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The Mother of all Broadband

What is The Mother of all Broadband?

The Mother of all Broadband is Virgin Media's name for its brand new high-speed fibre optic broadband service. Unlike other services, The Mother of all Broadband bypasses the BT telephone exchange to provide what it claims are the fastest download speeds available.

It works by using Virgin Media's fibre optic cable network in order to transmit information that would normally be sent using the country's telephone network. Unlike traditional copper-wired phone lines, there is almost no limit to what can be sent via fibre optic cables.

Is it fast?

According to Virgin Media's advertising campaign, their broadband is the fastest available to UK home users (hence 'The Mother of all Broadband'). With download speeds of up to 20Mb, it is possible to download music tracks in only two seconds and even entire feature films in less than 15 minutes.

What packages are available?

There are currently three packages on offer:

• M - Up to 2Mb, £4.50 a month



• L - Up to 10Mb, £8 a month



• XL - Up to 20Mb, £10 a month

Virgin Media has also announced that it plans to launch a new 50Mb broadband service in the coming months.

Is it any good?

In theory, the speeds offered by The Mother of all Broadband make it one of the best packages for users looking to download lots of media. However, not all homes will be able to take full advantage - you must be part of the cable network to begin with. In reality, download speeds are affected by a number of variables including user volume and hardware capacity. It is worth checking fibre optic coverage in your area and taking a broadband speed test before signing up.

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