Stepps to get ultrafast broadband boost

Virgin Media bringing ultrafast broadband to up to 9,000 properties

Offering speeds more than 16 times faster than the local average

Virgin Media announces up to 9,000 homes and businesses in Stepps, North Lanarkshire will be next to benefit from an ultrafast broadband and entertainment boost. **

As part of its ‘Project Lightning’ network expansion programme, Virgin Media is expanding its ultrafast broadband network across Scotland bringing speeds of up to 350Mbps for residents and small businesses.

The expansion in Stepps will help transform the quality of broadband in the town where the average (median) download speed is currently just 21.0Mbps. Work is underway already with completion expected by the end of 2019.

With a 350Mbps connection, files, films and games become unbelievably quick to stream, download and upload*:
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• Download a standard HD movie file (5GB) in just over two minutes, compared to more than half an hour on the average local connection;
• Download a 25GB console game in just over 10 minutes, compared to around two hours 50 minutes on the average local connection.

Julie Agnew, Regional Director for Scotland at Virgin Media, said: “Time-strapped families and small businesses across Stepps will soon be benefiting from our brilliant broadband service. Laying new fibre means we have to dig up roads and pavements but we will do our best to minimise any disruption to the community. Giving them greater speeds will enable them to do the things they need to do and love doing more quickly and more easily.”

Cllr Kenneth Duffy, Vice-convener of the Infrastructure Committee on North Lanarkshire Council, said: “We strongly welcome Virgin Media’s continued investment into North Lanarkshire which will give residents in Stepps access to the benefits of ultrafast broadband, as well as more choice. This private investment fits perfectly into the Council’s ambitions to become a digital pioneer and we are working closely with Virgin Media, who are a major employer in North Lanarkshire, to ensure disruption to residents is kept to a minimum.”

Virgin Media will be using narrow trenching techniques where suitable conditions allow to ensure its build is as efficient as possible. This helps create minimal levels of waste and reduces the disruption to the community.

Virgin Media will post information leaflets to premises which might be affected at least a week before work starts on their street. Its Local Community Liaison Officers will also be available to discuss the community’s concerns. In the near future Virgin Media will be hosting community information events which will give residents and businesses the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns they may have: details will be promoted in local shop windows and on social media.

Virgin Media’s gigabit-ready lines will mean residents can also sign up to Virgin TV and benefit from the latest entertainment on its new smallest, smartest, fastest, 4k-ready V6 set-top box.

This is on top of great programming with up to 260 TV channels (including up to 50 HD channels) and all the football from Sky Sports and BT Sports. Virgin Media also offers Sky Movies and Netflix, as well as an extensive on demand library of TV box sets and movies; giving customers seamless access to the TV they want, all in one place.

Residents can also benefit from Virgin Mobile’s fast 4G connectivity, which for pay monthly customers includes data free Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter, as well as the ability to rollover unused data each month and have truly unlimited data packages.

For any questions about Virgin Media engineering works, residents can do the following:

E mail: ExpansionWorks@virginmedia.co.uk

Phone: 0333 000 5925 (option 1)

For further information, visit: www.virginmedia.com/broadband/network-expansion

Ends

Notes to Editors

*The average (median) broadband speed across Stepps is 21.0Mbps. Source: Ofcom, Connected Nations Report 2017, published 15 December 2017.

** Download speeds calculated using www.download-time.com

About Virgin Media

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

Our dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely-available broadband speeds to homes and businesses and we’re expanding this through our Project Lightning programme, which could extend our network to up to 17 million premises.

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

Virgin Mobile launched the world’s first virtual mobile network and offers fantastic value and innovative services with 4G connectivity. 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 widely available broadband speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband company. Liberty Global connects 22 million customers through operations in 11 countries across Europe subscribing to 46 million TV, broadband internet and telephony services. It also serves 7 million mobile subscribers and offers WiFi service through 12 million access points across its footprint.

Press contacts

Jamie Clarke, Virgin Media – 0333 000 2984, press@virginmedia.co.uk

Twitter: @VirginMediaCorp