Virgin Media targets 200Mb/sec broadband by 2012

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 8 Aug 2008 at 08:53

Virgin Media could be offering broadband customers a 200Mb/sec connection by 2012, according to chief executive, Neil Berkett.

"Even by 2012, we will still have an advantage to BT's fiber to the cabinet," Berkett noted on a conference call. "With the extra bandwidth freed up by analog switch off, we'll probably be able to offer over 200 or certainly up to 200 megabits broadband if we so chose. By contrast, BT has committed to 40 megabits, limited by the exchanges."

Berkett was speaking on a conference call to announced the company's quarterly results, which saw Virgin Media add 54,600 broadband users, with many of them signing up to its 20Mb/sec service, he said.

While the uptake significantly trails BSkyB which added 200,000 customers and BT which gained 103,000, Berkett was bullish, claiming the results show customers are hungry for a faster broadband service his company can provide.

Despite this, the company still managed to lose 19,500 customers in the second quarter ending June, though that didn't stop it recording a healthy operating profit of £333 million.