Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Click here for press release

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

How is it pioneering to use telegraph poles? I have a telegraph pole outside my window right now. BT put it there, decades ago. :confused:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I think because it will be fibre optic cables being used? or at least for part of the way? Doesn't give a definative answer in the press release... interesting though... as they do need to add to their current coverage.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I think what it means is that they use poles rather than digging up the road to deliver the co-ax cable to the house

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Who's poles their own or BT's?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

How on earth is this pioneering? The majority of cable networks in North America, Japan and other places are on poles, indeed the equipment is designed with pole mounting in mind.

Sheesh Neil Berkett could go to the bathroom and they'd call it 'pioneering'. If they were delivering fibre directly to peoples' homes rather than 'fibre optic' aka HFC I might be remotely interested as it is who really cares?

---------- Post added at 12:05 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------

So what? There are tens of millions of 100% fibre connections running on poles and in the hundreds of millions of cable connections on poles. This is a total non-event.

---------- Post added at 12:06 ---------- Previous post was at 12:05 ----------

Thanks. So, ya, a total non-event. Virgin doing what cable companies have for decades.

The only interesting thing is that it's actually being done though this isn't surprising given the Digital Economy Bill and potentials for government subsidies.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Didn't the goverment insist that cable tv had to go underground back in the 90's?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

This bit from the press release would seem to say yes

The Government is currently considering a change to planning guidelines which is needed to enable large scale overhead deployment

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

It could save VM millions if they allow that and increase their coverage... hmmm, but I'm sure others would also jump on the bandwagon too :D

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Yep.

Just ask the US cable companies, they've passed a hundred million homes aerially, or ask Verizon who have passed a few million homes aerially with real fibre Neil.

---------- Post added at 12:16 ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 ----------

Of course. They'd be stringing real fibre not 'fibre optic broadband' too ;)

It's a good move from Virgin to pre-empt it and try and increase their coverage though, as the UK gets more competitive at the higher end they are inevitably going to get increased competition in current areas and will be getting their backsides soundly handed to them by FTTP/H networks soon in some areas.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Pioneering for this country, as up until now only BT (or Kingston) could deploy overhead.

VM does have some overhead trunk fibre ontop of electricity pylons, but this is different.

Even if it is HFC as long as it offers an alternative to adsl, must be a good thing.

---------- Post added at 12:59 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------

Not sure, it's a bit sketchy, even to me.

VM have at least 4no. large capacity trunk fibre cables that pass through Woolhampton, just no Access Network.

So it's entirely feasible to come off the trunk fibre, build a nodal cab and feed the homes from the nodal cab via the BT Access Infrastructure.

It's not clear whether they'd be using BT poles or erecting their own. It's entirely feasible to ustilise BT Access duct and erect their own poles.

It would still be massively cheaper than digging up everywhere to lay duct.

It's very interesting, be good to see how it develops.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

How i miss climbing poles in the winter :) I wonder which department will be tasked with this then .Networks???

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

It's a very good point, there will be many VM techs not trained , or experienced for pole working.

VM could outsource to the likes of skansa, or even BT.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Totally a good thing but hardly pioneering, some of the old MATV build in Northern Ireland and/or RoI (I don't remember which) was overhead.

Would prefer to see use of RFoG rather than HFC though.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

That was Dublin, and it was very much narrowband, reddiffusion type stuff.

RF over fibre is being looked at, but it's some way off.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

wait until a voilent thunderstorms come along in summer and one lightning bolt could damaging the telegraph poles and possible blew up the TV set at home!

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I had a router and an ethernet controller fried that way, with them being connected to a BT socket, which in turn is connected to about 4 miles of aerial cable back to the exchange. :erm:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I suppose it depends how far the fiber goes? Would anything happen if lightening struck fiber?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Big pulse of light that would fry optical repeaters and decoders?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I don't imagine it's as conductive as copper, but once you get to a certain voltage, just about anything is conductive to some degree or other.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

No different really, then, from when we used aerials on top of our homes to receive OTA broadcasts.

