Virgin Media and Redrow Homes today announced an agreement to supply ultrafast broadband to new build homes and communities across the UK. This will give homeowners access to the fastest widely-available broadband speeds and interactive TV with more than 230 channels starting with over 13,000 homes across Tamworth, Shrewsbury and Evesham.
The new broadband and TV infrastructure being built for Redrow’s homes also stands to benefit nearby local communities. Shropshire is currently without ultrafast broadband, and Virgin Media is building 11km of cable trench to reach the new homes at Redrow’s Lime Tree Meadows development in Shrewsbury. This will also enable several thousand existing Shrewsbury residents and businesses to benefit from Virgin Media’s services.
Powered by Virgin Media’s £3bn Project Lightning network expansion, many new properties will be connected with fibre directly to the home – known in the industry as Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP). Investment for the new Redrow development in Evesham, Maple Gardens, for example, will create broadband connections for almost 4,400 local residents and businesses.
This announcement comes on the back of concern about the quality of broadband in new build homes. A recent investigation by broadband advice site Cable.co.uk revealed that thousands of homebuyers in new developments are finding that broadband provision is either slow or non-existent. This also follows a new partnership between Virgin Media and the Home Builders Federation to increase delivery of ultrafast broadband services to new homes across the UK.
Mark Marsh, Technical Director for Redrow Homes (Midlands), said: “In the digital age internet connectivity and communications systems are high on homeowners’ agendas and they want the best services and speeds possible. Our partnership means that Redrow customers are able to move in with services including a broadband connection and Virgin TV box already installed. It’s much more convenient than having to arrange installation after you’ve moved, which could involve a wait of several weeks.
“Redrow’s partnership with Virgin Media also brings wider benefits to the neighbourhoods in which we’re building, as it means that Virgin Media is able to expand its services into the community and bring fibre optic ultrafast broadband to new areas more quickly than might otherwise be possible.”
Paul Buttery, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media, said: “This agreement with Redrow proves that Virgin Media has the firepower to create the connected homes people need and deserve – whether it’s to work efficiently from home, run a small business or simply have the very best broadband and connected entertainment. Redrow is among the first homebuilders to benefit from working with Virgin Media at scale and we look forward to our future together.”
Virgin Media’s dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely available broadband speeds to homes and businesses in the UK. Available to 13 million homes and businesses, the network is being rapidly expanded to reach 4 million more premises, 25% of which will be connected by Fibre To The Premise technology.
To help homebuilders, Virgin Media has launched a dedicated new portal including essential technical guidance and a simple new site request form, with Virgin Media carrying out all initial new site assessments free of charge.
https://keepup.virginmedia.com/networkexpansion
Virgin Media’s VIVID 200 offers the fastest widely available broadband. This is more than two and a half times faster than the top widely available speeds from BT, TalkTalk and Sky meaning that a whole household can game, stream movies, music and more all at the same time.
For businesses and homeworkers, Virgin Media Business offers ultrafast connectivity, with speeds of up to 300Mbps – almost four times faster than its main competitors’ widely available top speeds. This enables businesses to reach their potential by delivering better services and greater capacity.
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About Virgin Media
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. We’re expanding this through our £3bn Project Lightning programme, which will reach 17 million premises by the end of 2019.
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. 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 speeds and tailor-made services.
Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international cable company, with operations in more than 30 countries.
About Redrow:
Established more than 40 years, Redrow Homes is one of the UK’s leading house builders, with a £1billion turnover and building more than 4,000 homes in 2014/15 financial year.
Operating across England and Wales, there is a strong emphasis on providing high quality homes in prime locations and its housing ranges feature designs to suit all lifestyles:
• The Heritage Collection combines traditional looking, ‘Arts & Crafts’ influenced exteriors with bright, modern, high specification interiors.
• The classically styled Regent Collection features Georgian inspired street scenes and architecture.
• Redrow has also launched a new brand of contemporary homes in Abode, which boast open plan layouts with streamlined kitchen, dining and lounge areas, high specification wet rooms and outdoor living space.
Redrow also creates exclusive bespoke developments in both rural and urban locations. The company has won numerous awards over the years, including, most recently, the Gold Award for Best Large Housebuilder at the What House? Awards 2015 and 2014, Best House Design at the Sunday Times British Home Awards 2015 and the 2014 Building Awards Housebuilder of the Year. Its ‘My Redrow’ online tool won the overall Customer Engagement category at the 2013 Peer Awards for Excellence. Web: www.redrow.co.uk.
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