Cant Get Cable? - Maybe We Can Help!

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Masque

It is the cost of digging the pavement up including permissions and planning obtained from the council, they cannot just turn and dig holes anywhere which is the reason for the £30,000 cost.

VM have code powers, outside of conservation areas they can dig without planning permission, subject to caveats from Traffic Management Act, etc.

---------- Post added at 10:44 ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 ----------

Originally Posted by weesteev

Its unlikely that Infinity will provide any competition as the vast majority of exchanges being upgraded have little to no Cable access at all.

FTTC/P will eventually overlap about 80% of the current cable network. Nearly 2/3rds of the market lead FTTC rollout will be within cabled areas - for exactly the same reasons that those areas were chosen for cable.

---------- Post added at 10:53 ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 ----------

Originally Posted by Sirius

How much per meter for civils construction in the footway ???, Hint you will be installing a 96mm duct and termination points to each house, Paying a construction company and its construction gangs to dig and install and supplying the duct work its self.

That's always the rub with any telecomms network, the cost of the civils.

The other costs are also subject to huge variation depending on what's available in the area. At very least though you're talking at least two line extender, and of course for a 400 yard road it'll need two new cabinets as I don't think VM build line based distribution, however weesteev would probably be the man to confirm that.

If line distribution then a couple of line extenders, taps, etc, which requires more work underground as that's where everything will have to go, so nice big inspection pits every 20 meters perhaps for taps with bigger ones for the line extenders.

A good part of the reason for the cost is 29 homes in 400 yards - that's not exactly dense and increases fixed costs due to RF power budgets while having fewer homes to split those costs between.

Anyway enough waffle - the estimate is probably quite reasonable.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

VM have code powers, outside of conservation areas they can dig without planning permission, subject to caveats from Traffic Management Act, etc.

It will still cost around £30,000 to fit cable to 29 houses regardless though and as the road is not provisioned they would probably still need permissions to dig from the council otherwise we would have a really massive network.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Masque

It will still cost around £30,000 to fit cable to 29 houses regardless though and as the road is not provisioned they would probably still need permissions to dig from the council otherwise we would have a really massive network.

We have permission to dig most places . We do have to give notice but generally the local councils will give permission to dig very quickly.

The Bigger picture is the cost which can be massive depending on type of dig and who will be doing it. The main reason we stopped the build in the first place was the spiraling costs of civils from what i was told.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Sirius

We have permission to dig most places . We do have to give notice but generally the local councils will give permission to dig very quickly.

The Bigger picture is the cost which can be massive depending on type of dig and who will be doing it. The main reason we stopped the build in the first place was the spiraling costs of civils from what i was told.

I cannot imagine Virginmedia footing a £30,000 bill for anyone as they need to get it back.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Masque

I cannot imagine Virginmedia footing a £30,000 bill for anyone as they need to get it back.

I full agree

[Ignitionnet]

Indeed. Unless it's a nice big business tendering out for stupidly large amounts of bandwidth on nice, long, lucrative contracts it's not going to happen.

---------- Post added at 13:21 ---------- Previous post was at 13:13 ----------

Originally Posted by Sirius

We have permission to dig most places . We do have to give notice but generally the local councils will give permission to dig very quickly.

The Bigger picture is the cost which can be massive depending on type of dig and who will be doing it. The main reason we stopped the build in the first place was the spiraling costs of civils from what i was told.

I read much the same thing. The cable builds underestimated costs of rollout and were being done with the thought that the take up would be similar to that in the United States where OTA TV wasn't up to much and cable was pretty much the default if you wanted more TV - over 70% of people took cable at one point.

Sky and terrestrial channels ensured that didn't happen. Just as is happening in the US actually where thanks to FiOS, UVerse, DTA and DTH cable penetration has dropped to around 60% of passed areas - only a little over 10% higher than VM's

The business models were in the clouds - not uncommon at the time, remember how close even Sky came to going bust, they were on the verge and the merger with BSB to form BSkyB only just managed to keep them afloat, both were essentially dead in the water without this.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

they were on the verge and the merger with BSB to form BSkyB only just managed to keep them afloat, both were essentially dead in the water without this.

