Over the next few years, we can expect to see a lot of changes in Ireland. One of the big changes that Virgin Media is banking on is the growth of the Internet of Things. However more devices in the home means more demands on your Wi-Fi. That's where Virgin Media's new Smart Wi-Fi comes in.
Currently, there is an average of just over 10 devices per household connecting to a Virgin Media hub in customers' homes but the company expects that number to grow significantly over the next few years.
More devices mean that our internet infrastructure is going to have to develop alongside it to keep up. That's where Virgin Media is stepping in.
Paul Farrell, Vice President of Commercial at Virgin Media Ireland says: "Currently, we have an average of a little over 10 devices using a Virgin Media Wi-Fi hub in a home at present. That number is expected to rise to as many as 50 devices in the years ahead and what we have at Virgin Media is a hub that is ready for that level of expansion.”
What's new?
By sending out a system update to its Wi-Fi hubs, Virgin Media is going to introduce two key features to optimise its customers' Wi-Fi performance. They are Channel Optimisation and Airtime Fairness.
Channel Optimisation is a dynamic process of checking the available networks and how busy they are with other devices and placing you on an uncongested channel.
Airtime Fairness relates to allotting each device a certain amount of bandwidth in which it can operate so it doesn't hinder the performance of other devices.
In short these new features will make streaming and browsing the internet faster and more reliable around your home.
What customers have to do
If you're a Virgin Media customer who has the white Wi-Fi router you don't need to do anything. The company will push out a software update starting 16th May which will implement the new and improved Smart Wi-Fi features automatically.
If you're a Virgin Media customer who has one of the older, black Wi-Fi routers, just give Virgin Media a call and they'll send you out a new one free of charge!
Ruairi McGowan, Product Manager for Connectivity further went on to drive home the convenience of these developments for customers.
“What we aim to do with this upgrade is ensure our customers will never need to look at ways to improve their Wi-Fi connection or consider rebooting their modem, as it will all be done for them through our smart hub. We’re rolling these revolutionary innovations out to all our customers automatically and by the end of this week, every Virgin Media Ireland customer will have Channel Optimisation and Airtime Fairness active in their home."
Get in touch
Are you a Virgin Media customer? Have you tried their newest broadband offerings? Get in touch and let us know. You can either drop us a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
