Virgin Media Switches On NI's Fastest Gigabit Home Broadband

Virgin Media has switched on Northern Ireland's fastest gigabit home broadband, offering connectivity more than 18 times faster than the national average.

The operator's entire network of nearly 400,000 homes across the region can now benefit from Virgin Media’s next-generation Gig1 broadband which offers average download speeds of 1,140Mbps. This includes homes in Belfast, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Craigavon, Derry, Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Portadown and other towns.

The major connectivity boost comes at a time when many people are increasingly reliant on their home broadband to stay connected to the things and people that matter to them. It forms part of Virgin Media’s plan to bring gigabit speeds to more than 15 million homes across its entire network by the end of 2021.

Northern Ireland has joined London in the UK's largest ever gigabit switch on with nearly 3 million more homes being added to Virgin Media’s growing gigabit footprint. The province is the first area to benefit from a complete region

The next-generation launch comes as new research reveals that people working from home are wasting an average of 11 minutes per day to slow broadband – equivalent to four full working days since the start of lockdown in March.

Virgin Media's Gigabit Opportunity report identifies that eradicating this lost time with gigabit broadband could unlock a potential economic benefit worth more than £11bn a year in saved working hours.

Virgin Media's investment means its entire network in Northern Ireland can now access gigabit speeds. In August, Virgin Media Ireland also activated its gigabit network in the Republic of Ireland.

Economy Minister, Diane Dodds, said: "I welcome Virgin Media's investment in Northern Ireland and this significant achievement in further expanding gigabit capable fibre services to citizens and businesses. This comes at a time when the importance of telecommunications has become so prominent. Connectivity will play a vital role in re-building the Northern Ireland economy as we emerge from the Covid-19 crisis."

Seamus McCorry, Northern Ireland Regional Director at Virgin Media, said: "As part of our continued multimillion pound investment in Northern Ireland, the country now boasts some of the world's fastest broadband speeds as a result of Virgin Media’s latest Gig1 switch-on.

"These hyperfast speeds will empower those working from home, learning online, video calling friends and family, or binging on a box set in 4K – all of which can be done at the same time, without delay.

"Whatever the future holds, we’re connecting our customers to what's next."