We're heading for 200Mbit links, says Virgin

Speeds on Virgin Media links could hit as high as 200Mbits/sec within two or three years, the company said at the launch of its 50 Mbits/sec service today.

"This is just the beginning," said Kevin Baughan, director of technical strategy. He told a press conference in London that speeds of 200Mbits/sec had already been achieved in the laboratory.

The speed boost has been achieved with the Docsis 3.0 standard, covering data transmission by cable, and involved bonding frequencies used as separate channels into a single, faster one.

Baughan said speeds in excess of 50Mbits/sec would be enabled as a result of freeing up bandwidth by phasing out analogue channels, which are now used by only five per cent of Virgin customers.

Prices for the new service start at £35 a month and there is a £50 start-up fee, which includes a new modem and four-port 802.11 wireless router, which will be installed by an engineer.

Executives said the company was supplying the router because it had found many off-the-shelf products could not deliver the performance needed for a 50Mbit link.

Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett said 50Mbits/sec would be available to 40 per cent of his customers by the end of 2008, with the rest enabled by next summer.

You can check here whether your home has been enabled yet, and register interest in the service.