Virgin in talks with Power firms - Page 2

weesteev · 02-07-2010, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horace

I know this isn't the main reason for these trials but could Virgin use this to bring FTTH within their existing cabled areas?

It wouldnt make sense to replace a perfectly functional network unless there was a rpoduct that can utilise it. If Virgin trial FTTH then it will still be with the same products and services, there would be ne benefit to the customer having FTTH at all. In fact, it would be less of a benefit as they would need a powered ONT fitted in their home.

FTTH by aerial distribution makes sense where there is no cable as installation costs are a hell of a lot less than aerial deployment of HFC.

techguy · 04-07-2010, 00:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by weesteev

It wouldnt make sense to replace a perfectly functional network unless there was a rpoduct that can utilise it. If Virgin trial FTTH then it will still be with the same products and services, there would be ne benefit to the customer having FTTH at all. In fact, it would be less of a benefit as they would need a powered ONT fitted in their home.

FTTH by aerial distribution makes sense where there is no cable as installation costs are a hell of a lot less than aerial deployment of HFC.

I'm sure FTTH / or existing cable service running over fibre, would ultimately mean each home is sharing a node with fewer connections.. 32 if I remember correctly? Where as with current digital cable, hundreds of homes can be found sharing the infrastructure?? Although I may have misunderstood all this!!

weesteev · 08-07-2010, 06:21

Sorry guys, until the trial is over I cant talk about it at the moment. Remember this is a trial so there will be multiple distribution and installation methods trialled. This is "Virgin" territory for UK cable (pardon the pun), so will take some time and lots of tinkering. I cant wait to see the outcome personally and hope something does evolve from this, but we will have to wait and see.

m419 · 08-07-2010, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by techguy

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06...dia_subsidies/

It now wants to use the power firms infrastructure to expand in rural and semi-rural areas. Maybe Openreach is charging too much for access??

I suggested that ages ago, also in towns and cities like Westminster,they can use the sewers.

In Aberdeen the Cable service there ran along the BT infrastructure but due to insufficient funds,the company sold to Carphone Warehouse Group and CPW did not acquire the Cable TV assets and went into liquidation which means it now lies in disuse, if it was to have been taken over by NTL back in 1999, the same leasing arrangement would exist as the Milton Keynes and Westminster franchise. The Cable TV system there was Analogue and also needed millions to upgrade.

Begize · 20-07-2010, 16:25

The utility company I work for trialled the DPL stuff in the 90's. Apparently it was quite successful but they abandonded the project because of potential competion from BT and the various cable networks - http://www.theregister.co.uk/1999/09...eb_pulls_plug/

About 5 years ago, we were closing down a site with a large warehouse and I was dispatched to check out some crates of old IT kit they found in storage. Low and behold it was boxes and boxes of the modems and other kit for the substations from the project. It all went for recycling.....

Sephiroth · 25-07-2010, 10:36

My takeaways from the Register article are:

1 FTTH is coming via a pole strung solution
2 What tooke them so long?
3 Existing customers are none the wiser what'll happen to them

How easy is it to pull fibre undergound to the home in place of the current coax? I've no doubt that VM would recover the costs through an installation fee when moving to an approproate higher service tier.

weesteev · 26-07-2010, 06:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

My takeaways from the Register article are:

1 FTTH is coming via a pole strung solution
2 What tooke them so long?
3 Existing customers are none the wiser what'll happen to them

How easy is it to pull fibre undergound to the home in place of the current coax? I've no doubt that VM would recover the costs through an installation fee when moving to an approproate higher service tier.

Its not just the coax drop to the customer that would be repalced though, its the entire distribution network in the streets all the way back to the cabinets and potentially even further back to MUX cabinets. Customers couldnt be expected to levy any of this cost as it would be in the 10's of Thousands of Â£.

FTTH was only ever talked about as a potential, its something thats being looked at but its a massive project. i dont think we will hear much more about pole distribution unless there is some changes to the regulation of aerial delivery in the UK.

What took them so long and continues to be a hindrance - BT.

Existing customers wont notice any difference if the service is delivered by HFC or FTTH, it will still be the same end product being delivered. FTTH is just marketing speak for now, it has no real benefit in the world when HFC still has running legs (DOCSIS 3, channel bonding, SDV etc etc). FTTH should be renamed FTTPR (Fibre To The Press Release) in my opinion.

zantarous · 27-07-2010, 15:45

Press release http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/p...120&highlight=

Apparently the first trail should be up and running by next month.

Horizon · 29-07-2010, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by weesteev

FTTH should be renamed FTTPR (Fibre To The Press Release) in my opinion.

Yes, and that was basically what I was saying earlier in the thread about the first "trial". Literally nothing but a PR stunt. Rigging two poles up in a car park, slinging fibre between them and running that cable into homes. But we now have, it seems, a proper trial.

The purpose, I believe is still largely PR and Berkett didn't deny it when an analyst put that to him. But he does want to use it as leverage to the Government to encourage BT to open up their networks. As Berkett put it, he want BT not just to "open up" but actually be "opened" to VM.

A few details were given about the trial, it will use the poles of the electricity company and interestingly they are seeing how tolerant the fibre cables are between high and low voltage electricity cables. What he didn't say, but inferred, is that for the fibre cable to be tolerant of high voltage cables means the fibre will in some cases go over long distances between towns as that's where high voltage cables are deployed...

Curiously, he said VM does not own the fibre.... If VM is not careful, he could find that the energy companies might "wake up" and decide to be tv/broadband operators themselves if this trial is sucessful... They're sitting on quite a mountain of cash from the rising prices of gas and electricity.

He said if VM can economically pass more homes, then he will using whatever method available.

**Chris** · 31-07-2010, 20:45

I think 'nothing but' PR is a tad harsh. Many of us can remember the days when NTL repeatedly insisted that it had no plans to extend its network at all. The fact they're now even talking about it is vast progress.

tvtimes · 01-08-2010, 15:49

I always thought the Government said they weren't allowed to do this. Which is why the dug up the roads in the first place. Unlike in America where cable is delivered over head.
Can you imagine if this had been implemented in the first place? How different would cable be in this country?

zantarous · 01-08-2010, 16:01

They would have still sat back and been happy with their little franchises and let Sky run away with it all.

tvtimes · 01-08-2010, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

They would have still sat back and been happy with their little franchises and let Sky run away with it all.

Yeah i suppose you're right. If they had been profitable they wouldn't have wanted to sell.

zantarous · 01-08-2010, 17:27

I think the fact that they were small franchises is what hurt cable the most, none were big enough to do what Sky were doing and all were happy to pay to get access to Sports and Movies at someone elses risk taking. I am sure Sky was glad to sell everything to cable back then as well as they would have been providing cash to set up all these channels and deals.

Kind of makes you wonder now that Virgin are out of the brodcast game will this let Sky get even more ahead?

tvtimes · 01-08-2010, 18:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Kind of makes you wonder now that Virgin are out of the brodcast game will this let Sky get even more ahead?

I don't know. I think Virgin are more keen to concentrate on their delivery now. Rather than investing heavily in a channel portfolio that didn't always give a great return, they are investing in many other areas to create a stronger packge as a whole to their customers. All the money is being thrown into stronger bb speeds, TiVo and HD. I think Virgin realised it wasn't the channels attracting customers but the strong and unique package they offer their customers. All while letting Sky provide them the channels they sold and most likely the HD versions soon!

I for one can't wait to see what VM have lined up for the future