Alcatel Mobile Phones has announced an exclusive agreement with Virgin Media, which will see it become the exclusive supplier of modems for Virgin Media’s Mobile Broadband services until summer 2011.

Alcatel will supply Virgin Media with its X080 and X220 portable USB modems. The X080 offers HSPA access at up to 3.6Mbps; Micro SD capability up to 16GB; plug-and-play auto-installation; SMS and voice call capabilities; and support for Windows, Mac and Linux. The X220 shares the same features, but access speed increases to a maximum 7.2Mbps.

“Alcatel Mobile Phones has a long history with Virgin Media dating back to 1999, when we were one of their launch handsets, and we are extremely pleased and excited that we are able to build and develop this relationship with an exclusive partnership,” says Alcatel UK and Ireland country director, William Paterson. “The Alcatel X080 and X220 modems will be the first of a range of new products coming to Virgin Media customers over the coming year.”