PRESS RELEASE
- New hub outpaces other ISPs’ devices in independent testing
- Super Hub 2ac 86 per cent faster than closest competitor on 5GHz channel
- Hub enables customers to make the most of UK’s fastest widely available broadband
Virgin Media has launched a new combined modem and router that delivers the fastest wireless connectivity of any UK broadband provider.[1]
The Super Hub 2ac uses the 802.11ac wireless standard and is capable of handling record-setting speeds of up to 1300Mb on the 5GHz channel.[2]
The new hub enables customers to make the most of Virgin Media’s unique fibre optic network, which provides the UK’s fastest widely available broadband[3], so everyone in the household can enjoy ultrafast connectivity.
Powered by dual band technology, the Super Hub 2ac supports concurrent access to both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz wireless channels. This ensures customers get the best possible experience, reducing the impact of interference even when lots of bandwidth-hungry devices are being used nearby at the same time.
Virgin Media worked with researchers at the University of Bristol’s Communication Systems & Networks Group to maximise the WiFi performance of their antenna systems.
The Virgin Medias Super Hub 2ac’s speed credentials were verified by independent WiFi testing experts at Farncombe, who tested the new hub alongside devices from BT, Sky, TalkTalk and EE. Its research found the Super Hub 2ac was faster than competitors over a variety of distances and was at least 86% faster on the 5GHz channel than the other tested devices.[4]
Joe Lathan, Director of Broadband at Virgin Media, said: “Data usage is growing by around 60 per cent each year as customers connect more devices to their home networks than ever before. Our Super Hub 2ac has been designed to help our customers enjoy every megabit of their Virgin Media connection, giving them the fastest wireless speeds on our unrivalled ultrafast network – even when lots of devices are being used around the home at the same time.”
The Super Hub 2ac is available at no extra cost to all new customers who sign up for a Virgin Media broadband package or Big Bundle.
1 Virgin Media’s Super Hub 2ac was tested against the Sky Hub 2, BT Home Hub 5, EE Bright Box 2 and the TalkTalk Super Router.
2 Wireless speeds are dependent on the home broadband connection. Top speeds require 802.11ac compatible devices. A number of devices support this standard, the most common including the HTC One M8, Sony Xperia Z2 and Z3, the Samsung S4 and S5, the iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the 2013 Macbook Pro and Macbook Air.
3 Ofcom’s broadband speed report, issued in February 2015, confirms Virgin Media continues to deliver the UK’s fastest broadband. More information about the report can be found at: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/broadband-speeds-november2014/
4 Tests carried out late 2014.
Virgin Media Superhub 2 AC specifications:
- Cable Chipset: 8x4 Doscis 3.0 channels
- WiFi Radio: Qualcomm Atheros AR9880
- 2.4 GHz Antennas: Two Spatial streams (2x2)
- 5 GHz Antennas: Three Spatial streams (3x3)
- 4 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
- USB connectivity
- Multiple SSID (up to three unique network names for each frequency band)
- Multiple security options
- Softbutton WPS
- Backwards compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n wireless standard protocol as well as ac
About Virgin Media
Virgin Media is the first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services in the UK.
The company’s cable network – the result of multi-billion pound private investment – delivers ultrafast broadband to over half of all UK homes, with speeds of up to 152Mb, as well as market leading connectivity to thousands of public and private sector organisations across the country.
Virgin Media has developed the most advanced interactive television service, bringing together broadcast TV, thousands of hours of on demand programming and the best of the web in a single set-top box powered by TiVo. The company was the first to offer HD TV and 3D on demand to millions of British households.
The world’s first virtual mobile network was launched by Virgin Media and it is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.
Virgin Media is a part of Liberty Global plc, the world’s largest international cable company. Together Virgin Media and Liberty Global serve 27 million customers across 14 countries, helping connect people to the digital world and enabling them to discover and experience its endless possibilities.
