bassethound
01-02-11, 17:18
Virgin Media has today launched a new 30Mbps broadband service to replace its existing 20Mbps package, as the firm's battle with BT and TalkTalk hots up.
The new 30Mbps XL service, which costs £18.50 per month, is a response to the increasing use of data-hungry wireless devices in the home, such as smartphones and tablets.
According to the cable operator, the explosion in popularity of such devices has meant that data consumption on its network has increased by more than 215% over the past three years. The 30Mbps service offers unlimited downloads and upload speeds of 3Mbps for sharing bandwidth-light content.
Virgin Media also claimed that customers will receive speeds close to the stated headline of 30Mbps, avoiding the "speed lottery" experienced with BT Infinity and services delivered over copper telephone wires.
Existing customers already on the XL 20Mbps broadband package are being invited to upgrade to 30Mbps from today, but they will have to pay the one-off fee of £30 to cover activation and installation of a new SuperHub router capable of Gigabit wired connectivity and dual-band 'N' WiFi.
"As consumers continually demand more and more from their broadband, the unique power of our next-generation network means that we're able to turn up the dial to meet their needs, said Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media.
"With so many devices connecting to the internet at home these days, our new 30Mbps service will give Virgin Media families that extra boost needed to make everything run smoothly, with speeds that don't slow down depending on where you live."
Virgin Media has reshuffled its broadband packages to include 10Mbps, 30Mbps, 50Mbps and the new 100Mbps service, which increased its footprint last month.
The cable operator has also grown its total broadband subscriber base to more than 4 million homes, larger than TalkTalk and second only to BT Retail.
The new 30Mbps XL service, which costs £18.50 per month, is a response to the increasing use of data-hungry wireless devices in the home, such as smartphones and tablets.
According to the cable operator, the explosion in popularity of such devices has meant that data consumption on its network has increased by more than 215% over the past three years. The 30Mbps service offers unlimited downloads and upload speeds of 3Mbps for sharing bandwidth-light content.
Virgin Media also claimed that customers will receive speeds close to the stated headline of 30Mbps, avoiding the "speed lottery" experienced with BT Infinity and services delivered over copper telephone wires.
Existing customers already on the XL 20Mbps broadband package are being invited to upgrade to 30Mbps from today, but they will have to pay the one-off fee of £30 to cover activation and installation of a new SuperHub router capable of Gigabit wired connectivity and dual-band 'N' WiFi.
"As consumers continually demand more and more from their broadband, the unique power of our next-generation network means that we're able to turn up the dial to meet their needs, said Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media.
"With so many devices connecting to the internet at home these days, our new 30Mbps service will give Virgin Media families that extra boost needed to make everything run smoothly, with speeds that don't slow down depending on where you live."
Virgin Media has reshuffled its broadband packages to include 10Mbps, 30Mbps, 50Mbps and the new 100Mbps service, which increased its footprint last month.
The cable operator has also grown its total broadband subscriber base to more than 4 million homes, larger than TalkTalk and second only to BT Retail.