More Virgin Media UK 1Gig Broadband Users See 100Mbps Uploads
Residential customers on UK ISP Virgin Media’s top “Gig1 Fibre Broadband” package (avg. 1130Mbps down and 52Mbps up) could soon receive an upload boost to 100Mbps+ (110Mbps max profile rate), which comes after we spotted a rise in the number of users receiving a related profile boost over the past few weeks.
The provider, which has long tried to target a 10:1 (Download to Upload) ratio for the speed of their broadband packages, only recently announced that customers of their business division would fully adopt this approach (here). This also meant that it was only a matter of time before the same change trickled down to residential customers, and the first hints of that might be starting to emerge.
Just to be clear. Virgin Media has trialled 100Mbps upload speeds before, both as part of their earliest 2.2Gbps trial (we’re expecting that package to launch soon too – possibly before Openreach’s new 1.8Gbps tier) and more sporadically as part of very limited testing on existing 1Gbps lines. But over the past c. 3 weeks we’ve seen a noticeable rise in regular home customers on their 1Gbps tier reporting a boost in their upstream rate to 100Mbps+.
Historically, such changes have tended to precede an official announcement, usually by a few weeks or 1-3 months. As such, we tend to view related reports as being akin to a pre-launch pilot phase, which suggests that the ISP may be getting close to formally unveiling their next speed boost. The operator typically doesn’t confirm such things ahead of time, so we don’t expect to get a solid confirmation until the launch day.
Speaking of speed trials. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if the first package on the new XGS-PON side of their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, outside of a test environment, ended up being a symmetric speed 2Gbps tier in order to retain their “fastest widely available” UK speed crown.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
« Spring Fibre Name First 3 Areas in Lincolnshire for UK Full Fibre Build
Latest UK ISP News
- FTTP (5676)
- BT (3553)
- Politics (2589)
- Openreach (2334)
- Business (2313)
- Building Digital UK (2268)
- FTTC (2056)
- Mobile Broadband (2026)
- Statistics (1820)
- 4G (1713)
- Virgin Media (1662)
- Ofcom Regulation (1488)
- Fibre Optic (1419)
- Wireless Internet (1414)
- FTTH (1382)
Been on gig1 since it came out in the DE postcode so area 20 and still on 50mbps upload
abut time. Still going to an ALTNET though when ready due to latency being better on FTTP and symmetric speeds.
Do you have extra upload channels or still 0-3? I am in DE on 1G/Hub5 and still only have 0-3
I have the extra upstream channels (5). Had them quite a while now.
Are you in DE?
No, miles away. Area 22 region. On HUB5.
@anonymous
Also area 22, I have 5 upstreams, on DOCSIS 3.1, and a Hub 5. Still seeing 50Mbps up.
Mike. No mine still 55mbps provisioned on 5 upstream channels.
I’ll stick with the symmetrical download/upload I get from my CityFibre-based ISP.
Virgin are trailing behind even with this uplift, especially with cloud services and working from home being so prevalent now.
Whilst Virgin have some great plans for the near future, they’re quickly becoming the second-tier option in areas which have alternatives.
Absolutely, enjoy your symmetric CityFibre service! CityFibre and other altnets have normalised symmetric services here in the UK.
That said, I’m excited by Mark/ISPreview’s suggestion that Virgin Media may launch a symmetric 2Gbps tier with XGS-PON. I was definitely expecting maybe 2Gbps down, but still 100Mbps up.
2Gbps symmetric service doesn’t sound likely to me. Firstly, Virgin simply hate offering fast upload speeds. A jump from 100Mbps to 2000Mbps? Unlikely. Secondly it will split their network in two, with those upload speeds reserved for a minority on their true FTTP network. They can’t claim “fastest widely available” when it’s so limited in reach.
@mike Virgin’s upload limits are due to DOCSIS limitations. 3.0 only has 200mbps up and 3.1 1-2gbps up.
When Gig1 first launched it was only in selected locations so no reason why they wouldn’t do the same for a 2gig package.
