Cable Forum - View Single Post

m419 · 22-03-2009, 21:33

Forget it,it will not happen in the UK, Virgin Media do not cover 90% of the UK, there are still 2 other cable franchises both independently owned and not all of the Virgin Media network is in use,some of it like on the Clippers Quay estate in the London Docklands has been ceased and NTL replaced it with a Communal Aerial system. Meanwhile the redundant grey/green junction boxes in the street remain and are disused and are falling into a bad state of disrepair.

Furthermore, it would be like forcing Marks and Spencers to sell Morrisons own brand products, Virgin Media is a privately owned business and it should be entitled to sell and offer what it likes as well as have the decision to say who can use there network and who cant.

However, on the other hand, I think Virgin Media and other cable companies should be forced to make cable TV services available to every property in the areas it operates in whether its Analogue or Digital. Because Freeview digital/Analogue reception is not 100% perfect and because not everyone can get satellite and because not all landlords allow aerials and dishes, Cable TV should be accessible upon request in the areas where Cable TV exists. At the moment there is this fiasco of 1 side of the street being able to get Cable whilst the other side and the street round the corner can't get it or the network has been deactivated.

Furthermore, BT should be stopped at restricting the development of Virgin Media's network in the Westminster and Milton Keynes areas as its the customer and local residents and businesses which are suffering. BT is leasing its cables,street cabinets and maintainance to Virgin Media in those areas for a very large sum, however BT is not prepared to foot the bill for upgrading the network to enable Digital TV or Broadband. NTL began offering broadband to 2 thirds of Westminster over the Cable network.

As BT has to follow universal service terms, the same rules should apply for its C.A.T.V network, it currently upgrades its network for ADSL access for others to use,so why not its Cable network?

Virgin Media may also want to consider taking on the Aberdeen Cable Network infrastructure, there is a problem with Digital Freeview in that area and Broadband internet is terrible. Atlantic Telecom,the previous owners of the Cable network and Wirefree Radio communications in that area, sold its UK operations to Carphone warehouse group(Opal Telecom) in 2001 and the Cable network was abandoned, the cable network in Aberdeen offered Analogue Cable TV,it had no telephone network. Much of it is still intact and it was estimated back in 1999 by Atlantic Telecom,that it would cost around £60 to £70 Million to upgrade to offer Digital TV and High Speed Cable Broadband. It is estimated that it will cost £50 Million per to expand Virgin Media's Cable Network to 100,000 new properties, so it would make sense to use the existing ducts and lease the current BT ducts similar to how Atlantic did.

22-03-2009, 21:33	#42
m419 Inactive Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Services: BT Broadband,BT Anytime calls,Sky entertainment extra HD,Vodafone pay monthly Posts: 1,512	Re: Sky calls for access to cable network Forget it,it will not happen in the UK, Virgin Media do not cover 90% of the UK, there are still 2 other cable franchises both independently owned and not all of the Virgin Media network is in use,some of it like on the Clippers Quay estate in the London Docklands has been ceased and NTL replaced it with a Communal Aerial system. Meanwhile the redundant grey/green junction boxes in the street remain and are disused and are falling into a bad state of disrepair. Furthermore, it would be like forcing Marks and Spencers to sell Morrisons own brand products, Virgin Media is a privately owned business and it should be entitled to sell and offer what it likes as well as have the decision to say who can use there network and who cant. However, on the other hand, I think Virgin Media and other cable companies should be forced to make cable TV services available to every property in the areas it operates in whether its Analogue or Digital. Because Freeview digital/Analogue reception is not 100% perfect and because not everyone can get satellite and because not all landlords allow aerials and dishes, Cable TV should be accessible upon request in the areas where Cable TV exists. At the moment there is this fiasco of 1 side of the street being able to get Cable whilst the other side and the street round the corner can't get it or the network has been deactivated. Furthermore, BT should be stopped at restricting the development of Virgin Media's network in the Westminster and Milton Keynes areas as its the customer and local residents and businesses which are suffering. BT is leasing its cables,street cabinets and maintainance to Virgin Media in those areas for a very large sum, however BT is not prepared to foot the bill for upgrading the network to enable Digital TV or Broadband. NTL began offering broadband to 2 thirds of Westminster over the Cable network. As BT has to follow universal service terms, the same rules should apply for its C.A.T.V network, it currently upgrades its network for ADSL access for others to use,so why not its Cable network? Virgin Media may also want to consider taking on the Aberdeen Cable Network infrastructure, there is a problem with Digital Freeview in that area and Broadband internet is terrible. Atlantic Telecom,the previous owners of the Cable network and Wirefree Radio communications in that area, sold its UK operations to Carphone warehouse group(Opal Telecom) in 2001 and the Cable network was abandoned, the cable network in Aberdeen offered Analogue Cable TV,it had no telephone network. Much of it is still intact and it was estimated back in 1999 by Atlantic Telecom,that it would cost around £60 to £70 Million to upgrade to offer Digital TV and High Speed Cable Broadband. It is estimated that it will cost £50 Million per to expand Virgin Media's Cable Network to 100,000 new properties, so it would make sense to use the existing ducts and lease the current BT ducts similar to how Atlantic did.