Virgin Media to double the speed of customer broadband


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exactly!

I am not sure of the point you are making. Almost all domestic fibre networks that I am aware of work this way. BT Infinity certainly does.

It's a Coaxial cable coming into ours, rather than twisted pair.

Same with me Coax as well. Still copper though. ;)

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I am not sure of the point you are making. Almost all domestic fibre networks that I am aware of work this way. BT Infinity certainly does.

most of their customers yes, but those that have Fibre to the premesis can get 100mb bt infinity, much faster than the 40mb they currently offer which will be doubled to 80mb soon. The 100mb will be upgraded to 300mb this year btw.

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This is not news, just a PR stunt to remind everyone they're STILL doing the upgrades which they've announced more than twice in the last 6 months.

I was originally told my 50Mbps service would be 100 before the end of 2011, now it looks like Feb 2012

Still, I can't complain, I get a constant 48Mbps and 1.4Mbps upload, so double those and I'm even happier.

Even better that the upload goes to 5Mbps, but has bandwidth throttling at peak times (upload only) which is new to XXL customers.

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Gutted that I can't get cable in my area, I will be gettign Infinity in March though so that will cheer me up a bit. Certainly more than my 6meg currently. Girlfriend has just signed up with Virgin on their 30meg speed so nice little boost for her.

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most of their customers yes, but those that have Fibre to the premesis can get 100mb bt infinity, much faster than the 40mb they currently offer which will be doubled to 80mb soon. The 100mb will be upgraded to 300mb this year btw.

So there is one specialist all fibre product. Doesn't change the fact that VM is a fibre network. Maybe this will help.

If you have a USB WiFi dongle connected through a usb lead to a PC. What kind of network are you on? According to you wired usb,

VM has a fibre optic network that is coax on the customer side of the cabinet. Network is still fibre optic though.

Also Vm is also piloting at 400Mb and 800Mb

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I have 30Mb so 60Mb will be awesome! though I think it would work out cheaper for us to drop the phone and go one further to 100 or 120Mb as we don't use the phone at all.

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I have 30Mb so 60Mb will be awesome! though I think it would work out cheaper for us to drop the phone and go one further to 100 or 120Mb as we don't use the phone at all.

That is the big con. They charge you more for the broadband if you don't take the phone. I think it is ?10 more if you don't take the phone or take the phone at ?13. Most people see this as ?3 a month for a phone so don't bother.

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So there is one specialist all fibre product. Doesn't change the fact that VM is a fibre network. Maybe this will help.

If you have a USB WiFi dongle connected through a usb lead to a PC. What kind of network are you on? According to you wired usb,

VM has a fibre optic network that is coax on the customer side of the cabinet. Network is still fibre optic though.

Also Vm is also piloting at 400Mb and 800Mb

other companies sell the 100mb fibre too btw, bt don't have an exclusive on the exchanges that have been upgraded to fibre.

fibre doesn't really need to be laid though as haewei (or similar name) has recently trialed 1.5gbps over phone lines, if that is true then everyone in britain could have gigabit in the future without having to spend billions digging up roads which would be rather nice.

80mb over phone line for bt infinity is more than enough speed for the foreseeable future though.

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Ok, this all looks good but whats the point if it gets throttled when you start to use it?

Im thinking of coming back to VM but i dont see the point if your going to get throttled for using what your allocated.

With Sky, i currently get around 13mbps (actual d/l speed) with no throttling or limits for a fiver a month, so is there any point in moving?

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Ok, this all looks good but whats the point if it gets throttled when you start to use it?

Yeah I think they must be doing something with this as well. My guess, the limit will be upped a bit but the % throttle will remain the same. So 20Mb will go to 5Mb (My case). Still not too bad but I do agree it is a pain.

I only stick with them because of the all in package I have.

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incredible news! I'm on 20mb at the moment, could be on 30mb but that requires spending a ?30 fee to get an updated router/modem which i can't afford atm.

You pay their extortionate fees yet cannot afford 30 quid modem? Say you don't want it instead of you can't afford it.

Yes I have been in UK for good 5-6 years and people usually end up spending way too much on pack of smokes and drinks than on something as simple as a router.

Sorry I need to take a chill pill. :)

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News like this makes me hate where I live. For the past Year and a Half I have been using Bell paying 70$ a month, get 6down, .0.8 up, 120GB B/W. Today I upgraded to 32 down, 1 up, 150GB B/W for the same price.. the top package I could of got is 50 down, 2 up, 250gb bw.. for 100$ a month..

