Virgin to cut 50Mbps broadband price

Virgin Media has announced that it will soon reduce the price of its 50Mbps broadband package.

Following an 18 month upgrade programme, the firm has tripled the capacity of its fibre network to offer speeds of up to 50Mbps to 12 million UK households.

To mark this occasion, the company has unveiled a new pricing structure to come into effect from September 1.

In this, the price of 50Mbps broadband will be reduced to £28 per month for new and existing customers when taken with a phone line or £38 as a standalone product.

The broadband package also "continues to be free of traffic management" - where downloads are made slower during peak hours - subject to Virgin Media's Acceptable Use Policy.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "As the first company to bring broadband to the UK ten years ago, the completion of our next-generation network marks another pioneering moment for internet access in the UK.

"We are delighted with the performance and reliability of our 50Mbps service, and with the customer feedback. Now the rollout is days from being complete, we're ready to take 50Mbps to the next stage of development and reinforce our leading position in the broadband market."

As part of an ongoing network upgrade, Virgin Media is also running trials of 10Mbps broadband upload speeds in certain areas of the Midlands and the North East.

Consumers in these pilot areas would be able to upload a full 125MB media card of photos in around two minutes.

Alongside this, the company is currently trialling 200Mbps broadband in Ashford, Kent.

Meanwhile, Virgin Media has launched a new branded netbook, entitled the Freedom, featuring 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive.

Available in either black or red, the laptop will be offered for free to any new or existing Virgin Media customers who take one of the company's bundled deals.