Sky trialing 1Gb FTTP in Amazingstoke

[Ignitionnet]

As you mentioned they're using new poles, which is why it's their details on said pole rather than BT's.

The rules on delivery of services via poles were recently relaxed via the Growth and Infrastructure Bill both to make it possible to use them again and also to allow deployment of new cabinets without planning permission in conservation areas, amongst other things.

[qasdfdsaq]

Interesting. I was just reading the "new" from the notice itself, bearing in mind the wording on many of these planning notices are rarely accurate. I've also seen EE notices on O2 poles and vice versa, and notices saying "New antenna were fitted" which actually equated to an entire new mast and four street cabinets rivalling the size of a small car being put up next to the existing one. Hence, I read planning notices with skepticism :P

Nonetheless if Sky is putting up their own poles (OK this particular situation is just a trial) I wonder if we'll end up with a situation like we did in the earl 2000's with mobile networks, each one putting up their own pole to the point you end up with five poles next to each other in any given location...

Given the objections people tend to make towards even the most subtle, "telegraph pole" styled mobile masts, even with no wires coming out of the top, I don't think each of a dozen ISPs installing their own poles will get very far. I'm guessing the intention is to eventually share, but Sky are just using their own for now for trial purposes.

[muppetman11]

Sky update 20th June on ISP Review

Sky has told ISPreview.co.uk that it’s a very small scale trial using GPON based Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology (like BT’s FTTP), which is designed to help them better understand the technologies potential and economics.
Sky said they’re also looking at other technologies in different parts of the country and that the launch date for this one will be confirmed to residents in due course.
As for Sky’s involvement with the local Hampshire BDUK scheme, the operator states that their deployment is being conducted outside of the areas BT where are currently contracted to upgrade.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...gstoke-uk.html

[Qtx]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Given the objections people tend to make towards even the most subtle, "telegraph pole" styled mobile masts, even with no wires coming out of the top, I don't think each of a dozen ISPs installing their own poles will get very far. I'm guessing the intention is to eventually share, but Sky are just using their own for now for trial purposes.

With mobile masts the complaints are often due to the fact they are transmitting waves rather than just them not looking too pretty. For a trial I doubt many will worry if cables are hanging from a phone pole, especially if it means they get gigabit internet.

Wondered why they never made lamp posts multi-purpose and split it in to say 4 sections (possibly easy removable/replaced modular type design) with a shared section down one side, and allow different companies to utilise each section inside. No one really batters an eyelid with those kind of poles being there so why not hide stuff inside. Companies would start designing equipment that fitted inside that form factor. Unless I am missing something obvious?

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Qtx

With mobile masts the complaints are often due to the fact they are transmitting waves rather than just them not looking too pretty. For a trial I doubt many will worry if cables are hanging from a phone pole, especially if it means they get gigabit internet.

Wondered why they never made lamp posts multi-purpose and split it in to say 4 sections (possibly easy removable/replaced modular type design) with a shared section down one side, and allow different companies to utilise each section inside. No one really batters an eyelid with those kind of poles being there so why not hide stuff inside. Companies would start designing equipment that fitted inside that form factor. Unless I am missing something obvious?

Actually, for mobile masts, councils are not permitted to consider the "transmitting waves" at all in determining outcome or considering public objections. Hence, the most common reason they are declined or rejected is based on appearance. Not to say people don't complain but rather there is no legal basis to consider their complaint and (unless the council is breaking the law or being incompetent, which does sometimes happen) it will be rejected without even being considered.

Lamp posts are an interesting issue. They are indeed ideal for some sorts of telecoms deployments, although a lot were built back when telecoms and utility regulation were nothing like they are today. However, while I have seen a few cities abroad where they are used for mobile microcells and/or public wifi access, several times in the UK I've seen plans for similar deployments shelved because operators could not agree terms with the councils and/or utility and/or land owners

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Actually, for mobile masts, councils are not permitted to consider the "transmitting waves" at all in determining outcome or considering public objections. Hence, the most common reason they are declined or rejected is based on appearance. Not to say people don't complain but rather there is no legal basis to consider their complaint and (unless the council is breaking the law or being incompetent, which does sometimes happen) it will be rejected without even being considered.