Hardly a major concern.

How's the 50Mbit fantasyband running now?

---------- Post added at 16:52 ---------- Previous post was at 16:48 ----------

The fibre, being glass, will melt due to conversion of the electricity to thermal energy being so resistive surely?

---------- Post added at 16:55 ---------- Previous post was at 16:52 ----------

The fibre and its' plastic coating turn into melted gloop :)

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

yeah it could save them millions but will they spend those millions on upgrading the network to be able to cope with the extra customers their taking on and not cause extra subscription problems for existing customers?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Could they do fibre to the home via this method?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

They'll be building new nodes and attaching them to new equipment, it's not an issue.

---------- Post added at 19:03 ---------- Previous post was at 19:03 ----------

Yep.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

It would have to be fiber, otherwise you'd be getting the pikeys nicking it and stripping out the copper

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

They nick it anyway, the amount of internet outages with ADSL due to cable damage along railways is getting worse.

BT have lots of fibre running in the signalling ducts along the railways.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I have a feeling that they wont have to build to many in some areas. With the oversubscription problems in some areas that havnt been sorted for months and now BT's new services opening up people will jump ship which will in turn help stop the problems which i think VM are hoping for in some areas as they wont have to spend the money on the network.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Cable over telegraph poles nooooooooo i hate heights:( .Diamond cable did this years ago in Notts in Mapperley they were the fibre glass poles so no ladder there rg6 overhead .The was a tap plate in the base of the pole and a telephone strip or in some cases a cabinet next to the pole .I think it was all replaced with under ground stuff some time later .:)

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

New areas = extra money. Fixing oversubscription != extra money.

---------- Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:42 ----------

It will be interesting to see how it is deployed. I would hazard a guess it'll be similar to North America - long lines running along streets with each however many homes required tapped off this cable run outside the property, so lots of smaller taps, and a line extender when required rather than the more common build here with a cabinet every so often with 24 or more taps and extender if needed in that cabinet.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

As long as the amps are on the ground and i do not have to go up a ladder :D

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

What im trying to say is, if people jump ship then the oversubscription may sort itself out without the need for extra spending and i think Virgin are hoping for this in some areas.
I feel the ammount of time they have spent holding back network relief in some areas i think they dont feel its cost affective and are hoping for a cheaper option.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

If it's built in a similar manner to the US I'm afraid they are not on the ground and some climbing will be required :)

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Well if they decide to build some here i will be asking for a van with cherry picker on it :D:D

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Surely it would be more tempting for some people to 'hook up illegal cable'?

Yeah, I watch too much Simpsons :D

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Bloody Telegraph Poles. Coming over here trialling our ultrafast broadband. :upyours: :mad:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Hmmm! I like cable at present because it is underground with less atmospheric interference and less chance of outages due to being blown down by the high winds in my area unlike my old BT line...:erm:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

ha ha ha :D that is a good episode of The Simpsons

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

...and that won't change.

VM's network is underground and will remain so. This is about extending VM's network beyond the cities and large towns out into the countryside.

Some of us have already discussed this issue over on the "BT To Open Up Ducts" thread, so I won't rehash most of that, but a few points:

1 - This is a trial, any widespread deployment would be several years away.

2 - As I said on the other thread, BT will fight tooth and nail to prevent access to its poles. It's one thing competitors putting in their own modem racks in a empty corner of a telephone exchange, its quite another having competitors slinging their own cables from poles giving them direct access to homes.

I posted a link to a government consultation document in the other thread about opening up access to the poles, but even if the government do go ahead and force BT to open them up, BT will take it to the courts and it will drag on for years.

Why does anyone think that BT suddenly "saw the light" and has started rolling out FTTC services? BT has shown no stomach for fibre services prior to now. Yes, VM is a threat with its CATV network and possible future speeds of 1gb. But VM's network only reaches just under half of UK homes, BT has 100% access to UK homes.