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incredible news! I'm on 20mb at the moment, could be on 30mb but that requires spending a ?30 fee to get an updated router/modem which i can't afford atm. Hopefully this will mean i'll get the faster speed and a new modem/router without any extra fees.

Virgin had to do something as you can get bt infinity for ?25 and that is around 37mb, virgin is around ?25 for 30mb.

I hope they increase the bandwidth caps before they throttle us.

Just actually read the full BBC article. Seems I was right about the throttling and your equipment will be upgraded FOC

The company said bandwidth usage limits will also be doubled to accommodate the increased speed.........

However, some users with old modems and other similar hardware will receive new up-to-date equipment free of charge.

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apparently a new postcode checker goes live on friday so you can find out when you're due to be upgraded. this was mentioned on virgin's own forums.

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Glad I didn't pay for 100Mb, the extra 20Mb/s isn't really any use to me. :woot:

I will take that bet. :)

seriously. shake on it? (Y)

100Mb customers (120Mb customers after the rollout) are getting discounts to their monthly bills, so presumably it'll be only slightly more expensive to get the fastest package - you might as well!

I don't know any other company that treats its' customers as well as Virgin. I guess that's what happens when one of the richest men in the world own the company :D

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Here is some more info on the upgrades and questions from their forum.

Source

Does everyone get their speed doubled?

All existing customers will get a broadband boost, and in most cases you?ll get double your current speed. 20Mb customers are getting their speeds tripled, while 100Mb are getting an increase to 120Mb ? the fastest broadband widely available in the UK.

How are my speeds changing?

This table shows you what speed you?ll be getting. If you?re not sure which package you?re on, check your bill or log into

My Virgin Media.

Broadband Package

New speed after your speed boost

Broadband Size : S (up to 2Mb)

Up to 5Mb

Broadband Size : M (up to 10Mb)

Up to 20Mb

Broadband Size : L (up to 10Mb)

Up to 20Mb

Broadband Size : XL (up to 20Mb or 30Mb)

Up to 60Mb

Broadband Size : XXL (up to 50Mb)

Up to 100Mb

Broadband Size : 100 (up to 100Mb)

Up to 120Mb ? Note these increases will start from summer 2012

Note: Upstream speeds and traffic management fair usage amounts will be increased in proportion to the increase in downstream speed.

What do I need to do to get my broadband speed boost?

In most cases, absolutely nothing! We?ll do everything behind the scenes, and then let you know when it?s done. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy an ever faster broadband experience.

If you?re using one of our older modems then there might be a little more to it. You?ll still get a speed boost, but we might need to swap your modem for a

Virgin Media Super Hub to make sure you get the best from your new speed. If so, we?ll supply the Super Hub without charge. And don?t worry - we?ll be emailing or writing to you in good time to let you know what you need to do.

When will my broadband speed be increased?

We?ll be giving everyone a speed boost, but not all at the same time. To find out when your area is being upgraded, we?re putting a postcode checker online which will always have the most up-to-date information. The website will go live on Friday evening; check back here for the URL.

Please note that the post code checker does not apply to 100Mb customers whose boost will be happening from the summer of 2012. We will be writing to you with more information as to when their speed boost will be happening shortly.

Will my upload speed increase, as well?

Yes! It?s not just your downloads that?ll become much faster. Your upload speeds will be automatically increased as we upgrade our network, so you get the best of both worlds.

Depending on the progress of the network upgrade there maybe a delay after your download speed is increased before your upload speed boost occurs.

I?m an existing customer. If I change my package, will I get a second speed boost for free?

If you upgrade your broadband speed before we give you the speed boost, then yes we?ll give you the new speeds on top when your area is ready.

I?m a new customer. Do I get my broadband speed boosted?

Yes! If you join us on a L10, XL30, XXL50 package at the moment, we?ll give you a speed boost on top of whatever broadband speed you select when your area is ready.

How will I know when my broadband speed has been increased?

After your speed has been increased we?ll send you an email or letter to confirm that what speed you are now on. You will also be able to see your new speed displayed on your Virgin Media bill and when you log in to

My Virgin Media.

What will I see on my bill after my speed boost?