They’re not due to DOCSIS limitations. DOCSIS 3.0 can provide upstream of 200Mbps. DOCSIS 3.1 can provide up to 2Gbps. Virgin are nowhere near pushing the limits of 3.0, nevermind 3.1. Both offer far in excess of the 50Mbps maximum we’ve seen from VM until this year.
There is no chance Virgin will offer symmetric 2Gbps on DOCSIS 3.1 when that’s pushing the technology to its max, something they’ve never ever done.
If they start offering symmetric 2Gbps speeds on their new FTTP network they risk it backfiring as some people will be on the “bad network” and some will be on the “good network”.
No Mike they won’t offer 2Gbps symmetrical on DOCSIS. As Ian said above this will be when they eventually get around to deploying XGS-PON which will indeed be symmetrical to remain competitive. I don’t think it’s VM deliberately witholding speeds on the upstream, it is simply the technology being used. Yes they could squeeze a little more, the spectrum associated with the upstream is open to alot of interference and is very difficult to keep clean.
@mike the 200mbps is shared between many customers, just like PON.
They can advertise 2gbps even if it’s only in XGS PON areas. They did the same with Gig1 and Docsis 3.1.
@Scott you’re conflating two different points I made
1. They’re stingy with uploads, there’s historical proof vs what they offer and what the technology can provide
2. I didn’t suggest they’d offer 2Gbps symmetric on DOCSIS, I don’t think they’ll offer 2Gbps symmetric at all or they’ll suffer PR damage when people realise they’re on a vastly inferior part of the network that was previously advertised as fibre, but isn’t fibre, and the only people who can get it are the minority with FTTP
TL;DR VM weren’t being stingy with upload speeds, they work within the physical limitations of the powered equipment in the cabinets.
Longer form: the upload speeds are due to the limits of VM’s local networks. The numbers in the DoCSIS specs are shared and are dependent on the local networks having enough upload spectrum.
The specs for 3.0 assume a mid-split network with a return path / upstream spectrum of 5-85 MHz to allow for 8 bonded 6.4 MHz wide 64 QAM channels. Only VM’s newest HFC build has this capability.
The specs for 3.1 assume a high split network with return path spectrum of 5-204 MHz devoted to 3.1 with no 3.0 carriers and all clean enough to hit high modulation orders. I only know of one network that’s high split throughout: TDC in Denmark selling under the brand YouSee – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouSee
Most of VM’s network is confined to 65 MHz return, with the lowest 15 MHz between 5 and 20 MHz unstable at best and at worst unusable due to noise and the top of the spectrum subject to roll-off so it can’t be used for a 3.0 channel and degrades a 3.1 channel.
The spectrum plan in use has 5 x 6.4 MHz 64 QAM carriers between 20.4 MHz and 52.8 MHz with a 3.1 OFDMA block from 53.4 MHz to 63.8 MHz. The 3.0 channels provide about 125 Mbit/s of capacity, the OFDMA block varies depending on how noisy the network is but should be good for 60-100 Mbit/s on top of the 3.0 channels.
With that in mind 100 Mbit is about the highest VM can realistically go in nearly all the network. They can go higher as more Hub 4s and Hub 5s are out there as they can switch spectrum from 3.0 to 3.1 but 150-200 Mbit/s upload tiers are as high as they’ll ever go. They aren’t going to replace a few hundred thousand amplifiers and nodes to increase the spectrum, they’re going FTTP instead.
The last major upgrade to big bits of the HFC network was the one to allow for 10:1 ratio back in the early 2010s. The areas where it took ages before the change happened needed amplifiers and nodes replacing as they were limited to 5-30 MHz return path, with the lowest bits unusable. No room for multiple 6.4 MHz carriers there.
There have been gradual upgrades since with the last areas stuck on 50 MHz returns being upgraded this quarter so everything is 65 MHz or higher and the 100 Mbit upload speed available.
‘I didn’t suggest they’d offer 2Gbps symmetric on DOCSIS, I don’t think they’ll offer 2Gbps symmetric at all or they’ll suffer PR damage when people realise they’re on a vastly inferior part of the network that was previously advertised as fibre, but isn’t fibre, and the only people who can get it are the minority with FTTP’
Beyond us nerds bleating in places like this didn’t happen to Openreach, hasn’t happened to Altice or others in the USA where networks are largely HFC with some EPON and EPON is symmetrical while HFC very much isn’t.