BT can see where things are going with pressure from government and competitors wanting to offer faster broadband. But BT still can control access to homes with FTTC.

Sky and Orange et all have still got to deal with BT to get access to FTTC. But if BT lose control of their poles and every tom, dick and harry starts slinging their own cables from them, BT lose control full stop.

Wouldn't that be fun, true telecoms deregulation.

I'll believe it when it happens...

I'm afraid if VM want to extend their network, they'll have to do it the old fashioned way. There's no way in hell, that VM or anyone else will be deploying their own cables on BT's poles for years to come.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

In the new areas where VM are going to trial overhead cable... why don't they forget about coazial and just stick in FTTH... it would save them money in the long run, especially if VM do decide they will do FTTH everywhere someday.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I'm sure that high profile train crash a few years ago, might have been the Vrgin west coast near Preston caused a Virginmedia fibre rupture did it not?

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

but it would be more obvious to see them do it when they are 10 ft up a ladder.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

very true.. although some poeple would be cheeky enough to climb up I guess.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

It did, sort of.

The fibres that run alongside the railways around the country do not belong to BT, they belong to Global Crossing.

Global Crossing bought the network from Racal years ago, who in turn acquired it from BRT (British Rail Telecom)

Virgin (along with many other OLOs, I'm sure) lease fibres from Global Crossing for their Network.

So it was actually a Global Crossing cable that was damaged, containing fibres utilised by Virgin Media.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

FYI: http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ne...ome-10499.html

It is actually Fibre To The Home 'apparently'.

Well I knew they were doing it, didn't expect the first big trial to be overhead but there you are. Woolhampton gets to be the first VM FTTH network since Dolphin Square.

EDIT: I should mention all the above is 'according' to Samknows, but re-reading the press release they cite I see nothing to indicate that it's FTTH, it is referred throughout as 'fibre optic'.

I'm actually no clearer on this than I was before - I'll harass someone about it :)

Harassed - will revert back when I get a response.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Confirmed - those lucky, lucky people are getting FTTH :)

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

HHHhhhmmmm, Fibre dangling and swaying in the breeze...

:td:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

In the same manner as the aerial networks serving 10s of millions of premises in Japan, South Korea, the USA, etc?

The fibre doesn't run blind, it's attached to a more rigid backbone.

http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/165...+Internet.html

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

they like to keep it all neat and tidy lol

I want some of his dolls lol

oh and his net connection lol

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

I suppose it's different to the last time I touched fibre, that was a dual fibre parallel cable when working for DEC, only had to go 100m under a false floor from the server room to a dedicated line printer room.. We eventually got it on the fourth attempt after three broken cables :D :D :D

Mind you that was back in 1988 ;)

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Which one of them? He had two, both symmetrical 100M :D

---------- Post added at 10:31 ---------- Previous post was at 10:29 ----------

Tad less brittle fibre now, and not two fibres, just a single fibre with TV, upstream and downstream on different lambda.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

There's thousands of km of trunk fibre running aerially around the country, as long as it's secured to something rigid and stable it wont be an issue.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Indeed, the Americans have been using this delivery system for years and (over there) there's more than one cable company plying for trade - usually via the same route.

Si thee. :Sprint:

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Thats what they should have done in the first place,cheaper and better than digging up roads and pavements.

Other possibilities:

Use of ducts used by other Utilities such as BT and EDF Energy
Sewers

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

As has already been said I'm sure they would have done if they had been allowed - but the planning regs wouldn't let them it seems

Plus Fiber that was strong enough has only recently become cheap enough

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

And those pictures demonstrate exactly why the planning restrictions for overhead cables are what they are in this country.

That is one hell of an unsightly mess.

Re: Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
 

Quoted for truth.

And what is it with his collection of dolls?