Broadband customers who signed up to Virgin Media's 2Mb offering may have allowed themselves a smile at the news that their connection will be upgraded to a 10Mb maximum speed.

The work will be carried out as the provider drops its 2Mb packages to concentrate on 10Mb, 20Mb and 50Mb deals.

Virgin Media has highlighted the improved quality service of high bandwidth applications such as the BBC iPlayer as one of the advantages of the upgrade.

"Our entry-level broadband product is now twice the speed of comparable services and, with our new 10-20-50 range, we clearly offer the highest quality broadband service in the UK," pointed out Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett.

He continued: "The migration of millions of 2Mb customers to 10Mb is only possible because of the power of our next generation network and is just one example of how we are creating exciting propositions for consumers which provide transformational experiences and go way beyond their expectations."

For new customers, the 10Mb offering can be taken for £14 per month when bought alongside a landline deal.