Carlisle to strike broadband and entertainment gold thanks to Virgin Media

Virgin Media today announced that homes and businesses in Carlisle will be next to benefit from an ultrafast broadband and entertainment boost.

As part of its Project Lightning expansion, Virgin Media plans to expand its fibre optic network to 22,000 homes and businesses in Carlisle. Work has already begun in the area and is expected to be completed before the end summer 2017.

Backed by parent company Liberty Global, Virgin Media is investing £3bn to extend its ultrafast fibre broadband to reach 17 million homes and businesses, an additional 4 million premises.

Those who wish to take Virgin Media’s services will be connected to ultrafast broadband with download speeds of up to 200Mbps for local residents, and 300Mbps for local businesses and home workers. Local residents can also benefit from the latest entertainment with up to 260 TV channels (including 66 HD channels) plus Sky Sports, Sky Movies, BT Sport and Netflix, as well as an extensive TV on demand library of TV box sets and movies. Plus, access to brand new TV shows such as Ash vs Evil Dead, Kingdom and Magic City – exclusive to Virgin Media TV customers.

Martin McFadyen, Regional Director at Virgin Media, said: “It’s official – Carlisle has struck broadband and entertainment gold! Residents will soon be getting the high-speed connectivity and top-notch TV they deserve. We urge residents to come together and register their interest - your street could be next.”

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said: “For Carlisle to succeed, our city needs the infrastructure in place to allow it to succeed – and this is why Virgin Media’s investment is so welcome. Fast internet is vital in today’s economy and this announcement means that local residents and businesses will benefit from some of the fastest broadband in the country. This will send the clear message that Carlisle is a place to do business.”

Cllr Les Tickner, Deputy Leader of Carlisle City Council, said: “We welcome the commitment by Virgin Media to invest in Carlisle. As the city grows, improvements to connectivity are needed to meet the demands of residents and businesses. This type of infrastructure development builds business confidence and will hopefully encourage other businesses to come to Carlisle.”   

Councillor Cyril Weber, Chair of Cumbria County Council’s Carlisle Local Committee, said: “The County Council recognises how improved internet access is critical for Cumbria to realise its economic potential. For this reason we welcome the investment by Virgin Media in Carlisle and the benefits of enhanced connectivity it can deliver for residents and business.”

As network expansion continues across the country, Virgin Media calls for more people to register interest at: www.virginmedia.com/cablemystreet  

ENDS


Notes to Editors

Ultrafast broadband up to 300Mbps

For residents, Virgin Media’s Vivid 200 broadband offers the fastest widely available broadband – with download speeds of up to 200Mbps. This is more than two and a half times faster than the top widely available speeds from BT, TalkTalk and Sky meaning that a whole household can stream movies, music and more all at the same time. Home workers can also benefit from 300Mbps with the Virgin Media HomeWorks package.

For businesses, Virgin Media Business now offers ultrafast connectivity, with speeds of up to 300Mbps – almost four times faster than its main competitors’ widely available top speeds. This enables businesses to reach their potential by delivering better services and greater capacity.


About Virgin Media

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

The company’s dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely available broadband speeds to homes and businesses. We’re expanding this through our £3bn Project Lightning programme, which will reach 17 million premises by the end of 2019.

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

We launched the world’s first virtual mobile network, offering fantastic value and services. 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 speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international cable company, with operations in more than 30 countries.