Virgin Media 'hits back at BT in battle for broadband supremacy'
Virgin Media 'hits back at BT in battle for broadband supremacy'
(Mon, 25th January 2010)
Virgin Media has responded to BT's announcement that it is set to release a super-fast 40 megabit per second (Mbps) broadband connection next month.
The provider of telephone, broadband and television services suggests that the internet capability it already offers is superior to the BT Infinity product.
"We're not sure why people in the UK would want to wait for BT's 40 Mbps service which hasn't launched yet, when they can already get Virgin Media's great value 50 Mbps service," a Virgin Media spokesman states.
It also reveals that around 12.5 million British households are offered access to its own 50 Mbps XXL service, while BT Infinity will initially be available to just four million.
As well as this, Virgin Media also points out that its own broadband offering comes with a 12-month contract attached, whereas BT say they are likely to sign up customers on 18-month deals.
Virgin Media announced last year that it was to start an investigation into setting up a revolutionary 200 Mbps broadband connection - something which could far exceed all other broadband deals currently on the market.
Despite the evidence put forward by Virgin, broadband users with one eye on their monthly bill may wish to note that BT Infinity will retail at £19.99 - £7.47 cheaper than its rival.
However, Infinity carries a limit on how many files can be downloaded and how much data transferred, while XXL is unlimited.
Virgin rolled-out XXL to 12.5 million homes last summer and is questioning why it will take BT so long to reach its target of ten million - which is currently set at mid-2012.
When announcing the upcoming release of Infinity last week, BT said that its service would offer households broadband speeds up to ten times faster than the UK average.
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