Lightning strikes Louth

23rd January 2017

Ultrafast broadband boost for 4,500 premises

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

As part of its Project Lightning expansion, Virgin Media plans to extend its fibre optic network to 4,500 homes and businesses in Louth.  Work has already begun in the area and is expected to be completed before the end 2017.

Backed by parent company Liberty Global, Virgin Media is investing £3bn to extend its ultrafast fibre broadband network to an additional 4 million premises, to reach a total of 17 million homes and businesses by the end of 2019.

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 the brand new smallest, smartest, fastest, 4k-ready Virgin TV V6 set-top box, with the ability to stream live TV, recordings, on demand shows and movies around the home. Plus, there is lots of great programming with up to 260 TV channels (including 66 HD channels) with Sky Sports, Sky Movies, BT Sport and Netflix, as well as an extensive TV on demand library of TV box sets and movies. As well as access to brand new TV shows such as Ash vs Evil Dead, Kingdom, Magic City and Billy & Billie – exclusive to Virgin Media TV customers.

Dr Jo Dutton, Regional Director for the Midlands and East at Virgin Media, said: “We’re delighted to be expanding our network to 4,500 more homes and businesses in Louth. 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.”

Victoria Atkins, Member of Parliament for Louth & Horncastle, commented: “I am pleased to hear that Louth, within my constituency, has been selected to receive ultrafast broadband as part of Virgin Media’s Project Lightning. Work has already begun and is set to benefit 4,500 premises. I view good connectivity as vitally important for my constituents, so it is fantastic news that homes and businesses in the area will soon be able to enjoy faster connectivity speeds.”

Councillor Adam Grist, Portfolio Holder for Market Towns and Rural Economy, East Lindsey District Council, said:  “East Lindsey District Council is supportive of Virgin Media’s commercial investment into local broadband infrastructure which will provide 4,500 properties in Louth with access to ultrafast broadband, allowing their customers to take advantage of both commercial and recreational opportunities linked to increased data speeds.”

Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for IT, Lincolnshire County Council, said: "First-class broadband is no longer a luxury – it's vital for any modern business or home – so we welcome this investment from Virgin Media. This will complement our own efforts to ensure that everyone in Lincolnshire has access to superfast speeds.”

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


ENDS


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.