PRESS RELEASE
- 100,000 more homes to benefit from Virgin Media's broadband
- 152Mb from Virgin Media is twice as fast as BT's 76Mb
- Significant expansion across Bethnal Green, Isle of Dogs, Newham and West Ham
- Largest, single expansion of Virgin Media's superfast broadband network
Virgin Media today announced the largest, single expansion of its network since the company launched in 2007. 100,000 homes across East London will benefit from Virgin Media's 152Mb fibre optic broadband for the first time.
These homes have been identified as being close to the company's existing network, offering a clear opportunity for expansion. Work is now underway to start connecting properties across Bethnal Green, Isle of Dogs, Newham and West Ham. Homes in Stratford, Poplar, Stepney, Bow and East Ham will follow.
Significant expansion
This is a significant expansion by Virgin Media. It means that 100,000 more homes in East London will benefit from broadband speeds up to 152Mb, far ahead of BT or any other major provider, and entertainment from Virgin Media's TiVo service. This includes hundreds of TV channels, thousands of hours of On Demand TV, movies and music, Netflix, BT Sport and Sky Sports, and great value landline services.
Tom Mockridge, Virgin Media Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Extending our network into East London means 100,000 more homes will benefit from the UK's fastest most widely available broadband for the first time.
"This is a significant investment for Virgin Media and our largest, single network expansion project to date. We are very proud to be supercharging East London, helping thousands of people make the most of the UK's exciting digital future."
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
"London is earning a reputation for being the Tech capital of Europe and that is why we need to ensure every Londoner is able to access superfast broadband services. It has become a utility that every Londoner expects and this latest expansion is a further welcome step towards making that aim a reality. Improving the connectivity of this great city will be a key part of the Infrastructure Plan for London that my team will be consulting on over the remainder of this summer."
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said:
"The UK's digital landscape is undergoing a massive transformation, in both cities and rural areas alike. We already have one of the most competitive superfast broadband markets in Europe, and Virgin Media's announcement that another 100,000 homes will now benefit from increased choice and access to faster speeds is tremendous news."
Virgin Media in London
Virgin Media's network already covers over half of all London homes and powers the hugely popular WiFi on London Underground service. Launched ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Virgin Media keeps over one million Londoners online during their daily Tube commute.
Hackney residents are also benefitting from free public WiFi provided by Virgin Media Business as part of a partnership with the Council. The free service has been available in Town Hall Square, Hoxton Square and Gillett Square since early 2014.
Big Value for Virgin Media customers
Virgin Media's flexible new Big Bundles offer an unbeatable choice of great value TV, superfast broadband, home phone packages and, for the first time, mobile SIM Only deals.
Virgin Media's ‘Big Kahuna' bundle features 152Mb broadband, which is twice as fast as all the providers reliant on BT's infrastructure as well as TiVo. Virgin Media TiVo offers over 230 TV channels with over 40 in HD such as every BT Sport channel. The Big Kahuna is just £45 per month.
Virgin Media customers can also enjoy an exclusive mobile SIM with 250MB of data, unlimited texts and minutes for just £5 extra per month.
Tom Mockridge continued: "100,000 more East London homes will soon be able to make the most of our unbeatable broadband and TV together with the UK's best value mobile SIM, all part of a bundle perfectly tailored to their needs."
