Virgin Media O2 completed its rollout after switching on gigabit speeds to a final 1.1 million homes for the first time, meaning all 15.5m homes passed by Virgin Media O2’s network can now access this hyperfast connectivity.

The Gig1 broadband service offers average download speeds of 1,130Mbps – 22 times faster than the national average.

Since Virgin Media first launched gigabit services in September 2019, the UK’s average broadband speed has increased by almost 50%. In recent years, demand for ultrafast services has grown rapidly as consumers use more data than ever before.

Lutz Schüler, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Just two years ago we set out to spearhead the UK’s gigabit revolution and today we’ve delivered. Our investment to bring gigabit broadband to every home on our network has catapulted the UK’s digital infrastructure forward by a decade and forced others to up their game.

“As the country’s largest gigabit provider by far, we’re the driving force behind widespread gigabit availability four years ahead of the Government’s target.”

As part of its mission to upgrade the UK, the company has committed to invest at least £10bn over the next five years in the UK.

Virgin Media O2 aims to expand its footprint through ‘Project Lighting’, which has seen more than 2.6 million additional premises built to since works began – all of which can now access gigabit services.

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Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries commented on the news, saying: “Getting high speed broadband into everyone’s homes is a top priority and Virgin Media O2’s efforts mean we’re making quick progress in our mission to level up the UK with better connectivity.

“We must ensure that rural areas are not left behind, which is why alongside industry’s roll out we’re investing up to £5 billion to make top-of-the-range speeds available in hard-to-reach communities.”

The company has also successfully completed a number of real-world trials to deliver speeds of 2.2Gbps to homes using its existing network and technology.

Earlier this year Virgin Media O2 announced its intention to upgrade its fixed network to full fibre to the premises (FTTP) with completion in 2028. This technology is capable of delivering symmetrical 10Gbps download and upload speeds.