Virgin launches 50MB broadband service
The age of super-fast broadband is upon us. Virgin Media today announced it is introducing a 50Mbps broadband service in the UK, more than doubling the speed of its current top-end 20Mbps service.
The cable operator claims its 50Mbps (megabits per second) broadband will enable users to download films in just over three minutes, TV shows in 60 seconds and a music album in as little as 11 seconds.
A high-definition film will take around 15 minutes to download.
New subscribers will have to pay up to £51 a month, but those who sign up for a landline phone (£11/month) will get 50Mbps broadband for an extra £35 a month.
And customers taking a bundled triple-play deal for a landline, Virgin cable TV and 50Mbps broadband will pay £66 per month. However, they'll also have to pay £30 for a new modem and a £50 'activation' fee.
"Today marks an historic moment for both Virgin Media and the UK," says Neil Berkett, chief executive of Virgin Media. "Our 50Mbps service represents the dawning of a neww era of high-speed services in the UK."
Virgin says it will have completed the roll-out of the new high-speed service to 40 per cent of its existing cable network covering Scotland, the Midlands and south London by the end of this year.
Roll-out to the rest of its network is due to be completed by summer 2009.
Comments
So a bit of everything then really?
Lets dispell some myths from someone well placed to do so (I work for them). Basically, the service is delivered to within 1.5km of subscribers using backbone fibre optic cables. At this point the service then switches to use the coax cable of the dual twisted pair and coax drop cables provided to installed properties. Coax has better attenuation figures and is capable of higher carrier frequencies than twisted pair which currently all ADSL servise use. This coupled with the shorter distances involved these speeds are easily achievable.
Fibre optic, as far as I know.
Are they using fibre optic cables for this or something even better?