Virgin Media to Launch Upgraded Full Fibre Network in UK by March 2025

2025-03-03

Virgin Media is preparing to launch its upgraded full fibre network, powered by XGS-PON technology, to UK customers in March 2025, according to multiple credible sources. The broadband provider is currently upgrading its legacy Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) and RFoG (Radio Frequency over Glass) networks to support the new technology, with the aim of completing the project by 2028. The upgrade will enable symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 2Gbps, a significant improvement over the existing HFC network.

The rollout will initially focus on areas already served by Virgin Media’s existing infrastructure, with an additional 5-7 million premises set to benefit from the new network. However, existing customers in HFC areas, which cover approximately 16 million premises, have not yet been able to access the upgraded XGS-PON services. This has led to frustration, as the new infrastructure remains unused in many areas where upgrades have already been completed.

Virgin Media has previously conducted a limited trial of the upgraded network, offering some customers free service and vouchers, but this was paused due to issues with the ordering and billing systems. The company has not yet confirmed whether it will automate the transition for existing customers, as the upgrade requires an engineer visit to install new optical modems. Instead, the transition is expected to occur gradually as customers renew their contracts or upgrade their packages.

In addition to the consumer rollout, Virgin Media plans to make the XGS-PON network available to wholesale customers in the first half of 2025, though the exact timeline remains unclear. The move comes as competition in the UK broadband market intensifies, with rivals such as CityFibre and Openreach also expanding their full fibre networks. Despite the upgrades, some customers have expressed concerns about the lack of modem-only mode and native IPv6 support on Virgin Media’s new hardware, which could limit flexibility for advanced users.

Virgin Media Set to Open Upgraded Full Fibre Network to UK Customers

Several credible sources have informed ISPreview that broadband ISP Virgin Media (O2) is gearing up for an important new product launch, which is expe

www.ispreview.co.uk

Virgin Media’s internet appears to have stopped working

Microsoft services appear to be particularly affected by technical problems

www.independent.co.uk

Virgin Media down latest as customers left without internet access

More than 1,000 users have reported the problem on Downdetector

www.examinerlive.co.uk

Hundreds of Virgin Media, Microsoft and BT users report connection issues

Downdetector, a site which monitors outages, saw issues spike across thre three providers, with Virgin the worst affected.

metro.co.uk

Thousands of broadband users left without internet in huge outage

Virgin Media users have been left without internet service after the company was rocked by an outage, with thousands experiencing problems being able

www.mirror.co.uk

Virgin Media down leaving customers without internet access

VIRGIN Media is down leaving customers without internet access. Over 1,000 users logged the issue on Downdetector, which monitors the status of online

www.thesun.co.uk

Thousands of Virgin Media customers without internet after outage

Thousands of Virgin Media customers are currently without internet access after a service outage hit this morning, with the company saying it is worki

www.express.co.uk

Virgin Media down as thousands of customers say they're in 'complete blackout'

Virgin Media users across the UK have shared worrying reports that they are suffering issues across their service, with some even sharing 'total black

www.dailystar.co.uk