Virgin Media’s “Intelligent WiFi” to revolutionise in-home connectivity

Virgin Media has today announced a series of new WiFi updates that will give millions of its customers the UK’s fastest widely available broadband speeds in more areas of their home.

The game-changing technology – which has already been rolled out to all Virgin Media customers with a Hub 3 router, free of charge – is a smart cloud-based, adaptive system that is continuously evolving and ingeniously tackles many of the problems that can hold people back from getting the best performance from their WiFi.

With Intelligent WiFi, Virgin Media customers can feel real benefits to their wireless connectivity with minimal effort. Extensive testing by Virgin Media has seen speeds improving by up to three times to many devices without the aid of a booster, unlike many other broadband providers.

This means that regardless of the type of property lived in - and the number of people living in it – customers can make the most of their ultrafast connectivity by streaming 4K programming, gaming online or simply browsing the net, all at the same time across multiple devices.

Connect App

The new Connect app from Virgin Media will be the central control panel for all intelligent WiFi features. The app is quick and easy to set up and is free to download.

Through the app customers can test the strength of their WiFi from room-to-room, which will also detect any blackspots in the home; manage devices that are connected to a home network; pause devices – handy when the children are up past their bedtime - and access in-app customer support to help resolve any problems.

Video: Find out more about the Connect app

WiFi Boosters

In the rare instance that a WiFi booster is required to remove connectivity blackspots in the home, these can be ordered directly through the Connect app with Full House and VIP customers able to get these free of charge. Outside of these bundles a £3 per month charge will apply for boosters.

Richard Sinclair MBE, Executive Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media, said: “Delivering ultrafast broadband to help make Britain faster is what we do best at Virgin Media, but making sure this translates into reliable in-home connectivity is just as important. Intelligent WiFi will allow our customers to make the most of their broadband while also helping to easily overcome any connectivity conundrums around the home. With families using more devices than ever before, it’s vital they can all be online whenever needed. Whether it’s streaming UHD movies on Netflix, playing the latest games online or video conferencing, Intelligent WiFi has your back.”

Intelligent WiFi

Intelligent WiFi on the Hub 3 router is a smart system that adapts to the needs of the home and the devices that are connected to WiFi. It is made up of many features that work side-by-side to ensure that the best WiFi performance is being delivered. These include:

• Channel optimisation: All WiFi operates over a number of channels. Channel Optimisation helps ensure connected devices and gadgets are performing as best as they can. As a result of Intelligent WiFi, testing has shown that 18% of homes should experience less WiFi interference thanks to more than 300,000 optimisations per day ensuring that devices are being switched to less crowded WiFi channels.
• Band Steering: This is the process which prompts gadgets and devices to seamlessly switch between a 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency to optimise performance. With band steering on the Hub 3, testing showed that gadgets connecting to the 5GHz frequency increased by 25%, giving these devices greater speeds.
• Airtime Fairness: This helps to share out WiFi evenly across connected devices. Some older devices can’t keep up with ultrafast broadband speeds which can impact WiFi performance in the home. Intelligent WiFi will improve the share of WiFi to devices throughout the home.

With all of the above implemented as part of Intelligent WiFi, third party testing showed that broadband speeds registered on devices significantly increased in rooms throughout the home – up to three times faster.

Video: Find out more about the Intelligent WiFi features

Improved customer experience and support

Over the past year, Virgin Media’s customers’ data usage has doubled as the need to be online increases. So when WiFi isn’t working as it should, it can be frustrating. While in-home problems are a key driver of calls to Virgin Media call centres, 90% of these issues could have been resolved without the customer having to get in contact.

Many in-home factors can interfere and affect WiFi performance. Intelligent WiFi will help to automatically reduce most of these problems in the home but, where extra support is needed, a host of support features are available.

This includes FAQs and helpful videos within the Connect app as well as direct access to personalised customer support where an agent can help to diagnose and resolve any outstanding issues.

Virgin Media has also trained its engineers and installation teams on Intelligent WiFi meaning that, when visiting a customer’s home, they can make the most of these new features.

Pricing

Intelligent WiFi will be offered as standard to all Virgin Media customers.

All Full House or VIP customers will be able to get a booster for free if required. Customers who are on packages below Full House will also be able to get a booster for just £3 per month.

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Notes to editors

1. For more information about Intelligent WiFi, visit > https://www.virginmedia.com/shop/broadband/intelligent-wifi
2. Intelligent WiFi launches on 12 March 2019
3. The Connect app is available to download on iOS and Android
4. Intelligent Boosters: A customer can order a booster through the Connect App after performing the scan feature and a blackspot has been detected. A booster may also be installed at the point of installation should an engineer believe one to be required. Full House and VIP customers can get up to three boosters for free. Other customers will need to pay £3 per month and £2 for an additional booster. Intelligent Boosters: A customer can order a booster through the Connect App after performing the scan feature and a blackspot has been detected. A booster may also be installed at the point of installation should an engineer believe one to be required. Full House and VIP customers can get up to three boosters for free. Other customers will need to pay £3 per month and £2 for an additional booster.

About Virgin Media

Virgin Media offers four multi award-winning services across the UK and Ireland: broadband, TV, mobile phone and landline.

Our dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely-available broadband speeds to homes and businesses and we’re expanding this through our Project Lightning programme, which could extend our network to up to 17 million premises.

Our interactive Virgin TV service brings live TV, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and the best apps and games to customers through a set-top box, as well as on-the-go through tablets and smartphones.

Virgin Mobile launched the world’s first virtual mobile network and offers fantastic value and innovative services with 4G connectivity. We are also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the UK and Ireland.

Through Virgin Media Business we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest widely available broadband speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world’s largest international TV and broadband company. Liberty Global connects 21 million customers through operations in 10 countries across Europe subscribing to 45 million TV, broadband internet and telephony services. It also serves 6 million mobile subscribers and offers WiFi service through 12 million access points across its footprint.