Forget BT and Virgin Media - check your postcode now for huge broadband speed upgrade

We all want faster and more reliable broadband, and it seems one rival to BT, Virgin Media, and Sky is about to offer exactly that. CityFibre has just announced the launch a major upgrade to its UK network which it hopes will allow homes to access the web at speeds in excess of 5Gbps.

Right now, the best speeds available from most other providers are around 1Gbps - that means those connected to CityFibre's platform could get downloads that are five times faster than what BT and Virgin can muster. If you are unlucky enough to live in an area with old copper cables, you might only be able to access the web at 70Mbps, making this new technology over 20 times quicker.

With 5Gbps technology being beamed into living rooms, a full HD blockbuster movie would take a matter of seconds to download.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including Vodafone, TalkTalk, and Zen, as well as smaller companies like Giganet, all use CityFibre's cables to supply customers with broadband, and that means more than four million homes could get this boost in the future.

Speaking about the update Greg Mesch, CEO of CityFibre, said: “The UK’s full fibre future is here, thanks to CityFibre’s powerful, 10Gb XGS-PON network. Our ISP partners are already connecting customers with speeds over 2Gb and exceeding expectations when it comes to quality and reliability, but our next generation of full fibre will set a new standard for what’s possible.

“CityFibre started out to challenge the incumbents and bring choice and competition to the UK market. This is another huge step-forward, giving ISPs more power and flexibility than ever before and bringing affordable Multi-Gig speeds and an unrivalled experience to millions of UK consumers.”

It all sounds exciting, but it is worth remembering that the faster the speeds you sign up for, the more you'll pay each month.

It's unclear how much a 5Gbps connection will cost but most 1Gbps plans are currently cost around £40 per month. Although 5Gbps also sounds seriously impressive, the majority of consumers really don't need internet access at that rapid speed.

In fact, a home with two people who simply browse the web and watch the odd Netflix boxset should be fine with speeds of around 70Mbps.

Only real power users or those with properties packed with gadgets and family members constantly downloading files will benefit from this upgraded technology.

One other issue is that, unlike BT, CityFibre is only available in certain parts of the UK - you can check your postcode here.

Hopefully, this latest news is a sign that UK broadband speeds are getting faster and more of us will soon enjoy stutter-free streaming.