Virgin Media XGS

By: Author James Smythe

Posted on 5th August 2023

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I have previously written a guide on comparing the Virgin Media Hub 5x vs 5 vs 4 vs 3 and this highlighted that the new Hub 5x uses fibre to premises XGS-PON in comparison to the DOCSIS 3.1 technology that’s predominantly used on the Virgin Media network.

Virgin are trialling the new Virgin XGS-PON technology, and this is planned to be fully rolled out, replacing DOCSIS 3.1 by 2028 at a cost of £100 per home.

Virgin's recent upgrade to the XGS-PON network sets the stage for a potential boost in speeds up to 10Gbps. However, don't anticipate these top speeds too soon; they're currently testing out a more modest 2Gbps.

One of the most significant benefits of XGS-PON technology lies in its ability to support symmetrical data transmission rates. That means you could potentially enjoy gigabit speeds for both uploading and downloading. At present, my Virgin Gig1 service offers a gigabit download speed but restricts the upload speed to just 100Mbps.

Whether Virgin will take full advantage of this symmetry remains to be seen, but it's reasonable to expect a substantial improvement in speed.

I have written a comparison of XGS-PON (10 Gigabit-capable Symmetric Passive Optical Network) and DOCSIS 3.1 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification). It is not specifically related to Virgin Media but the technology in general.

It is good to see that Virgin Media are upgrading to XGS-PON. The UK has been lagging behind many countries with our Internet speeds, and we now seem to be gaining momentum for true ultra-fast Internet speeds.

The XGS-PON network will pave the way for multi-gig connections, but more importantly, it should allow Virgin Media to significantly upgrade the upload speeds.

Most people don’t need a symmetrical Internet connection, but the current 10:1 ratio is ridiculous. With modern Internet usage changing so quickly, upload speeds have become increasingly important. Many people now work from home, and it is increasingly important to be able to have a good upload speed. We may not upload as much as we download, but it is becoming increasingly important for things like video calls, hosting your services, or uploading work to company servers.

Back in 2020, Virgin Media published stats saying that data uploads had increased by 64% which I think is a good indication that we need much faster uploads.

I am a UK tech blogger and have been in the industry for over 10 years now, running Mighty Gadget and its sister sites and contributing to other sites around the web. I am passionate about all tech, including mobile, wearables, and home automation. I am also a fitness fanatic, so I cover as much fitness tech as possible.

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Posted on 5th August 2023

Categories Computer Networking / Router / Mesh Systems News & Reviews

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