An additional 11,000 homes in Huddersfield now have access to Virgin Media’s gigabit broadband services, marking the first time these properties can connect to such high-speed internet.
Residents in Huddersfield can now sign up for services like Gig2 broadband, which offers top speeds of 2Gbps—21 times faster than the local average. These hyperfast connections are ideal for busy households engaged in remote work, streaming ultra-high-definition TV shows and movies, video calling, and online gaming.
Virgin Media’s network expansion in the area has been completed, bringing full fibre connections to more homes. This network build was carried out on behalf of nexfibre, which is investing £4.5 billion to deliver fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections to 5 million homes across the UK by 2026. nexfibre recently announced that it has already reached one million premises that are ready for service.
Virgin Media O2 is leveraging this next-generation network to offer its broadband and TV Stream services to both homes and businesses in Huddersfield.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet member for finance and regeneration at Kirklees Council, hailed the development as a significant advancement in the area’s digital infrastructure. “In recent years, more people than ever are working from home, gaming online, and using streaming services daily. As our lives increasingly move online, strong digital connectivity becomes a vital part of the infrastructure that supports our modern lives,” Turner said.
He continued, “We’re committed to making Kirklees one of the most digitally connected regions and will continue working with companies like Virgin Media to expand high-speed connectivity. With this latest work, 11,000 more people in Huddersfield can now benefit from fibre broadband, which could be up to twenty-one times faster than the current local average.”
“This is fantastic news, and our efforts as a council are ongoing—we will continue collaborating with digital infrastructure providers to bring gigabit speeds to more residents across Kirklees,” Turner added.
Julie Agnew, Managing Director of Fixed Network Expansion at Virgin Media O2, highlighted the benefits for local residents: “An additional 11,000 homes in Huddersfield can now experience Virgin Media’s services, which include next-generation multigigabit broadband and easy-to-use TV streaming. These ultra-reliable full fibre connections offer speeds up to 21 times faster than the local average, ensuring that whatever you’re doing online, your service won’t hold you back.”
Rajiv Datta, CEO at nexfibre, commented on the significance of the investment: “nexfibre’s multi-million-pound investment in Huddersfield will enable thousands of households to access the advantages of full fibre broadband, from participating in the local economy to staying connected with the community. This is a significant milestone on our journey to connect 5 million premises by 2026.”
Virgin Media O2 is at the forefront of Britain’s gigabit rollout, with speeds of 1,000Mbps or more available across its entire network. The company invests around £2 billion annually in its networks and services and is in the process of upgrading its entire fixed network to full fibre technology over the coming years.
In addition to its ultrafast broadband, Virgin Media O2’s mobile network covers 99% of the UK population with 4G, while the company is also rolling out 5G services to bring the latest mobile connectivity to more areas. O2 remains the only mobile network operator not to reintroduce roaming fees in Europe, and its Priority rewards scheme offers exclusive access to deals, prize draws, and presale tickets.
Customers of both Virgin Media and O2 can boost their services through Volt, which offers benefits like double mobile data, roaming in 75 countries, and free broadband speed upgrades. For example, customers on a 500Mbps Virgin Media package could be upgraded to Gig1 at no extra charge.
nexfibre is a joint venture between InfraVia Capital Partners, Liberty Global, and Telefónica, supported by £4.5 billion in equity and debt investment. The venture aims to roll out fibre to 5 million homes not currently served by Virgin Media O2’s network by 2026, with potential expansion to an additional 2 million homes. Combined, nexfibre and Virgin Media O2 aim to cover up to 23 million premises, or around 80% of the UK, later this decade.
