will make available and deploy the superior speeds in record time, with 90% of customers being able to upgrade by the end of 2015.

Virgin Media is investing heavily in its ultrafast network to meet consumer demand.  Data usage on the Virgin Media network is currently growing at a rate of 60% every year and if the trend continues data usage will be 10,000% higher by 2025.  The company has also embarked on a £3 billion programme to connect four million more homes and businesses to ultrafast broadband speeds

Gregor McNeil, Managing Director of Consumer at Virgin Media said:

“Our message is simple:  if you want to be certain that you are signing up to true ultrafast broadband speeds of 100Mbps and above, Vivid from Virgin Media is the new standard.

“The speed of a customer’s broadband connection matters; when you have more you can do more.”

Vivid is the brand for Virgin Media ultrafast broadband helping people to do more and have more fun, connecting to the people and things they love thanks to Virgin’s DOCSIS 3 technology.

For more information visit virginmedia.com

*Ofcom broadband speeds report, February 2015 –https://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/broadband-speeds-november2014/

**Akamai’s State of the Internet report, June 2015 – https://www.stateoftheinternet.com/resources-connectivity-2015-q1-state-of-the-internet-report.html

***In January 2012, Virgin Media announced it was doubling customers’ broadband speeds, with many benefitting from speeds of up to 120Mb. And again, in February 2014, speeds were boosted to 152Mb.

Virgin Media offers four multi award-winning services across the UK and Ireland: broadband, TV, mobile phone and landline.

The company’s dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely available broadband speeds to homes and businesses. And we’re expanding this through our £3bn Project Lightning programme, which will reach 17 million premises.

Our interactive TV service brings live programmes, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and the best apps and games in a set-top box, as well as on-the-go for tablets and smartphones.

We launched the world’s first virtual mobile network, offering fantastic value and services to customers. We are also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the UK and Ireland.

Through Virgin Media Business we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest widely available broadband speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international cable company. Together Virgin Media and Liberty Global serve 27 million customers across 14 countries.