Cable network expansions
 

In areas covered by a Cable firm, why is it that they won't expand down to new streets and new developments???

I mean to build a cable network covering 150,000 homes, it costs around £48 to £60 Million, so this could be enough to patch up areas like Aberdeen and clacton.

Even if they do expand, they could save money by NOT expanding the phone service and just use either a Voip service or CPS over a BT line.

In fact I have often wondered if it would help if Virgin Media,Smallworld Media and BT merged altogether. And get rid of Cable phone.

That way, the Cable TV network would provide:

Fibre optic Cable broadband up to 20/50MB at the moment
Cable TV and Video on Demand

BT phone lines would be used for:

Basic Voice calls
Payphone use
Dial up internet

BT could then be called 'BT Media'.

Outside Cable areas/areas which cannot be cabled, BT can continue to offer BT Vision/BT Digital.

With regards to Cable in westminster and milton keynes, it would make it easier to upgrade and invest under one owner,right now its a shambols and its facing closure.

Its either that or Cable and Wireless.

That would enable stronger competition against Sky.


Back to reality.......

For westminster, I think the best thing to do is to rebuild the network again, however, rather than digging up, use the sewers! Just like H20 planned to do.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

I've often asked why they've not cabled down to Lowestoft, when Great Yarmouth 10 miles up the road has it. Expense is one reason, demand another. There's no competition among cable providers now Virgin Media or ntl:telewest has the monopoly. But among ADSL providers, there's plenty of opposition. It's why cable's losing the fight to ADSL, with regard to internet. Sure, they provide cracking download speeds, but to throttle the upload so much to allow provision for STM and other services provided on the same line cripples the service.

Let's face it. Cable's a dying breed. The sooner it dies, the sooner we can move on to ADSL/SDSL upgrades.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Actually, it's the opposite - ADSL is the dying breed. As a technology, it is at its maximum peak and there is nowhere to upgrade, while cable is just starting to develop, DOCSIS 3 is just starting to be implemented. Speeds of 50-100 Mbit/s is a reality with cable, ADSL can only dream for it.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Cable's a dying breed in the hands of Virgin Media. 'nuff said. ;) If there was competition, there would be a better service.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Explain that supposition?

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Competition breeds better services. A crude and (probably wholly) inaccurate timeline: In the beginning of the telecoms world, it was BT, then others wanted a piece of the pie. Now we have healthy competition in the telecoms and DSL market, and ADSL2+ is being rolled out by all the major and several smaller ISPs. In the beginning of the cable market, each area was locally provided, then those were taken over by regional companies, then national companies, then one provider.

Compare it to the satellite TV market. British Satellite Broadcasting was taken over by Sky not long (3 years I think) after launch, making it BSkyB. Their only competitor is Freesat, but it's taken 15 years for something to be launched that's a viable competitor, because Sky keep buying out their competition.

I should have said Cable broadband's a dying breed in the hands of Virgin media. High download speeds are one thing to be shouting about, but when other ISPs using ADSL can trounce you in every other aspect of your service, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

All Virgin Media need to do is offer Voip offering unlimited calls to landlines for £2 per month and hey presto! Bye bye BT!

Re: Cable network expansions
 

There's never been competition in the British cable industry, there has always been a single operator in each area. You had no choice over which franchise operator you took your services from. From my POV things have improved dramatically since the re-branding - particularly the on demand television services which have really taken off.

ADSL is different; you can choose from any ISP you like.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

After having a good chat with a Sky engineer the other day, who told me he thinks Virgin will win over the competition with mainly the On Demand and broadband. I think he is right.... Though people did give us funny looks whilst both our vans was parked next to each other and we was having a good natter ! LOL

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Why no expansion ?

1. Cost. The amount that it would cost v the profit it would return is less than zero
2. Merge BT and Virgin - not a chance. The Monopolies commission wouldn't allow it
3. VOIP on Virgin Media - this supposes that people have broadband and a computer or some sort of VOIP device available. Nor everyone who has phone and/or TV has broadband.
4. CableTel v ntl: v Virgin Media - IMHO Virgin Media are doing a better job of rolling out new stuff and better services than ntl: did. There is a BIG credit squeeze right now so that will slow down, but 20mb broadband, TVOD, V+ are all steps in the right direction. When HDTV actually takes off (as opposed to the small amount of users right now) then they also have the ability to load their OD with HD content.

Will they win over Sky ? No. Will Sky win over Virgin Media ? No. There is a place for both. Personally I like to be able to watch TV when it's raining so I will stick with VM.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

I've never understood this misconception that Sky suddenly stops working when it rains. I've NEVER experienced this, even during Snow and with Hale the size of marbles! Yes it may cause problems for some people but is not always the case.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Virgin Media are going to start building again, and they going to start exactly where suggested on infilling areas within existing franchises and new developments.