XGSPON will follow HFC on download speed but be symmetrical.
This seems so strange to read since leaving VM for an ALTNET a year ago, now with 1GB down and 1GB up, better latency and a much lower price.
Not so strange as BT only has pathetic upload rates as well on Brokenreach. They kind of match after this. Even their new higher download tiers in trial, have no better upload.
Most ALNETS are the champion product here though; superior technology by use of XGS-PON (right now) over BT’s legacy GPON and ALTNETS that initially deployed GPON are migrating now to XGS-PON for better network efficiency.
Cue the BT fan folk…..
@anonymous
Can’t you get 1000/220 on with Openreach ISPs? Virgin are playing catchup and can’t match 220 up.
> Can’t you get 1000/220 on with Openreach ISPs?
Only if you pay through the nose, and hardly any ISPs offer it: not even BT Retail or BT Business. The only one I know that does is Cerberus, and the pricing is close to leased line territory.
However they needn’t worry, since ISPReview predicts that Virgin are planning a “symmetric speed 2bps [sic] tier” 🙂
Symmetric 2bps sounds just about manageable across their network
This thread’s start reads a lot like a resident troll posted as ‘Francis’ then replied to themselves half an hour later.
I have recently noticed that my upstream QAM has been jumping between QAM32 and QAM128
3.1 Upstream channels
Channel Channel Width (MHz) Power (dBmV) FFT Type Modulation
6 10.4 38.0 2K QAM128
Noise on your local network triggering the profile change. Shouldn’t really drop as low as 32 QAM. Should at least sit at 128 QAM given where it is in the spectrum.
I am one of the lucky (?) ones. Can confirm, I’m in the NEWC area (Newcastle upon Tyne) and my Hub 5 got the 110Mbit upload config update a couple of days ago (Saturday, early hours). Always hitting 105-106Mbit on tests since (wired with Cat 8).
looking forward to this – I’m in Newcastle (area 02) – I’ve rebooted my Hub a couple of times and still on the 50Mbps profile.
Area 02 also. So hopefully! I didn’t reboot it manually, it was automatic overnight. I only noticed when I checked my connection logs.
Max Traffic Rate: 110000274 bps (5 bonded upstream channels on Hub 5).
I have Hub 5 – in modem mode – hopefully I won’t have to keep restarting it – lol
That’s better news but I can only dream of getting this, we only recently got the 350 package in our area.
Great news, no need to migrate from DOCSIS ever!
Just checked now. I’m wa5 in area 20 and still max I get is 1077/55 – Hopefully faster speeds and packages come soon although the main one will be when they switch us over for full fttp and not docsis over fibre so that the ping might come down a bit more.
You won’t get true FTTP (by which I mean, and I think you mean “no DOCSIS”) until the VM XGS-PON rollout occurs, and it’s worth knowing that what Schuler and Fries have committed to doesn’t include droplinks, which according to the spiel for investors would be done case by case and where a product need requires it. So you may be waiting a good while yet, and have to pay more. That might yet change, but consider VM could have offered a 2.2 Gbps download years ago, but have chosen not to so far.
‘That might yet change, but consider VM could have offered a 2.2 Gbps download years ago, but have chosen not to so far.’
No point until either Openreach offer >1.1 Gbps, which happens later this year, or altnet overlapping coverage at > 1 Gbps becomes large enough that it threatens the VM customer base. The only one with big time overlap with VM is CityFibre and they only go to 1 Gbps in most areas.
VM care about fastest ‘widely available’ and until the ASA tell them they can’t do it anymore they’ll upgrade to stay above Openreach, no-one else.
> a symmetric speed 2bps
Ouch, what sass in that typo
Far to late, still on 50 here, openreach expect to take orders from my postcode in may, never got more than 600 on my 1 gig connection
Laughs on CityFibre. 1Gbps down and up
You’ll be crying if VM buy it
Im on the 500 package and im getting 50 uploads now in the TS area
Utterly bored with people banging on about their altnet does this or that.
