UK gamers in the Thames Valley have been offered a free fix as the release of Grand Theft Auto VI threatens a record download demand.
With Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) set to launch on Thursday, November 19, full fibre broadband provider, Gigaclear, is handing its customers a real-life cheat code.
For rural households across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, where Gigaclear builds full fibre, where you live can still decide how long you wait.
A free broadband speed boost is now being offered, helping gamers spend less time downloading and more time in Leonida.
Thirteen years after the last instalment, GTA VI is expected to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, with a confirmed download size of up to 212GB.
And with research suggesting 2.56 million UK workers could take the day off to play, the countdown is on to get consoles ready before the big day.
New analysis from Uswitch suggests the download could take more than six hours on an average UK connection and over two days in the slowest broadband areas.
Gigaclear has already started automatically boosting customers’ broadband speeds to the maximum supported by their router, at no extra cost.
With GTA VI preloading opening on 10 November, the upgrade is being rolled out in batches across Gigaclear’s 175,000+ customers, with all eligible customers boosted by Monday, November 16, well ahead of launch day.
This means customers on speeds from 100Mbps to 400Mbps could see their speeds jump to as much as 500Mbps, while many of those on 600Mbps packages could reach up to 900Mbps depending on their equipment.
Those already on 900Mbps are already at the maximum speed, so won’t see a change.
The free upgrade will stay in place for the game’s launch on Thursday, November 19, giving customers the getaway-car upgrade they need for launch weekend, without having to lift a finger.
Nathan Rundle, CEO of Gigaclear, and a keen gamer himself, said: "After thirteen years of waiting, GTA VI is finally almost here, and I know just how much excitement there is around this launch.
"Millions of Brits are gearing up to head to Vice City, with some even booking the day off work to get stuck in.
"But with downloads of up to 212GB, the last thing anyone wants is for their long-awaited day off to be wasted staring at a progress bar.
"So, we’re giving our customers the closest thing to a real-life cheat code: a free speed boost, applied automatically, so they can get game-ready without lifting a finger.
"Where you live still decides how long you wait and too often, the rural communities have been left in the slow lane.
"We know how important fast, reliable broadband is for gamers, particularly in rural communities where it’s not always been easy to come by.
"We want our customers to enjoy every minute of one of the biggest gaming moments of the decade, spending less time on the loading screen and more time playing."
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