- Virgin Media has enabled Gig2 – Britain’s first residential 2Gbps broadband
- This service allows you to download video games, movies and large files in seconds
We’ve all been there: you go to download a movie or a game, but you’re confronted with the dreaded ‘spinning wheel of death’.
But the days of having to use WiFi in the office are finally a thing of the past thanks to Virgin Media O2’s new service.
The tech giant has enabled Britain’s first residential 2Gbps broadband service, called Gig2.
The service is 28 times faster than the national average connection, allowing customers to download video games, movies, music and large files in seconds.
“Gig2 is our latest speed company that will unlock endless possibilities for future technologies and the ever-changing digital needs of our customers,” said Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.
We’ve all been there: you go to download a movie or a game, but you’re confronted with the dreaded ‘spinning wheel of death’. But the days of having to use WiFi in the office are finally a thing of the past, thanks to Virgin Media O2’s new service (stock image)
| File type and size | Performance 2 | UK average (69.4 Mbps) |
|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty Modern Warfare III (240GB – PS5) | 16 minutes | 7 hours 41 minutes |
| Oppenheimer (66GB – 4K/UHD) | 4 minutes 25 seconds | 2 hours 7 minutes |
| Traitors Season 2 (7.6 GB – HD) | 30 seconds | 14 minutes 36 seconds |
The launch of Gig2 comes almost three years after its predecessor, Gig1, went live.
At 2Gbps, this updated service offers broadband speeds that are twice as fast – and best of all, it’s available on the nexfire network, which covers a million homes across the UK, including Belfast, Cardiff, London and Glasgow.
‘Gig2 will operate over nexfibre’s much more to send and receive. more in a moment,” said Mrs. York.
‘With our legacy of delivering cutting-edge technology and super-fast broadband speeds, having completed Britain’s first national gigabit rollout programme, we look forward to bringing Gig2 to more areas in the near future.’
It can be difficult to imagine what these download speeds mean for you.
However, Virgin Media Download Calculator tool can help put the speeds into better context.
At 2Gbps, this updated service offers broadband speeds that are twice as fast – and best of all, it’s available on the nexfire network, which covers a million homes across the UK, including Belfast, Cardiff, London and Glasgow
The calculator shows that on the average UK connection (69.4 Mbps), Brits were able to download Call of Duty Modern Warfare III for PS5 in around 7 hours and 41 minutes.
In contrast, downloading on Gig2 would take just 16 minutes.
Downloading the Oppenheimer movie on Gig2 takes just 4 minutes and 25 seconds, compared to 2 hours and 7 minutes over the average connection.
Meanwhile, BBC’s hit show The Traitors could be downloaded in just 30 seconds on Gig2, compared to 14 minutes and 36 seconds on the average connection.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, said: ‘While download speeds sound exciting, expectations need to be tempered.
“The service is not available everywhere, and we believe such high speeds may not be necessary for the average household.”
Gig2 costs £84/month, with an optional £6 add-on for symmetrical speeds, so you can upload as quickly as you download.