Virgin Media's 100Mbps roll-out gathers pace

Virgin Media has announced a number of new locations now able to access its "ultrafast" broadband offering.

Residents of Cheshunt and Hatfield in Hertfordshire, Pentwyn and Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales and Southport in Merseyside can now subscribe to download speeds of 100Mbps from the company, along with upload speeds of 10Mbps.

The number of homes across the newly-enabled areas adds up to 150,000, meaning the speedy broadband is now available to 350,000 homes across the UK.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "We've invested many billions of private money in order to build a growing network that already passes approximately 13 million homes across the UK."

"We're racing to get these ultrafast speeds across this entire area as fast as we can to meet demand."

It does come at a price though. To buy the internet package alone would cost a user 45 per month. Although the cost drops to 35 if taken along with a phone line, customers would also have to pay up 30 for activation and 40 for installation.

At least a combined modem and wireless N router comes as part of the deal, which Virgin Media claimed had been designed to handle up to 400Mbps broadband as the technology continued to develop and roll-out.

Virgin Media began its roll-out of 100Mbps back in December to four towns Heckmondwike (West Yorkshire), Farnborough, Colchester and Barry (South Wales).