2,000 premises in Shildon get ultrafast broadband boost

• Full fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology with average top speeds of 516Mbps
• Virgin Media’s broadband speeds are nearly 20 times faster than the local average
• 4K movies and computer games downloaded in minutes
• Virgin Media’s Oomph bundles offer the complete entertainment experience

Virgin Media has completed the rollout of its ultrafast broadband network in Shildon, County Durham, which will provide more than 2,000 local residents and businesses with the fastest widely available speeds in the UK.

As part of its ‘Project Lightning’ network expansion programme, Virgin Media is expanding its ultrafast broadband network across the UK, bringing average top speeds of 516Mbps to residents and small businesses.

This will help transform the quality of broadband in the area where the average (median) download speed is 26.2Mbps*.

The company is also bringing next generation gigabit broadband to its entire network of 15 million homes by the end of 2021 as part of its new hyperfast Gig1 service.

Shildon will benefit from fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology which allows for smooth, reliable connectivity in the home. With a 516Mbps connection, files, films and games become unbelievably quick to stream, download and upload:

• Download a standard HD movie file (5GB) in less than a minute and a half, compared to nearly half an hour on the average local connection;
• Download a 25GB console game in seven minutes, compared to more than two hours on the average local connection**

Hugh Woolford, Virgin Media’s Regional Director for North East and Yorkshire, England said: “We are delighted to have finished our expansion in Shildon. Good quality, fast broadband is a staple of modern-day life, so it’s fantastic news that now more than 2,000 residents and small businesses in Shildon can access the UK’s fastest widely available network.”

Councillor Andrea Patterson, Durham County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Rural Issues, said: “We are committed through our Digital Strategy to ensuring as many of our residents as possible have access to fibre broadband, be that through our Digital Durham programme or supporting private sector schemes like this. Improved connectivity is so important to every aspect of modern life and we welcome any investment which delivers it.”

Virgin Media’s Oomph bundles

By combining broadband, TV, home phone and mobile into one bundle, Virgin Media’s Oomph packages offer outstanding value for customers. This includes broadband that’s faster than standard packages and a data-rich 4G mobile SIM  on a network that’s faster on average than Vodafone, 02, Three and Sky.

It’s better value for customers to take cable and mobile services together in an Oomph package from Virgin Media rather than taking them separately.

With the Ultimate Oomph bundle, customers can enjoy the ultimate entertainment and connectivity experience at home or on the move.

This includes the UK’s fastest widely available broadband with average top speeds of 516Mbps – seven times faster than BT and Sky – as well as a mobile SIM with truly unlimited data, texts and calls.

Plus, there’s brilliant TV with two of Virgin TV’s latest V6 set-top boxes complete with more than 280 channels including Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and BT Sport in 4K Ultra HD, as well as inclusive anytime landline calls.

For those interested in Virgin Media’s fantastic services, they can go online now to check out our latest deals http://www.virginmedia.com/

Notes to Editors

*The average (median) broadband speed in County Durham is 26.2Mbps. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations Report 2018, published 18 December 2018.

** Download speeds calculated using www.download-time.com

About Virgin Media

Virgin Media offers four multi award-winning services across the UK and Ireland: broadband, TV, mobile phone and landline.

Our dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely-available broadband speeds to homes and businesses and we’re expanding this through our Project Lightning programme, which could extend our network to up to 17 million premises.

Our interactive TV service brings live TV, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and the best apps and games to customers through a set-top box, as well as on-the-go through tablets and smartphones.

 Virgin Mobile launched the world’s first virtual mobile network and offers fantastic value and innovative services with 4G connectivity. We are also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the UK and Ireland.

Through Virgin Media Business we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest widely available broadband speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, one of the world’s leading converged video, broadband and communications companies. Liberty Global connects 11 million customers through operations in six countries across Europe subscribing to 25 million TV, broadband internet and telephony services. It also serves 6 million mobile subscribers.