Kitz Forum

Announcements => News Articles => Topic started by: Bowdon on February 28, 2019, 03:33:25 PM

Title: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Bowdon on February 28, 2019, 03:33:25 PM
I noticed 2 bits of good news on the Virgin Media front;

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/02/virgin-media-uk-to-launch-500mbps-broadband-in-spring-2019.html (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/02/virgin-media-uk-to-launch-500mbps-broadband-in-spring-2019.html)

Quote
Cable ISP Virgin Media UK (Liberty Global) has published their latest results to the end of 2018 (calendar Q4), which saw their network extend to cover another 144,000 premises and their broadband base grow to total 5,224,600 (up by 21.7K in the quarter vs 36.4K in Q3). But they’re also boosting top speeds from 350Mbps to 500Mbps!

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/02/virgin-media-hints-at-launch-of-two-uk-gigabit-broadband-cities.html (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2019/02/virgin-media-hints-at-launch-of-two-uk-gigabit-broadband-cities.html)

Quote
The boss of European cable operator Liberty Global, Mike Fries, has revealed to investors that they intend to launch “two gigabit cities” in the UK this year via Virgin Media, which as the name suggests could result in related homes gaining access to speeds of 1Gbps (1000Mbps+) using the latest network upgrades.

It looks like Mike Fries is now seeing the competition and as begun the process of increasing speeds, pushing the limit from 350Mbps to 500Mbps, and also there is an increase in the upload speed to 35Mbps which will be something that I know some people find even more important than the download speed.

Also we see the first mention of the gigabit products on the horizon with the possiblity of DOCSIS 3.1 making its debut in the UK. This will be interesting to watch their deployment and progress as it could be a game changer if its done right and the feedback is good.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Ronski on February 28, 2019, 03:48:03 PM
Wonder if I'm in line for a free speed upgrade  :fingers:

Not that I need it mind you, although a better upload will be welcome.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: j0hn on April 25, 2019, 05:39:25 PM
Wonder if I'm in line for a free speed upgrade  :fingers:

Not that I need it mind you, although a better upload will be welcome.
Reboot the Virgin modem, you may already have the extra upstream.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Ronski on April 25, 2019, 08:12:37 PM
Great thinking John, I totally forget that I need to reboot it for things to change

(https://www.speedtest.net/result/8213723010.png) (https://www.thinkbroadband.com/_assets/speedtest/button/1556219932587777055.png)

The upload has almost doubled  ;D, downstream is still the same though. I think the firmware may have updated as well, its showing software version 9.1.1802.610

ETA Seems the firmware update was from February, probably just updated as it's the first time its been turned off in a long time.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Chrysalis on April 25, 2019, 09:52:03 PM
pretty nice ronski :)
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Weaver on April 25, 2019, 11:21:46 PM
Good god in heaven Ronski. Did I really see 400 / 36 ? Is that k or M ?

I just don’t know what to say. But then I look out at the view eastwards towards the mainland mountains (if I could see, don’t have my glasses) with the cold wind and the primroses and first cuckoo going for it in the far far distance so Janet tells me.

I should indeed just seduce someone from B4RN, or at least just ask them for a load of their fibre. How to get a router parked in Broadford though. And how to get some BT backhaul to it.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: niemand on April 26, 2019, 11:05:20 AM
Must be very nearly time for 500.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: j0hn on April 26, 2019, 11:53:30 AM
Great thinking John, I totally forget that I need to reboot it for things to change

Brilliant! Happy to help!

I was reading the article above on ISPReview and although Mark states the upgrades are only live in some areas it appears every user in the comments who tried rebooting the Virgin hub had the extra upstream.

Sounds to me like the new package will be 500/35 rather than 500/50 as some have suggested.
They may just have applied the extra upstream now with the increase in downstream coming later.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Ronski on April 26, 2019, 01:28:26 PM
Just need to negotiate my monthly price, just went up to £51 a month  :o
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: dee.jay on April 29, 2019, 05:05:47 PM
Would be nice if VM rolled out to more areas, would genuinely be good for competition.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: Ronski on April 29, 2019, 07:24:11 PM
They are rolling out to more areas, we are a completely new area.
Title: Re: Virgin Media increasing speeds, and DOCSIS 3.1 on the horizon
Post by: dee.jay on May 03, 2019, 08:29:50 AM
OK.

It would be nice if they rolled out to my street, then :P