Virgin Media says its new ‘Intelligent Wi-Fi Plus’ service can increase the reach and speed of home wireless networks through a combination of smart router features and extenders known as ‘pods’.
The company is rolling out firmware updates to its Hub 3 and Hub 4 routers that enhance existing channel optimisation and band steering capabilities that ensure connected devices are assigned the optimum channels and frequencies at any time.
But Subscribers will also receive ‘pods’ that can be placed around the house to create a mesh network that ensures every room can receive a quality signal. The firmware updates ensure that each device is connected to the best hub or pod at any time of the day.
Virgin Media says the service can enhance speeds by up to three times – a headline it hopes will resonate with customers who are increasingly reliant on their home connection for work, education, and entertainment. ‘Ultimate Oomph’ and ‘Gig1’ customers can subscribe for no extra cost, while others can take advantage for an additional £5 a month.
“Intelligent Wi-Fi Plus is our most advanced and impressive Wi-Fi service to date that will help remove broadband blackspots and bring faster and more reliable speeds throughout the home,” said Virgin Media COO Jeff Dodds.
“Whether our customers are working, streaming, browsing, playing or keeping connected online, the combo of new Hub features and Wi-Fi Pods provides a step change in connectivity that won’t let you down.”
As part of its response to the latest national lockdown, Virgin Media is offering customers a range of Pay-TV on and on-demand programming at no additional cost, alongside free data, minutes and texts to vulnerable customers.
Eligible families can also receive 20GB of additional mobile data a month for remote learning, while Virgin Media has also zero-rated access to the Oak National Academy learning resources website.