Broadband sign-ups have slowed markedly for Virgin Media (NSDQ: VMED) in the last year as the market becomes saturated . Whilst the provider signed up 106,200 broadband customers between October and December 2007, in the same period last year additions were just 57,100, today’s Q4 earnings show.

SEE ALSO: Virgin Scraps Legal P2P Music Plans After Labels Get Jitters

The results explained: “We believe gross additions were down partly due to slower growth in the overall broadband market and our shift in focus towards growth in higher (value) tiers” - ie. concentrating on 20Mbps and 50Mbps, which is expected to be nationwide by Q3. Under CEO Neil Berkett, broadband has become Virgin’s main selling point. It now has a record 3.68 million broadband and broadband revenue for the quarter grew 6.3 percent to £3.93 million.

Updated: Berkett, in the analysts’ call (via Guardian.co.uk): “I think we will explore different business models about how we can create other financial revenue streams outside subscription and we will do something in that space in 2009. That could be doing a deal with a music house ... that could be doing a deal with targeted advertising, [but] there could be other ways to monetise the pipe outside the traditional subscription. We have a great brand in the music space and I would like to do something breakthrough. What Sky’s done is not breakthrough; I am comfortable we will do something different”.

As we reported, Virgin last month scrapped plans to start a legal P2P music service with Playlouder over last-minute label concerns. Berkett’s reluctance to build “more than a me-too subscription service” suggests he’s still hoping to be as innovative…