‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star, Rachel Stevens, officially switched on the new Virgin Media 50Mb broadband service in London, to mark the launch of the UK’s fastest broadband service (Vismedia).

Virgin Media has launched an ultrafast 50Mb broadband service – nine times faster than the current average domestic UK speed.

The UK’s leading broadband supplier will deliver the first next generation network to over 12 million homes across the country, with roll-out expected during the summer of 2009.

Virgin Media’s existing fibre optic cable network will be tripled in capacity – and represents a giant leap forward for broadband access. The new 50Mb service will cost £51 a month, or £35 if customers also take a Virgin phone line for an additional £11 a month.

“Today marks a historic moment, for both Virgin Media and the UK”, said Neil Berkett, Virgin Media’s CEO. “As the first ISP to roll out next-generation broadband access, our 50Mb service represents the dawning of a new era of high-speed services in the UK and is just the beginning of what we hope to offer our customers over the coming years. This service will transform the way people interact and entertain themselves online and will provide a broadband experience that is truly world class.”

The 50Mb service will allow users to download an entire music album in as little as 11 seconds, a TV show in around one minute, a high quality movie in as little as 3 1/2 minutes and a high definition movie in around 15 minutes.

The increased bandwidth also means that multiple users can be on the internet at the same time without it affecting the quality or speed of their service, making 50Mb ideal for families, people in shared households, such as students and couples, or anyone needing to share a broadband connection.

Furthermore, the upgraded network means significant improvements to the service received by all of Virgin Media’s broadband customers, with current 10Mb and 20Mb users being moved onto the new “DOCSIS3” network, freeing up capacity for increased traffic on the existing DOCSIS 1.0 network. In time, the upgrade to DOCSIS 3.0 means Virgin Media will be able to handle more than three times the data currently handled by the cable network.

Using the latest state-of-the-art hardware, the 50Mb package comes with a new DOCSIS 3.0 modem, a wireless ‘N’ router, free anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and unlimited downloads.

To find out more about Virgin Media’s 50Mb service, visit: www.virginmedia.com/50.