UK's Virgin Media O2 Completes Broadband Upgrades in 18 Locations, Covering 3 Million Homes

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 27, UK telecom operator Virgin Media O2 completed upgrades to its hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks in 18 areas, delivering 2Gbps broadband service to approximately 3 million homes for the first time over its existing DOCSIS cable network. The upgrade covers areas including Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, and Cambridge, and was implemented using existing cable communications infrastructure without the need for new civil engineering works. The Gig2 broadband service provides average download speeds of 2000Mbps and upload speeds of 100Mbps on the upgraded network, and the operator plans to extend the service to most areas of its existing network by 2027.

This round of upgrades uses Virgin Media O2's existing DOCSIS network and HFC access facilities. The 18 completed areas include Bournemouth, Lancaster, Peterborough, Ipswich, Bath, Southend, York, Blackburn, Harrogate, Chelmsford, Preston, and Portsmouth, among others. Gig2 broadband access service is now available in each area, with specific availability determined by the user's address.

In addition to the approximately 3 million additional homes covered by the HFC network, Virgin Media O2's Gig2 service already covers approximately 7 million homes on its XGS-PON fiber network. Together, the two access networks can provide 2Gbps-class broadband service to more than 10 million homes, with the HFC network using an asymmetric rate configuration of 2000Mbps downstream and 100Mbps upstream.