Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

I wish VM would offer FTTP to everyone that was prepared to stump up the cash, but, the chance of that is zero. None the less, this is a positive move for those lucky folks who will get the service.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

I will double check before but I could have sworn many years ago they were laying fibre into the village by digging up the pavement. I can remember my parents being told they couldnt have it so something must have stopped

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

Network extensions in current cable areas are 'classic' HFC. It's new network areas that are FTTP.

RFoG is being used currenting in the FTTP areas to ensure consistency with the TV / Broadband services.

I'm sure if / when Virgin Media need EPON for their residential services, they'll use it. But it's not currently required.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

I'm fully aware of the details of Project Lightening and what areas are being built what way. I've worked for Virgin Media for over 20years.

Many in Networks have no love of RFoG. Just wait until they try to deploy voice over it.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

There's still no VoIP product ready? :confused:

Cable companies have been running voice over DOCSIS networks for a decade and a half. This is hardly state of the art. What collection of cowboys are writing the firmware for your CPE?

Sorry if I'm wrong but that's the only impediment I can think of as all the CMTS in use have been happily delivering voice for other MSOs and other members of the Liberty Global family for years.

Appreciate VM need some customisation on the firmware on CMTS to accommodate bugs in the Netgear Superhubs, mind.

---------- Post added at 17:10 ---------- Previous post was at 17:05 ----------

VM are the largest cable company I know of that advertises the same products throughout their footprint.

There's a lot to be said for customising offers to the local networks. Didn't feel that bad doing it on Homeworks+, did it? :)

https://www.comhem.se/bredband?b2

On the smaller side. Pretty much every US cable company on the larger side.

They may have a point and seem to know what they're doing given they can all manage digital voice.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

No VoIP yet but doesn't mean they're not working on it. The VTP is very much ongoing.

Issues with OBI on the current FTTP set up.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

It's been in progress for quite some time now. I understood many of the problems were with CPE.

The CMTS and core network are already on IPv6 and PacketCable compliant so those guys are good. The KDC, provisioning server and CMS are off the shelf.

Bit mad that this is taking so long and proving so difficult. It's months behind now.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

HomeWorks+ is a regional rollout and will eventually be available to all areas.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

Well I am getting OK speeds most of the time so with the recent BT price rises I might either be putting FTTC down to the loweet for backup or kicking it to the kerb totally and using my current 4G phone link.

All depends what VM do as a response and to these new speeds.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

I need to remember that this kind of thing is entirely at the mercy of the marketing people.

Be interesting to see how the next rollout is announced and done.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

When was Chester announced as a new area? Things proved very difficult last time they tried anything there. Though you walk through the city centre and see plenty of old NYNEX jointbox covers. No cabinets though.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

It may not have been yet.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

If they're looking in that general area then maybe they'll also finish the other half of Wirral that they didn't do.

Edit-Just had another thought. If they were to add areas like Chester and Wrexham, won't they need new buildings? I always thought they were trying to do this expansion without adding any new sites (hubsites, switches, whatever they're called).

If I think of the hubsite in Bromborough there's Virgin Media vans coming and going constantly, dozens in the morning especially. So it must be used a lot. So what could they do with an area like Chester? Can they serve it directly from somewhere like Warrington these days or would it still need a more local site?

The other side of Wirral would be seen as infill I guess, and would be served directly from Bromborough.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

It would be very interesting to see how they plan to fit out Wrexham. IIRC there's no existing infrastructure.

Re: Virgin Media announces largest UK fibre broadband rollout
 

Exactly, not a thing.

Closest infrastructure to Wrexham is the network in Saltney, but it's just ducting and cabinets. It isn't live.