Virgin Media announces a mega broadband boost that DOUBLE top speeds

VIRGIN Media has launched a high-speed broadband upgrade that will download TV shows faster than you can pour a cup of coffee.

The telecom giant is doubling its fastest speed to two gigabit (2 Gbps), which will initially be available to almost a million Britons.

Lightning fast Gig2 is more than 28 times faster than the British average, according to Virgin Media.

This allows you to download the entire second season of The Traitors in HD in just 30 seconds.

By comparison, the current national average (69.4 Mbps) would see you wait 14 minutes and 36 seconds, the company claims.

And downloading the massive Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III game on PS5 would take around 16 minutes, down from 7 hours and 41 minutes.

But the mega boost doesn't come cheap: it costs a whopping £84 a month.

Bosses admit that most households are unlikely to need two gigabits yet, but as we acquire more data-hungry gadgets, we will in the future.

“It's not for everyone, we're not saying it's day one of mass market, no one is kidding themselves there,” Gareth Lister, director of connectivity product at Virgin Media, told The Sun.

“I think we'll have an interesting conversation about it in a few years when it comes to adoption. I have a feeling it will be adopted quickly.”

Those who sign up for the new speed will receive a brand new Hub 5x router that can handle Gig2.

Like Gig1 subscribers, anyone with Gig2 gets Virgin Media's Wi-Fi Guarantee at no extra cost, which promises a minimum download speed of 30Mbps in every room or a one-off £100 credit.

For now, the service is launching across Virgin Media O2 partner Nexfibre's network coverage area, including parts of Belfast, Cardiff, London and Glasgow.

The plan is to phase it out to all 23 million locations on the pair's network map by the end of 2028.

Is two gigabit broadband right for me?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Technology and Science Reporter at The Sun

The short answer is probably no – at least for now.

One gigabit of broadband is already very expensive for the average household.

Gigabit is tailored for data-hungry devices and Gig2 has future gadgets in mind, such as powerful AR, metaverse, AI and cloud gaming.

Gig2 is more aimed at early adopters, but as more of your home becomes connected and needs fast, smooth broadband, this will be the norm in a few years.