Virgin Media to Double Broadband Speed

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Kushan

Pretty good news! Just to add a minor detail:



So if anyone's getting upgraded soon and wondering why they're "only" on 100 and not 120, that'll be why. I think I can live with that, myself.

Once all the upgrades are done, I can see Virgin offering to move the "new" 20meg customers over to 30 to get everyone on DOCSIS 3. That way each tier will be double the previous, 30 -> 60 -> 120. But that's entirely raw speculation on my part, based on the idea that it's probably cheaper to support one type of network and one type of modem.

do you think capacity will be added to handle this influx of users? given that most of VMs customers are on the bottom tier this will be a very significant demand added.

[qasdfdsaq]

I think that's the idea of moving to 8 downstreams - doubling DS capacity, upstream bonding, and node splits left right and centre. I think the quetion you want to ask is will enough capacity be added - we both know plenty of capacity is being added :-P

So far as the 20 to 30mb goes, the users would be getting moved from a bunch of single 38mbps downstreams onto a bonded 400mbps downstreams, and thanks to the rules of statistical contention, should receive far better service as a result (you saw yourself the improvement associated with going onto a bonded 200mbps DS). However downstream capacity isn't an area where VM are particularly weak, outside of a fault situation, upstream is usually the big problem.

Still, I've always thought 50mbps down a 200mbps pipe was a bit of a tight squeeze and 100mbps to be borderline insane, so the move to 8 downstreams should improve matters more than would be expected out of direct proportionality.

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

It's already been said the FAQs over on the Community Forum that is untrue. There will be no 200Mbit for the Olympics

Every rumour is "untrue" until stated otherwise. Virgin clearly has 200Mbit plans as they're trialling it in places, just like they have 1.5gbit plans. The only thing that really matters is when they'll be rolled out, which possibly Virgin themselves don't quite know yet. Basically, what I'm saying is that Virgin plans ahead, like any good company does and eventually 200mbit will hit. It might be the Olympics, it might not - it might have been a plan at one point and shelved, it might not have been, but it will happen eventually.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

do you think capacity will be added to handle this influx of users? given that most of VMs customers are on the bottom tier this will be a very significant demand added.

I'm certainly not an expert, but it's my understanding that DOCSIS3 scales a hell of a lot better than DOCSIS1 or DOCSIS2 does, mostly thanks to the oft-mentioned "channel bonding". I believe in its simplest implementation, it's better to have customers share channels than to have the customers split into separate groups with a channel between them. Plus, you can always add more channels.

[BenJSmyth]

Moving 50mb up to 120mb does make sense.

So basically, after the upgrades they will have three tiers on offer - 20mb, 60mb and 120mb. That's much more sensible. It's a shame the lowest speed wasn't 30mb, that would really highlight how fast cable can be if the lowest offered is higher than is even achievable on standard consumer ADSL.

Also, would I presume correctly that the VIP50 package will become VIP120? Basically having the 120mb included as the broadband for that bundle?

[Kymmy]

I can't see them leaving 50 upgrades at 100 and 100 upgrades for the same price at 120.. a 30-60-120 package spacing seems to be indicitive of where they might be going.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

I can't see them leaving 50 upgrades at 100 and 100 upgrades for the same price at 120.

They won't. It's already been confirmed that 50Mbit will actually got to 120

[Kymmy]

I missed any official link, do we have one?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

I missed any official link, do we have one?

Well this is an official quote from VM

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01...a_email_error/

In the meantime, as part of our double speed programme we are delighted to confirm that 50Mb customers will actually be upgraded to 120Mb

In regards to the rest of the information, I think it's being look at, as I don't think it was part of the original plan to advise of the two stage increase yet.

[Kymmy]

ThanX Ben,

It'll be interesting to know what will restrict some 50Mb customers in relation to a direct 120Mb "free" upgrade, I wonder if that will that be the upload restricted areas?

[BenMcr]

I think it's more that some customers will get upgraded before 120Mbit is avaliable. So they'll get two upgrades, one to 100 and another to 120

I think that is why it wasn't immediately announced as going to 120.

[Kymmy]

It was this line I was talking about

Originally Posted by the register

Some 50Mb/s customers will see an initial rise to 100Mb/s before moving up to the full whack 120Mb/s, the telco spokespersons added.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

It was this line I was talking about

Yes, that's what I mean. The upgrades are starting next month I think, but 100 > 120Mbit upgrades aren't starting until the Summer

So some 50Mbit customers will get an increase to 100Mbit, as 120Mbit isn't available. They'll then get a further increase to 120Mbit when it is

Others will likely go straight up to 120Mbit as their area won't be upgraded until after 120Mbit is available

[Kymmy]

Yet my area says March/April I presume that was for all speeds..

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Yet my area says March/April I presume that was for all speeds..

Not for 100 > 120Mbit. From the doublespeed site:

If you have our up to 100Mb connection, you've already got the fastest widely available broadband in the UK. So we'll be taking a bit off your monthly bill, instead. And as an extra thank you, we'll be boosting your speeds up to 120Mb. Your upgrades start this summer. We'll be in touch to let you know.

[Kymmy]

Ahh..thank you again