Virgin brings 100Mbps broadband to Derry

Virgin Media is close to completing a significant upgrade of its fibre-optic network in Derry, bringing 100Mbps broadband and the TiVo television service to the Northern Irish city.

From mid-June, around 30,000 homes in Derry will be able to take advantage of Virgin Media's cable services for the first time, including broadband of speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 100Mbps, as well as digital TV and on-demand entertainment.

In March, Virgin Media's 100Mbps broadband service became available in one million homes around the UK, delivering a web speed 16 times quicker than the national average.

Households receiving the speed can download an entire music album in around five seconds, or a TV show in 30 seconds. A full high definition movie takes just seven minutes.

Peter Taddeo, Virgin Media's executive director of sales, said: "We're really excited to bring our latest digital services to Derry. Now families and professionals have a choice of the UK's leading digital entertainment services with the best in TV and ultrafast broadband all supplied by our unique fibre optic network.

"From the new Virgin Media TV service powered by TiVo box, to 100Mb broadband and even mobile phone services, our quadplay offering will give residents the greatest choice in options to suit their needs, with significant savings for families when taking services together."

Last month, Virgin started testing internet speeds of up to 1.5Gb in the vicinity of Old Street, East London, in the world's fastest ever trial of cable broadband.