Virgin Media rolls out 2Gbps 'Gig2' service to 8,000 more homes

Dan Howdle • January 22nd, 2025

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Virgin Media has announced the expansion of its ultra-fast Gig2 broadband service to more than 8,000 homes and businesses in Northallerton. With download speeds of up to 2Gbps, it promises to deliver some of the fastest broadband in the UK, providing a boost to households and businesses alike. Let’s take a closer look at what this means for the local community and broadband users more generally.

Expanding gigabit broadband to Northallerton

Residents and businesses in Northallerton are set to benefit from Virgin Media’s high-speed Gig2 broadband as part of a significant expansion funded by nexfibre. This £4.5 billion joint venture aims to connect 5 million homes across the UK by 2026, bringing cutting-edge full-fibre broadband to areas previously underserved by such advanced technology.

The new service, which offers average download speeds of 2Gbps — approximately 18 times faster than the local average of 107Mbps — will be available to more than 8,000 premises in Northallerton before the end of the 2025. This is a major step forward for the area, enabling households to access ultrafast (hyperfast?) broadband for activities like 4K streaming, online gaming, and even hosting your own servers if that's your poison.

In summary

  • Gig2 broadband offers speeds up to 2Gbps — 18 times faster than the local average
  • The rollout is part of a £4.5 billion investment by nexfibre
  • Virgin Media plans to connect 5 million homes by 2026 as part of this initiative
  • You can check availability via our broadband postcode checker or by contacting the Virgin Media directly

Why Northallerton?

The choice to expand services in Northallerton is part of nexfibre’s mission to extend full-fibre broadband to areas not currently served by Virgin Media’s existing network. The local MP, Rishi Sunak, has welcomed this investment, highlighting the transformative impact faster broadband can have on the community. "I welcome the latest investment in Northallerton that will ensure more people have access to much faster broadband speeds," Sunak said during a recent site visit.

With more people than ever relying on broadband for work, entertainment, and staying in touch, the rollout of Gig2 is the next step. It's debatable though whether many homes can fully use anything this fast, and we'll talk about that a bit further down.

What is Gig2 broadband?

Virgin Media’s Gig2 broadband is one of the fastest residential broadband services currently available in the UK. Whether it’s streaming multiple Ultra 4K films, hosting video calls, or gaming online, Gig2 promises to deliver all this with ease — even in busy households with numerous devices connected simultaneously.

The service is delivered over Virgin Media’s Full Fibre network, built in partnership with nexfibre, ensuring reliability and consistency in performance.

How does it compare to the local average?

Northallerton currently has an average broadband speed of just 107Mbps, according to Ofcom. For residents used to these slower speeds, Gig2 represents a dramatic upgrade, offering speeds up to 18 times faster. This leap in connectivity is expected to be particularly beneficial for businesses and heavy internet users. You can check whether Gig2 is available where you live using our comprehensive broadband postcode checker.

Future-proofing with full fibre

Virgin Media’s Gig2 expansion isn’t just about meeting today’s needs, but about preparing for tomorrow's. Full Fibre broadband is considered the gold standard, offering better reliability, lower latency, and higher speeds than older copper-based technologies. As demand for speed increases, having access to a network that can scale with those demands is useful.

According to Julie Agnew, Managing Director of Fixed Network Expansion at Virgin Media O2, "These ultra-reliable Full Fibre-to-the-home broadband connections come with speeds up to 18 times faster than the local average, providing total peace of mind that whatever you’re doing online, you’ll never be slowed down by your service."

What we think

While the rollout of 2Gbps broadband in Northallerton is an impressive milestone, the reality is that most households don’t need this kind of speed right now. For the average family, activities like streaming, gaming, and remote working can be easily handled with speeds of 100Mbps or even less. So, why the push for 2Gbps?

It’s all about future-proofing. As technology evolves, the demands on our broadband connections are only going to increase. From the rise of 4K (and beyond) video streaming to the increased uptake of smart home devices and virtual reality, having a network that can handle all of that is crucial. Virgin Media’s investment in Gig2 ensures that Northallerton will be ready to embrace the future of connectivity, even if its residents aren’t yet fully able to exploit all of that speed.

For those rare households with ultra-heavy internet usage, or if you run a business from home, Gig2 may be a good choice, if you can afford it – it's hardly cheap at £85 per month. But for most households, the real benefit lies in the reliability and resilience of Full Fibre, which ensures a stable and consistent connection no matter what.

How to sign up

Virgin Media’s Gig2 service will be available to homes and businesses in Northallerton by the end of the year. If you're interested in upgrading your broadband to Gig2, you can check your postcode using our broadband postcode checker. Alternatively, you can contact Virgin Media directly to learn more about their packages and pricing.

Looking ahead

This latest expansion is just one part of Virgin Media’s broader plan to upgrade its network across the UK. The company is investing heavily in Full Fibre technology, because although Virgin Media's existing speeds are very, very fast, they're not technically Full Fibre. Instead they operate on a hybrid technology which is already very close to its speed limit.

You can expect to see more such announcements throughout 2025, though your chances of getting Gig2 this year across the broader country will remain slim.

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