Your new speed will appear on your bill and will look like one of the following:

  • Broadband size: S (up to 5Mb)
  • Broadband size: M (up to 20Mb)
  • Broadband size: L (up to 20Mb)
  • Broadband size: XL (up to 60Mb)
  • Broadband size: XXL (up to 100Mb)

Unless you change to a new package, you?ll pay the same as before you were upgraded.

The amount you pay only changes if you are already on 100Mb. If you are, then we?ll shortly be giving you a discount on your monthly subscription. We will be in contact to let you know when the discount will be applied.

Why do I have to wait for my Speed Boost?

Over the next 18 months we're going to be upgrading over four million customers. Doubling everyone?s speed is a pretty big job so it can?t happen overnight. Our engineers will be working as fast as they can to upgrade 38,000 street cabinets and 186,000km of cable (enough to go around the equator four times).

As soon as the network is ready and tested in a region, we'll upgrade everyone in that area as quickly as possible.

Where can I ask some more questions about this?

If you post them in this

question and answer thread on the forum we'll do our best to answer them.

And some helpful answer that users maybe worried about.

Source

>If I current use a VMNG300 will I need to switch to using a Super Hub?

We've tested the VMNG300 and it can only support a speed of approximately 92Mb on our network so if you want to get your full speed upgrade you'll need a Super Hub which we'll send to you free of charge. We know that some of you might be concerned about the Super Hub's performance but the last firmware upgrade at the end of 2011 made some significant improvements in performance and reliability alongside introducing modem mode. We're also expecting even further improvements with the next firmware which should be released in the first half of 2012.

>Will STM limits change?

Traffic management fair usage amounts will increase proportionately. We'll continue to review the impact of our policy to ensure customers are able to make the most of their new speeds without being impacted by a small minority of extremely heavy users.

>What does this mean for people who've already had a Double Your Speed Tickle? Will they get upgraded before everyone else?

If you received the tickle last year you will have been sent a link to a postcode checker to find out when the upgrade would happen for you. Those dates haven?t changed and the new postcode checker (which will be available from Friday night) will have the same information about your upgrade.

>Will the 120Mb package have 12 Mbps upstream? Or more?

Yes, the long term plan is all speeds will have a 10:1 ratio but the upload speed increase might follow a bit after the download.

>Are the upload schedules tied to the rollout of BT's FTTN rollout schedule?

It takes a lot of planning to prepare to increase the broadband speeds for customers across the UK so, no.

>So what about areas that are still waiting for 100Mb and are "being planned" still on the rollout schedule - are these areas going to get shunted to the bottom of the pile yet again?

No. Our 100Mb rollout (which we've just

updated the schedule for) is due to complete in early summer and is separate to the speed doubling programme so where you are in that schedule doesn't affect when your speed will be doubled and you certainly won't be 'shunted to the bottom'. Check our website on Friday to see when we're planning to increase your speed.

>Faster upload users have not had modems replaced without going through a (sometimes painful) call to support to ask for a replacement modem. Will VM Actively seek to switch all users onto modems that can cope with these new speeds?

Everyone who needs a new Super Hub to get their speed increased will get one free of charge. We'll be contacting everyone this applies to by letter to arrange this before the upgrade.

>I'd heard that there was going to be 200Mb by the Olympics is that still happening?

We?re boosting the speeds our customers already get rather than introduce a new tier. While we?ve successfully tested some of the world?s fastest broadband on our network we?re focusing on giving our existing customers even more value. 120Mb will be the fastest widely available broadband in the UK.

>Will increasing speeds cause over subscription and slow down broadband speeds?

In short, no. We are undertaking a massive programme to support the speed doubling and projected demand on the back of it and this is in addition to the work we do to maintain our network as the best in the country ? as independently ratified by Ofcom for the last three years in a row.

>I had previously read that the Size: L would move to 30Mb and M would move to 20Mb.

>Is it possible that the values will change again, or are all speeds now set in stone?

There was a little premature and incorrect speculation but the increases we?ve officially revealed today are correct.

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As an existing 100mbit customer, I feel kinda cheated by this. I now wish I had stayed on 50mbit to save myself the extra ?10/month it's costing me.

you will be getting a discount on your monthly subscription, so don't worry.

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Is that using Virgin's Cable or ADSL option?

ADSL, Kennishead area of Glasgow can't get cable. Nor is it on the rollout plans for VM or BT Infinity afaik.

Awesome flat, crappiest internet I've ever used. When I moved out, my mum downgraded the 20mbit internet to a tier that came free with the rent of this apartment, it's still faster (cable).

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