Topic: Virgin's 20Mbps service due May

[Clive]

Virgin Media customers could be enjoying broadband speeds of up to 20Mbps as early as May, the company has announced.

Rumours that Virgin Media intedned to double the top speed of its broadband offering by the summer of this year had been circulating since it was alluded to in the company's financial statement for the last quarter of 2006.

The report was released at the end of February but at the time, the company declined to offer any further details.

Ernie Cormier, chief commercial officer of Virgin Media, said: "Our technology means we can offer an ultra-fast broadband service that our competitors can't match.

Virgin Media, formerly known as ntl:Telewest, delivers broadband services to many of its customers via the network its cable TV content uses. Fibre-optic cabling means the theoretical speeds are much higher than those that could be delivered through a conventional telephone line.

The 20Mbps package is already undergoing trials in selected areas, as are very limited tests of 50Mbps services.

Customers who pay for Virgin Media's XL broadband package, which currently offers speeds of 10Mbps, will see prices increase from £35 to £37 per month in May when the lines are upgraded to 20Mbps.

Virgin Media is currently locked in a bitter dispute with Sky regarding basic Sky channels such as Sky One that used to make up part of Virgin Media's TV package, but were withdrawn after Sky increased the price.


http://www.virginmedia.com/