Bully for you, well done, you bought a service.
This is about a Virgin service – altnets are an irrelevance in most of the VM areas because they don’t exist.
As a customer of an altnet myself it’s really quite weird the amount of comments on here that are from people talking about altnets. Are people wanting medals for using altnets? It some flex commenting on a post to say that you don’t use the company the article is about?
I don’t have either in my area. So enjoy your decent speeds.
Recently switched from virgin to altnet FTTP. Get 940 down and up over cat5e.
Congrats
No one asked at all
Here in New Zealand I get 950 down and 500 up which is pretty much available to most of the country for next to nothing.
This is a UK website. In Singapore you can get symmetrical 8 Gb/s pretty much everywhere. In parts of Africa ADSL is a novelty. Neither remotely relevant to a UK cable company upgrading a tier.
I live 6 months in one country and 6 months in the other. I have absolutely every right to comment pal!
I didn’t say you didn’t have the right to comment, pal, just that it wasn’t in any way relevant to the article. This remains the case whether you’re in the UK 6 months of the year or all the time. It has absolutely nothing to do with a UK cable company increasing their upload speeds.
I’ve no idea why this comments section has turned into a urination contest but it’s really quite pathetic.
You ok babe? x
And? How is that relevant in any way whatsoever to anything in this article?
Ben best to ignore mr reality bytes. He thinks he runs this website and gatekeeps who can and can’t comment.
No, Ben. I’m not. Reality does indeed bite. Neither am I a babe. I’m a fat, middle-aged, bald guy with a face that says ‘Wish I had moisturised when I was younger’.
I’ll take the compliment, though I prefer ‘hun’. Thank you!
Good for you zzzZzzzzZzz
I’m in the KT6 area and now have higher upload speeds at around 100Mbps (peak) on VM. As I’m using the link mainly for work the upload speed is far more important than the download speed, but I’m stuck with VM for now as there is no other high-speed provider, even BT is stuck on exchange lines and so ADSL.
RfOG will not get the increase in speed as they does not support DOCSIS 3.1 Uploads.. So no 5 channel..
Some RFoG areas have 6 channels already. 7 or 8 would be fine for 100 up.
Checking an RFoG postcode nearby it has 100 Mb up available on the business package.
Here is hoping this is the reason that our service has been broken since 5am this morning, including issues for some strange reason to VM and O2 5G networks in the area. Left me and my wife unable to work from home most of today.
That said, gigaclear is doing work in this area too (hp22) and their 800/800 up and down stream is looking pretty enticing for running my own home cloud system.
Honestly, at this point Virgin Media should just have 4 plans – 200, 400, 600, and 1000 mbps with 1:10 upload speeds.
This is another reason to hate virgin. Why are some customers getting this but not me ? I pay the maximum for their internet service 1gbit customer. This is all the same as how they deal with everything else (hub 5 testing) I honestly hate this company , regret I gave them a chance a year ago and Am praying cityfibre is in my street come contract up. They are a horrible company.
I am an ultimate volt package. Standard user, I am definitely getting 110mbps uploads. Even after a modem restart. On Wi-Fi 6 I’m getting 800mbps down 110mbps up
Areas of FIFE have started to get the 100mbps upload today. I did a manual reboot this afternoon and got the 100mbps upload, topping out at 105mbps.
Upon router reboot today I’m now seeing the faster uploads speed.
DOWNLOAD Mbps
116.08
UPLOAD Mbps
100.66
South East, Kent yesterday only 49Mbps.
Rebooted router today.
Upload now showing 105Mbps using Speedtest
CH66 area
We have started seeing 100Mbps+ plus upload speeds today.
SE23
“Speaking of speed trials. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if the first package on the new XGS-PON side of their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, outside of a test environment, ended up being a symmetric speed 2Gbps tier in order to retain their “fastest widely available” UK speed crown.”
but when?! I’m on the new network, and its still only 52mb upload -.-
Jumped on the 1gig package for £35 monthly on 27th may
Still no 104upload in crayford/Kent area