CES 2015: A new chip could make gigabit internet a reality

Broadcom, maker of all things related to wireless and internet technology, has taken to CES to unveil the world’s first SoC (system-on-chip), called the BCM3390. What’s that you ask? It’s a chip that could pave the way for broadband providers to start offering internet speeds faster than 1Gbps.

That’s pretty exciting news, and Liberty Global, owner of Virgin Media, has confirmed that it will be utilising the tech to bring faster speeds to its customers in the second half of 2015.

The UK wasn’t specifically confirmed, but since Virgin Media has been trialling 1Gbps internet speeds since last September it’s not far-fetched to assume that it will be utilising Broadcom’s new chip (or something similar) at some point in the near future.

Virgin Media’s fastest consumer package currently offers speeds up to 152Mbps, so it’s exciting to hear that it might start rolling out speeds up to 1Gbps to consumers. Plus once Virgin gets on board it’s likely that the other ISPs will follow suit.

Let’s just hope they don’t raise the prices too high.

This week we’re bringing you all the latest news, videos and gossip from CES 2015 in Las Vegas. Check out the CES 2015 page to keep up to date and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see hands-on news with our editor Holly Brockwell from the show floor.