Anyone wanting the ultimate broadband upgrade might want to take a look at a new deal from Virgin Media. The UK broadband provider has just confirmed a new offer that has slashed the price of its best speeds to the ‘lowest ever’ price. That means homes can be treated to rapid 1,100Mbps downloads and only pay £26.99 for the privilege. As a quick guide, a full HD movie would take under 30 seconds to be whizzed to TVs when connected to those speeds, whilst a 50GB PS5 game could be installed on consoles in under 7 minutes.

Those with a standard 70Mbps connection would be waiting for over 90 minutes to get the same game.

When you compare this offer to some of Virgin’s rivals, you can see why it’s worth considering.

The only thing to note before accepting Virgin’s price cut is that things will go up during the 24-month contract, and you need to check whether these speeds are available in your street.

There is one final thing to check before signing on the dotted line, as you might find things are cheaper by switching to an alternative network.

Lots of so-called alt-nets continue to pop up all over the UK, with many offering much lower prices than the main UK platforms. For example, Community Fibre, which provides internet access across London, is currently offering 1Gbps speed for £25 along with the first three months for free.

This deal also promises that prices won’t rise during the contract.

What speeds do you really need?

Yes, 1Gbps downloads sound enticing, but just make sure you really need that technology before taking out a long-term contract. As a guide, a couple living in a flat and watching Netflix each night should be fine with speeds of around 100Mbps. Those with bigger families who are working from home, downloading movies and playing blockbuster titles should consider speeds of at least 300Mbps.

Remember, your broadband is just like a road – the more traffic running along it, the slower it will get. By installing 1Gbps fibre you’ll have a motorway running into your living room rather than B road.