Virgin Media UK Confirms Trial of Faster Broadband Upload Speeds

Cable operator Virgin Media (Liberty Global) has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that they’re currently trialling faster upload speeds amongst a few existing broadband customers on their network.

Earlier this week we reported on Nokia’s demo of full duplex XG-CABLE technology (here), which could one day help cable operators using DOCSIS 3.1 technology to deliver peak symmetric upload and download speeds of 10Gbps (Gigabits per second). As part of that article we also separately hinted that a modest boost of upload speed might soon be on the way for Virgin Media’s existing subscribers.

Virgin Media’s Current Headline Tiers

Current Speed: 50Mbps [3Mbps Upload]

Current Speed: 100Mbps [6Mbps Upload]

Current Speed: 200Mbps [12Mbps Upload]

Current Speed: 300Mbps [20Mbps upload] (HomeWorks Upgrade at Extra Cost)

NOTE: A 70Mbps (5Mbps upload) and 150Mbps (10Mbps Upload) option is also available as an upgrade for the slower tiers.

Over the past few weeks a number of customers have conducted speedtests on their Virgin Media connections and noted that their upstream speeds have risen several Megabits above the normal level, which appeared to reflect a 10:1 ratio of download to upload performance (e.g. 200Mbps subscribers might get closer to an upload speed of 20Mbps instead of 12Mbps). Virgin has now confirmed to us that they are indeed testing faster upload speeds for a possible future upgrade.

A Virgin Media Spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk:

“We’re always exploring and testing new ideas. We’re currently trialling [faster upload speeds] amongst a small group of existing broadband customers that will provide an optimised experience to those who spend a lot of time online. This is just a trial at present, so we’ll keep you posted when there’s more news.”

A boost would no doubt be welcome, especially among those who spend a lot of time sharing high resolution pictures and video online (this is becoming quite a common practice thanks to YouTube, Facebook and Instagram etc.). On the other hand Virgin Media will probably continue to impose Traffic Management on their upstream performance, which can result in quite a steep speed reduction if you upload too much in a short space of time.

Historically Virgin’s limited customer trials of faster speeds have proven to be a good indication of future enhancements, although the operator doesn’t always deliver exactly what such tests might initially indicate. In the past an official deployment has tended to follow some months later, so we could be waiting a little while longer for an official roll-out (assuming it will happen).