Virgin Media has set out bold targets to connect up to 15 million UK homes with gigabit broadband by the end of 2021.
The first homes will be connected with the gigabit speeds this year, with Southampton the first city to receive the broadband, where customers have trialled the speeds already.
Virgin Media is targeting one million connections by the end of this year, where customers can use speeds of up to 1Gbps.
The project has been backed by Liberty Global, with billions invested to expand the network and provide speed upgrades unmatched by other providers, as broadband usage has surged by almost 40 per cent in the last year.
Virgin Media CEO Lutz Schüler has called the move a “giant digital leap forward for the UK”.
“Very soon, for the first time ever, millions of people right across the country will be able to experience hyperfast and reliable gigabit internet connections.
“This upgrade plan will see gigabit speeds rolled out at an unrivalled pace right across the country, bringing our customers the future-proof connections of tomorrow.”
Ofcom chief executive Sharon White added: “We welcome Virgin Media’s commitment to investing further in its network, providing gigabit speeds to millions more households.
“This shows the race to roll out ultrafast speeds to people and businesses across the UK is really gathering pace.”