Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles

Digital Fanatic · 11-03-2010, 11:46

Quote:

Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles
Berkshire village gets fibre optic broadband for the first timeMore than one million extra homes could benefit from speeds up to 100Mb
LONDON, Mar 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Virgin Media (LSE:VMED) today announced a pioneering new trial using telegraph poles to deliver ultrafast 50Mb broadband to the Berkshire village of Woolhampton. By connecting homes directly to Virgin Media's fibre optic network, the trial will effectively increase broadband speeds more than ten-fold* in a rural community that has previously relied on BT's copper network. As well as ultrafast broadband, villagers will be offered Virgin Media's TV service, including around 5,000 hours of catch up TV and on demand content. The trial will start this monthand is scheduled to run for approximately six months.

Click here for press release

**Chris** · 11-03-2010, 11:58

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

Digital Fanatic · 11-03-2010, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

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

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.

BenMcr · 11-03-2010, 12:02

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

*sloman* · 11-03-2010, 12:03

Who's poles their own or BT's?

Ignitionnet · 11-03-2010, 12:06

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 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

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.

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 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

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

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.

Digital Fanatic · 11-03-2010, 12:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

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.

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

BenMcr · 11-03-2010, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

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

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

Digital Fanatic · 11-03-2010, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

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

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

Ignitionnet · 11-03-2010, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

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

Yep.

Quote:

Neil Berkett, chief executive officer of Virgin Media, said: "This unique trial will allow us to understand the possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting new way to extend next generation broadband services.

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 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

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

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.

Pierre · 11-03-2010, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

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?[COLOR="Silver"]

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 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

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.

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.

co103 · 11-03-2010, 13:01

How i miss climbing poles in the winter

I wonder which department will be tasked with this then .Networks???

Pierre · 11-03-2010, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by co103

How i miss climbing poles in the winter

I wonder which department will be tasked with this then .Networks???

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.

Ignitionnet · 11-03-2010, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre

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

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

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.

Pierre · 11-03-2010, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

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.

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.