Virgin Media aims for 200Mbps by 2012

[Devilfish]

Virgin Media is aiming to deliver 200Mbps broadband to homes by 2012.

"We are setting ourselves a vision of households using 200Mbps by 2012," said chief technology officer Howard Watson in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

"The current technology that we're investing in to roll out the 50Mbps over the next 12 months has inherent within it that extra capability."

The cable provider is installing DOCSIS 3.0 transmission technology across its network and freeing up capacity by switching off analogue cable television.

So far Virgin's commercial commitments have only stretched to rolling out downstream internet connections of 50Mbps through this year and next, but BT may have jolted the firm by proposing to market 100Mbps after a major investment in its fibre network.

"It is capacity that we have in the network that is reasonably easy to get at, and then (we need to) re-purpose that capacity for more broadband," said Watson.

Trials had shown that customers would make good use of 50Mbps, Watson said, but he cautioned that demand was not yet sufficient for Virgin to be compelled to allow other providers access to its network on a wholesale basis.

"We are trying to build a market here for high speed broadband; that market doesn't exist yet in the UK, and it's too early to be looking at over-regulation or wholesaling in that context," Watson added.

[Neil]

200Mbps will be of no use to anyone once they start sending out the "You have been a naughty boy and downloaded music/films/games" and whatever they add over the next few months letters.

Oh yes and no one will dare se youtube because google are going to finger us all as well.

I think it might be time to drop mine down to 1meg and visit the iffy modem section.

[hashleyf]

unless VM change their traffic management system its just another ploy to say "we got it first" like 20/50mb is right now

[techquest]

Aim high achieve low!! If and when, then they've got to get permission to put the cables in. When the cable ducts are opened to one and all maybe then we might all see some change and benifit in UK telecoms. Don't bet on it though!

[shy9010]

whats the point they probably throttle you 6 times a day, or accuse u of piracy

[thesoulpoet]

Virgin will never do this. Dreams can come but this is not achievable while they are oversubscribing themselves.

[mikeydavies]

The main reason why people get accused of piracy is either becausre they have or they have a pigybacker on their mac! i personally don't see how any company can soon be sending out letters to customers who probably benuinely arent doing anything illegal but the people that have stolen their mac have! How the hell are they going to enforce something like that 3 strikes and your cut off rule if it's not the customers fault! Any ideas anyone?

[krazylegz]

when its 200meg will they still strangle the bandwidth down to 5 during busy periods??

[halau]

Should be interesting to see them do this they are already complaining of to many heavy usage customer slowing there network down.....Another stunt to bring virgin into the media spotlight again