Need for speed: Virgin Media O2 is boosting upload speeds for millions of customers at no extra cost

• From next week, new and existing customers who take M500 or Gig1 broadband packages will be able to enjoy updated upload speeds of 52Mpbs and 104Mbps at no extra cost – six times faster than the UK’s average upload speed
• Customers will also be able to download the Virgin Media Connect app to check their new upload speeds
• This free of charge uplift follows Virgin Media O2 boosting speeds for all M100 and M200 customers at no extra cost at the end of 2022

From next week, Virgin Media O2 is starting to increase upload speeds for even more of its broadband customers at no extra cost, offering them extra value from their broadband services.

The boost will see the average upload speed for Virgin Media’s M500 service increase from 36Mbps to 52Mbps, with the average upload speed for Gig 1 services rising from 52Mbps to 104Mbps – six times faster than the UK’s average.

To benefit from the improved upload speeds, including a faster experience when video calling, gaming and sending large files, existing customers who are eligible for the increase simply need to reboot their Hub by switching it off, waiting 5-10 seconds and switching it on again, or restarting it via the Virgin Media Connect app. Once completed, customers can also check their new upload speeds by running a speed test on the Connect app.

New customers who take M500 or Gig 1 broadband will also be able to enjoy the faster upload speeds, with the increase being applied to these packages as standard.

Gareth Turpin, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “As demand for fast and reliable connectivity continues to soar, we’re boosting upload speeds for millions of our broadband customers at no extra cost. In the last few years, we’ve seen record upstream demand on our fixed network as a result of more people regularly working from home, using video calling apps and new advances in gaming, so now more than ever we’re laser focused on offering our customers a service that supports them now and in the future.”

This free of charge boost comes just months after Virgin Media O2 increased speeds for all M100 and M200 customers at no extra cost, meaning that once this speed upgrade is complete, Virgin Media O2 will have boosted upload speeds for 4.5m broadband customers since November 2022.

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Notes to editors:

• As a result of this move, Virgin Media O2’s customers will be benefitting from the latest DOCSIS 3.1 Technology which is capable of delivering the faster upload speeds across 100% of the network by the end of this year.
• Ofcom’s home broadband performance report 2023 states the UK national average upload speed is 15.5Mbps. Virgin Media O2’s advertised upload speeds for Gig 1 is 104Mbps, making it 71x faster: UK home broadband performance, measurement period September 2022 (published March 2023) – Ofcom

The new speeds in comparison to old speeds:

Virgin Media’s broadband packages include:

• Essential broadband – average download speeds of 15Mbps (for customers on Universal Credit)
• Essential broadband plus – average download speeds of 54Mbps (for customers on Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance)
• M50 – average download speeds of 54Mbps
• M125 – average download speeds of 132Mbps
• M250 – average download speeds of 264Mbps
• M350 – average download speeds of 362Mbps
• M500 – average download speeds of 516Mbps
• Gig1 Fibre Broadband – average download speeds of 1130Mbps