I also remember the ongoing argument over which system was better Sky's or BSB's

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Masque

It will still cost around £30,000 to fit cable to 29 houses regardless though and as the road is not provisioned they would probably still need permissions to dig from the council otherwise we would have a really massive network.

See previous, all about the pounds sterling.

A simple 'Oh I forgot about the code powers' would have been fine. They don't generally need permission it's more a case of telling the council they are digging and the council having to find a pretty good reason, within the law, to argue

The code powers are like planning permission backwards, without code you ask for permission, with code you are giving notice, not asking for permission, and the council if they have a problem with it have to point to the relevant legislation.

---------- Post added at 13:26 ---------- Previous post was at 13:25 ----------

Originally Posted by Sirius

I also remember the ongoing argument over which system was better Sky's or BSB's

Oddly in many ways BSB. Their squarial was a fantastic piece of kit, miles ahead of its time. Sadly had to be retired as the Marco Polo satellites were too expensive and it was more viable for the company to use Sky's Astra transponders

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

See previous, all about the pounds sterling.

Which is why they would not foot the bill for that amount as it would probably get a poor return in revenue.

[Skie]

Quick question, but just out of interest. Do VM connect new builds if they are in existing cabled areas?

There have been loads of new residential blocks thrown up in Liverpool recently, some claim "cable ready" connections but VM dont list them as being serviced addresses. It would seem silly not to connect a 300 apartment building that is sitting next to the network. But then, I can see Sky trying to buy the rights to provide service exclusively with the building owner.

[Digital Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Skie

Quick question, but just out of interest. Do VM connect new builds if they are in existing cabled areas?

There have been loads of new residential blocks thrown up in Liverpool recently, some claim "cable ready" connections but VM dont list them as being serviced addresses. It would seem silly not to connect a 300 apartment building that is sitting next to the network. But then, I can see Sky trying to buy the rights to provide service exclusively with the building owner.

VM have been doing deals with lot's of building companies, and where it makes economical sense they will cable up buildings/streets and estates.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

VM have been doing deals with lot's of building companies, and where it makes economical sense they will cable up buildings/streets and estates.

May well be doing deals with companies to get the ducting in etc but im not seeing much pre wiring going on. Ive been to a few in Plymouth recently where the route of the cable from the front to the living room on the 'middle' floor is shocking and looks awful! More pre wires please!!!

[jungleguy]

absolutely non going on in my area, in fact a developer here, redeveloped an existing site of 50 homes (were army barracks) that were cabled by NTL, they ripped out all VM duct and did not re-instate it. VM even had to move the cabinets. Apparently, at the time of planning this redevelopment, no one at VM was interested.

[JayJay]

In the next couple of years, a HUGE estate in Plymouth is about to get redeveloped. Most of it is getting knocked down and rebuilt, the rest of it is going to get renovated. I'd like to see VM get these new houses prewired, if this area doesn't get re cabled, that is ALOT of loyal customers lost!

[redone]

Originally Posted by Skie

Quick question, but just out of interest. Do VM connect new builds if they are in existing cabled areas?

There have been loads of new residential blocks thrown up in Liverpool recently, some claim "cable ready" connections but VM dont list them as being serviced addresses. It would seem silly not to connect a 300 apartment building that is sitting next to the network. But then, I can see Sky trying to buy the rights to provide service exclusively with the building owner.

The new appartments on man island are vm only buildings as is stella nova by the strand in bootle but some regenerated areas like under the bridge in garston and l30 that have been knocked down and rebuilt are still cabled areas but because who ever redid the pavements with new tarmac and didnt didnt reinstate are t"s (acess points) vm cant touch them for a year unless they take the warranty over so them customers have to wait