Virgin Media rolls out gigabit broadband to Witham

Residents of Witham, Essex, can now sign up to full fibre broadband from Virgin Media, with download speeds available up to 2Gb per second.

Following an investment by Nexfibre, a wholesale network owned by the parent companies of Virgin Media and O2, a further 9,000 homes have been passed.

The news follows nearby building in Chelmsford, where 9,000 homes were also added to Virgin Media's full fibre network.

Credit: Sharaf Maksumov/Shutterstock.com

Virgin Media in Witham

Witham, a commuter town in Essex, now has 9,000 homes able to connect to Virgin Media's gigabit broadband and TV services.

Connected by new XGS-PON full fibre technology installed by Nexfibre, residents will be able to order download speeds up to 2Gbps on average with Virgin Media's new Gig2 service.

Entry-level plans are also available from M125 Fibre Broadband from just £25 per month, with optional symmetrical upload speeds available across all plans for an extra £6 per month.

Virgin Media are also currently offering new customers 3 months free on broadband plans, and 3 months free Disney+, for Black Friday throughout November 2024.

The news comes just one week after Virgin Media announced 9,000 homes had been connected to Nexfibre's new network in nearby Chelmsford.

However, unlike in Chelmsford, where Virgin Media already had a presence with their existing cable network, Witham previously had no Virgin Media coverage at all.

Virgin Media/Nexfibre coverage in Witham, November 2024. Source: Thinkbroadband

In the map above, we can see how Nexfibre have now passed most of the streets in Witham, with just some homes in the centre and west of the town still to be connected.

Julie Agnew, Managing Director of Fixed Network Expansion at Virgin Media O2, said, "9,000 more homes in Witham can now feel the benefit of Virgin Media's services - with packages that include everything from next generation multigigabit broadband to easy-to-use TV streaming and entertainment services.

"These ultrareliable full fibre to the home broadband connections come with speeds - up to 33 times faster than local average - providing total peace of mind that whatever you're doing online, you'll never be slowed down by your service."

Full fibre broadband in Witham

Many of Witham's residents will be pleased by the investment from Nexfibre to bring full fibre broadband to the town, as while there are other options there's so far only patchy coverage from other networks.

Openreach FTTP is available in parts in Witham, but so far, only small areas are covered, with some availability south of Maltings Lane and to the east of Hatfield Road, alongside a few roads in the north of Witham, including Flemming Way, Evans Way, and Driver Way.

Other options in Witham include Lightspeed, and more prominently Gigaclear who cover some of the areas missed out by Nexfibre, as we can see in the maps below.

Openreach FTTP (blue) and Gigaclear (purple) coverage in Witham, November 2024. Source: Thinkbroadband

Overall, while some residents in Witham may be lucky enough to now be covered by more than one full fibre network, most households will now be served at least by Virgin Media, who already offer very competitive pricing on their deals, as well as optional TV services.

Nexfibre aim to continue rolling out to areas so far uncovered by Virgin Media, investing £4.5 billion in the UK to reach a further 5 million homes by 2026 and increasing Virgin Media's footprint to a total of 23 million homes.

Rajiv Datta, CEO at nexfibre, said, "nexfibre's multi-million pound investment in Witham will enable thousands of households to access the benefits of full fibre broadband, including being able to participate in the local economy and connect with the community. It marks a significant step on our journey to connect 5 million premises by 2026."

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