Virgin Media refuse to open to competitors.

[Hugh]

Please do not use inappropriate language that activates the swear filter - this is a family-friendly forum.

[Ignitionnet]

It was perfectly robust as a counter argument. The whole premise was that because Virgin's infrastructure was funded by private money there should be no obligation to supply services on a wholesale basis. I pointed out another case where there was a service funded entirely by private money which was required to wholesale. If you want a more relevant one the BT NGA is required to be open access.

I wasn't discussing Sky's content, I was specifically discussing its' EPG. It does not have a monopoly over the Astra network but is required to offer access to its' EPG at regulated rates.

Virgin are receiving some rather pleasant treatment from Ofcom and they know this. They have approximately 49% of the retail telephone, broadband and TV market in their passed areas with the 51% remaining split between all other operators but are not adjudged to have SMP.

Here's a thought - if competition is so healthy in VM passed areas that there is no need for regulation on VM why are BT regulated in the same manner there as everywhere else?

It's because the regulation is not being applied with any granularity or locality beyond the distinction between Hull and the rest of the country. As BT pointed out whether it's the middle of nowhere, a VM passed area with several LLU operators or a brand new apartment block which the operator has installed fibre optics throughout the exact same obligations sit on BT. Virgin are the main beneficiary of this in that their share of all markets drops significantly once taken nationally due to restricted coverage. They go from seriously in danger of SMP to not particularly interesting.

I remember speaking with some guys around the time of Project Octopus. One big concern about that product was covering too much and getting unwanted regulatory attention

It's academic anyway, Europe seems extremely keen on ensuring that Virgin along with other cable companies open their passive infrastructure up. Best get ready to survey those ducts Pierre

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Best get ready to survey those ducts Pierre

When the devils skates to work my friend

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Pierre

When the devils skates to work my friend

Thanks to Europe that won't be far away, next 12 - 24 months

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Thanks to Europe that won't be far away, next 12 - 24 months

Well i am sure those surveys can take a while

[Hugh]

We appear to have lost the paperwork - the dog must have eaten it.....

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Hugh

We appear to have lost the paperwork - the dog must have eating it.....

Or just assign one person to do the whole country and make sure that every duct and pit is only opened after full health and safety checks have been completed and method statements submitted. They should have an answer by 20?? . Meanwhile we just tell them its coming soon

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

This is a point however, If VM won't work with BT, then how do we operate our phone lines, surely this has to go through a BT network.

it may interest you to know that virgin media telephone exchanges[switches] are maintained by BT . they are regular visitors to our head ends and hub sites ,and we actually work side by side .

[Turkey Machine]

Virgin could look at wholesaling access in areas which would significantly benefit BT (far distance from exchange, for instance), but the challenge is training the staff at BT (wholesale or otherwise) to fault-find and diagnose problems with a cable installation. That takes a LOT of time and a LOT of money to do the job as effectively and competently as Openreach does for analogue and digital telephone lines, and xDSL installations.

At the end of the day it comes down to money. Virgin have to make it a worthwhile investment to open up their network to the single biggest wholesale player in the world. If they go in with their trousers around their ankles nobody wins because everybody gets shafted.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Well i am sure those surveys can take a while

I was actually joking about the survey. A third party would most likely be doing it as was the case with BT

[kstone]

I was at a recent broadband event listening to Virgin discuss their next gen deployment and how it needs BT to pull it's finger out and open access to it's ducts and poles.

When asked if Virgin would be open to doing the same.
Not a chance.

Right now VM have a method to supply 200mb, if they want they can pull out the coax and deliver fibre down the same ducting (1gb++). They hold all the cards today, they have a plan for tommorow.

The many companies who deployed the diverse cable network in the UK paid for it themselves, not the taxpayer... So.. the last bit to the home they will never open up.
But the backhaul, I'm sure there will be sale of this bandwidth.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by kstone

But the backhaul, I'm sure there will be sale of this bandwidth.

VM have been providing backhaul bandwith and fibre for over a decade.

For example, VM provide backhaul for Talk Talk, Orange/T-Mobile, O2 and virtually every other carrier out there.

[kstone]

Originally Posted by Pierre

VM have been providing backhaul bandwith and fibre for over a decade.

For example, VM provide backhaul for Talk Talk, Orange/T-Mobile, O2 and virtually every other carrier out there.

It all happy families and sharing on the core network, lots of unexpected relationships there.

Like I say, the customer drop is where the key is... nobody wants to make it easy for anyone else. In fact there will be moves from all parties to make it as difficult as possible.