Virgin Media to Trial Ultrafast Broadband over Telegraph Poles - Page 3

Welshchris · 11-03-2010, 23:58

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.

Ignitionnet · 12-03-2010, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nedkelly

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

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

Nedkelly · 12-03-2010, 00:13

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

v0id · 12-03-2010, 00:51

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

Yeah, I watch too much Simpsons

danielf · 12-03-2010, 00:55

Bloody Telegraph Poles. Coming over here trialling our ultrafast broadband.

**Maggy J** · 12-03-2010, 00:57

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...

Digital Fanatic · 12-03-2010, 01:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by v0id

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

Yeah, I watch too much Simpsons

ha ha ha

that is a good episode of The Simpsons

Horizon · 12-03-2010, 02:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

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...

...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.

rickymallory · 12-03-2010, 11:27

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.

greeninferno · 12-03-2010, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by philce

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.

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?

Welshchris · 12-03-2010, 14:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by v0id

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

Yeah, I watch too much Simpsons

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

Digital Fanatic · 12-03-2010, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welshchris

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

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

Pierre · 13-03-2010, 14:13

Quote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by philce
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.

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?

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.

Ignitionnet · 14-03-2010, 17:48

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.

Ignitionnet · 15-03-2010, 10:24

Confirmed - those lucky, lucky people are getting FTTH