Virgin Media UK trials reach speeds of 2.2Gb/s

UK cable operator, Virgin Media has successfully conducted trials of its DOCSIS 3.1 network in Southampton and Manchester.

The company said that the trials ‘demonstrated the power and capability’ of its fibre network by successfully delivering next-generation 2.2Gb/s broadband speeds to homes in the areas.

The proof-of-concept trial was carried out to showcase the future speeds which can be delivered via the existing network, without the need for additional infrastructure or civil engineering works. It comes after the operator launched its gigabit broadband service, Gig1, in late 2019 offering average download speeds of 1,130Mb/s. The operator says that by the end of this year, its entire network, passing more than 15 million premises, will have gigabit speeds switched on.

Engineers delivered the 2.2Gb/s speeds using the operator’s latest router, the Hub 4. The speeds were verified using tools from SamKnows – Ofcom’s technical partner – which measures broadband performance.  

Jeanie York, Virgin Media’s chief technology and information officer, said: ‘We invest more than £1bn into our network every year to deliver leading connectivity today, but our talented teams never stop pushing forward to ensure we’re ready to power our customers’ connectivity needs for whatever comes next. These innovative trials in Manchester and Southampton demonstrate how Virgin Media’s existing network is fit for the future with hyperfast, multi-gigabit broadband speeds delivered straight to customer homes.’