THOUSANDS of homes in a major UK city can now access “blazing” high-speed broadband.
The huge upgrade allows more than 50,000 households to access one of the fastest download speeds in the country.
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Virgin Media has announced it is rolling out its high-speed broadband across Leeds.
In a statement posted on its website, a spokesperson for the company said the new service offers “blazing speeds of up to 2 Gbps with Gig2`”.
The spokesperson added: “If you live in the Leeds area, you can now sign up to our full fibre gigabit broadband, which brings download speeds of up to 2Gbps (2000Mbps) and the option for symmetrical upload speeds just as fast.
“You read that right – two gig!
“You’ll also get top-notch intelligent WiFi that reaches every room, and the option to bundle in great TV packages with things like Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and Netflix.”
The spokesperson added the new service would be beneficial to anyone working from home.
Rise of home working
Since the pandemic, broadband firms have been wise to the uptake in the number of people working remotely – and adjusted their services accordingly.
According to a report by Ofcom, average UK broadband speeds largely held up during the Covid-19 lockdown – despite rising demand from home working, online lessons and TV streaming.
Ofcom’s Home Broadband Performance Report revealed how broadband speeds changed before and after the lockdown measures came in – when there was a surge in broadband use.
Download and upload speeds fell only by 2 per cent and 1 per cent respectively, according to the report.
According to the latest figures, UK workers continue to work from home more than nearly any of their global counterparts more than five years after the pandemic upturned traditional office life.
In May this year, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements found UK employees now average 1.8 days a week of remote working.
This is above the international average of 1.3 days.
Virgin Media’s roll out makes use of full fibre broadband to reach its top speed for anyone WFH.
The spokesperson explained: “Full fibre means we run the fast fibre-optic cables all the way to your door – not just to the cabinet at end of your street.
“That makes your broadband faster, more stable, and proper reliable, which leads to less buffering, no more slowdowns at tea time, and no more shouting at your router when you start lagging on your online game.“
Targeting the ‘wheel of doom’
The upgrade for households in Leeds is part of the firm’s goal to deliver full fibre connection across the UK.
“Leeds is one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities, with five universities, a booming tech scene, and loads of independent businesses thriving. That’s a city on the rise, and it needs broadband to match,” said the spokesperson.
“We’re bringing full fibre broadband to the heart of Yorkshire so that more people in LS1 to LS29 can live, work, and stream without the spinning wheel of doom ruining their day.”
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