Indeed. Rather pathetically a large part of the reason my mobile signal here is so poor is one serial objector.

[philwhite100]

Do we really need such high speeds? Is downloading a 5gb file in the blink of an eye necessary?

I am very happy with my current speed.

[qasdfdsaq]

I wasn't happy when I wanted to play Titanfall yesterday and it took an hour to download.

Do I need it to download in 5 minutes? No. Would it have stopped my friends getting bored to the point they stopped playing before my download finished, so I could have joined them and enjoyed the game a lot more? Yes.

Frankly we don't need an internet connection of any kind. It's just nice to have.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by philwhite100

I am very happy with my current speed.

I'm very pleased for you, Phil.

I want my Internet connection to not be a bottleneck, and I'm willing to pay a price for it to be that way. I would be very happy if everything downloaded in the blink of an eye, but if you are fine with waiting that is your call.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Hugh

The Basingstoke trial will pee off a lot of people in the surrounding towns/villages - my bro-in-law lives in a village not far from Basingstoke, and he gets around 500Kb/s on his BT BB.....

Will probably annoy quite a few people in Hook, Hampshire as that's where VM's headquarters are.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Story here.



Link directly to the trial site here.

Interesting, wonder what they're up to?

Do we really believe they are about to spend billions on a FTTH network and if not, what is the point of the trial?

I would love there to be a another "cable" company to compete against VM. But so far BT's tv offering is a disaster and as it's mostly Freeview anyway, its hardly cable tv.

---------- Post added at 21:35 ---------- Previous post was at 21:11 ----------

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

As you mentioned they're using new poles, which is why it's their details on said pole rather than BT's.

The rules on delivery of services via poles were recently relaxed via the Growth and Infrastructure Bill both to make it possible to use them again and also to allow deployment of new cabinets without planning permission in conservation areas, amongst other things.

This sounds like we're going down the American route here...I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of poles in American cities where several telecoms companies operate, bloody mess comes to mind. Dozens of cables coming out of each pole. Yuck. But under a true FTTH system, there would be no need for the street cabinets.

---------- Post added at 21:54 ---------- Previous post was at 21:35 ----------

Originally Posted by Qtx

Wondered why they never made lamp posts multi-purpose and split it in to say 4 sections (possibly easy removable/replaced modular type design) with a shared section down one side, and allow different companies to utilise each section inside. No one really batters an eyelid with those kind of poles being there so why not hide stuff inside. Companies would start designing equipment that fitted inside that form factor. Unless I am missing something obvious?

The lamp posts idea is a really good one, I never thought of it! Sometimes simple ideas are the best. But they are owned by councils, so telecoms companies would need to make agreements with all the councils up and down the country for this to happen. Obviously, dealing with one company, BT/Opeanreach, is easier for other telecoms companies but perhaps not better.

I don't know if you were aware of the sewer idea which was tried and failed (look up Fibrecity on this forum) but it can be hard going trying to get access to infrastructure.

The sewer idea failed, I think, because Fibrecity couldn't secure deals to access other water companies' sewers in places other than Bournmouth. So gaining access to lamp posts could be as difficult, but I like it.

[muppetman11]

It would appear Sky are conducting another FTTH trial in Derbyshire this time.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php...erbyshire.html

[Ignitionnet]

They've done a few actually. This one just hit the news

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Horizon

This sounds like we're going down the American route here...I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of poles in American cities where several telecoms companies operate, bloody mess comes to mind. Dozens of cables coming out of each pole. Yuck. But under a true FTTH system, there would be no need for the street cabinets.

The Telecommunications code prohibits the installing of overhead lines.

Only in areas where there are exisiting overhead lines can you do this.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Pierre

The Telecommunications code prohibits the installing of overhead lines.

Only in areas where there are exisiting overhead lines can you do this.

This was relaxed in 2013 for 5 years.

See here.

This instrument amends the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) to allow broadband street cabinets and new poles and overhead lines to be installed in any location, other than a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) without the need for prior approval from local planning authorities for a period of five years.