You may already have seen the advert on TV with Samuel Jackson, but Virgin Media have announced their new 50Mb broadband package! This is made possible by optical fibre cables, but also means that for now this service is going to be limited to just a few based on their area.
So what’s so good about 50Mb broadband? Most people can get up to 8Mb connection speeds, so will you notice a big difference? The answer in no uncertain terms is yes. Check out just a few of these statistics:
- Estimated time for downloading a music album in MP3 format is 11 seconds
- Estimated time for downloading a movie is 3 minutes
- Standard videos such as YouTube can be watched with no need to buffer the video
- HD quality video can be streamed online
- Demanding sites will run super fast
- Online gaming performance will be uncomprimised
The connection also allows multiple users to take part in demanding online activities at the same time within a home. This is something I would have very much appreciated in my student days, sharing a 512Kb connection with 3 friends!
The service starts at just £35 a month, although after using the postcode checker I have yet to find an area that supports the service. I have been offered a 20Mb service as an alternative which is fast, but a bit of a shame after they got me so excited about the 50Mb service. I think it’s a great offering, but it will be a while before we all get to enjoy streaming HD videos online.