From next year VM will be expanding by 50,000 homes per year every year.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

i hope its true

Re: Cable network expansions
 

It is true, trust me

Re: Cable network expansions
 

i would only move to a cabled area

adsl really is not fun.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Have you tried Finarea/Betamax products? I have ditched my landline 3 years ago, never looked back.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Whilst I find antoine's piece about expansion fascinating I am very sceptical about this and would like a source. That said 50,000 homes per year is nothing to be sniffed about by those lucky few that might get it but it's a very small number and would probably only make areas a bit more consistent.

VOIP off cable would be ridiculous. Why would cable launch such a product when they make such lavish amounts of money on their phone products (especially the basic ones). Doubt they'd do it.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Hi Turkey Machine, l could not agree with you more, l have been saying this for months, VM seem to be standing still, whilst other companies are increasing.

At the present moment, reading on this forum, that are loads of customers that are unhappy, with the service, we have VM slowing down on increasing channels, whereas Sky is INCREASING HD channels, whereas VM haven't got any, to talk about, l will be open minded about this network, but l regularly go to GY, and the only service, that they can get there is, Sky, Freesat amd that is it, as the signals are so poor, to get business in these parts of the UK, you have to spend, and if you got a cable company in there, you would make a fortune. The biggest problem you have is that, there is not a big company in that area, that would spend a lot of money, to get the service.

Niel Berkett, recently said, that they have a strong cash flow, so why doesn't he spend it, and give the customers, a good quality service that customers can depend on, instead of being in a time space, that doesn't move.:)

Re: Cable network expansions
 

arthur will you give it a rest OK we all know you dnt like virign are doing you will find it gets worse over the next 2 years why because ever company is fancying ogign under

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Hi Andrewcrawford, IF, l didn't like VM, do you think l would still be with VM, after seven years, this forum, is for people to say what they think, and that is precisely what l am saying, VM is a good company, there phone service is excellant, BB is a bit iffy, TV needs improving, if you cannot say, what you think, you might as well give up living.:)

Re: Cable network expansions
 

i a not saying do not say what you think but you constally go on about virign tv not being as good as sky, be honest do you think virign would ever be able to compete on tv with the way it is just now? and lets assuem they do not have any debt they have income of 400-500million deo you think they could? i think they would just about be able to keep up with the big channel but not the smal ones, as for the basics why should they pay over the odds? why do you think we ar ein recession because people spent over the odds for houses and banks gave out to much credit to people who could nto afford it and virign could not afford thebasics at the hgiher rate

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Guess its what you experience. All I know is that my in laws loose their signal when it rain heavily.

I will believe the Virgin expansion when I see roads being dug up ! I personally think that they will do a BT Vision king of thing for off net

Re: Cable network expansions
 

most likly there dish is missaligned. if not a bigger dish (as appose to the sky "mini dish") would solve their problem

:)

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Virgin Media is NTL just using the Virgin brand and backed by Virgin Enterprises.

Cable Tel was the first cable company to launch Cable broadband, in fact NTL original areas didn't have as many problems than the ex-C&W franchises. Cable and Wireless neglected the franchises during its ownership and under invested in them, NTL then had to pick up the pieces and slowly intergrate the franchises.

Bare in mind NTL/Virgin Media have had to intergrate all of these franchises:

Nynex
Videotron
BT cable franchises
Telecential
Bell Cable Media
East Coast Cable
Comcast
Diamond Cable

Telewest:

General Cable
Cable London
Birmingham Cable
North West Cable
Yorkshire Cable
Eurobell South West (Devon Cable Media)
Eurobell South East (South Downs Cable)
Telewest orginal areas(United Artists)

Re: Cable network expansions
 

There's no press release or anything like that. It was in an internal presentation given to me.


Ceratainly 50,000 more than at present and a sign that VM is moving forward.

VOIP is on the cards, which is why VM have outsourced the operation of there legacy switches to BT, so we can focus on delivering VOIP. Although the project has been pushed back.

IPTV is also an ongoing project

---------- Post added at 10:12 ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 ----------

Yes we're all familiar with the history of cable in the UK. Don't understand what point you're trying to make

Re: Cable network expansions
 

I understand cable are working on IPTV and have been for a fair while. The expansion and VOIP is new news on me though. I don't doubt that VOIP will come along some day, but I don't see why virgin would be in a particular hurry as it is often said that it is the broadband and phone outlets that make virgin money.

Re: Cable network expansions
 

Do you have any idea on what areas are going to get cable? I'd love it if more of warrington got cable.