Communications group UPC Ireland is to formally rebrand as Virgin Media, across all of its offerings, in the coming months.

It will take about a year for UPC to get its mobile phone network up and running and become Ireland’s second operator to offer TV, broadband, telephone and mobile in a single package.

The head of UPC Ireland is defending the company's second price hike in 12 months.

UPC Ireland chief Magnus Ternsjo has said the company’s commitment and optimism in its operations here has been shown in the amount of new product investment it has made in the past year.

Communications giant, UPC’s planned expansion into the mobile services sector is unlikely to materialise for another two years or so.