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Story URL: http://networks.silicon.com/broadband/0,39024661,39169833,00.htm

Virgin touts free broadband speed upgrade
And hypes forthcoming 50Mbps service...

By Natasha Lomas

Published: Monday 28 January 2008

Virgin Media has announced a free speed upgrade to 10Mbps for some of its broadband customers.

The list from A to Z

Click on the links below to find out more...

A is for ADSL
B is for BT
C is for Cable & Wireless
D is for Dial-up
E is for Education
F is for Fibre
G is for Goonhilly
H is for HSDPA
I is for In-flight
J is for Janet
K is for Kingston
L is for Landlines
M is for Murdoch
N is for Next generation
O is for Ofcom
P is for Power lines
Q is for Quad-play
R is for Remote working
S is for Satellite phones
T is for Trains
U is for Unbundling
V is for VoIP
W is for WiMax
X is for Xbox
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zombies

The company, which delivers residential broadband services via its cable network, said customers on its 'L' tier package will get a free speed hike taking them from 4Mbps to 10Mbps.

Virgin described this as 'a significant speed advantage' over regular 8Mbps ADSL connections and said the free upgrade will roll out by region from late next month and be completed by late summer.

Even faster speeds are also on the cards for cable customers too - Virgin is touting a forthcoming 50Mbps rollout, which it said will be available to more than nine million homes in the UK by the end of the year, following successful trials in Ashford, Dover and Folkstone.

The current top speed on offer to Virgin customers is 20Mbps. BT's forthcoming ADSL2+ tech will offer speed of up to 24Mbps, though the telco is also dabbling with fibre. A planned BT fibre deployment at Ebbsfleet, Kent, will offer speed of up to 100Mbps on a mixed development including 10,000 homes.

Mass fibre rollouts, however, look unlikely in the near future as BT has stated its desire to get the most out of its copper infrastructure.

Another option for speeding up broadband Britain has reared its head of late. H2O Networks has launched a project to furnish several UK cities with fibre networks by laying fibre in existing sewer ducts. This is cheaper option than digging up streets.