Business install question

icecoldcube · 01-02-2012, 22:42

Hi,

I did some searching across the forums and could not see a similar thread to my question, so thanks in advance for any comments/advice.

Currently I have Virgin Media at home, happy with the service and I would like to get this installed at my office premises. To date Virgin was not available at the office address, but we are moving to a new location. I visited the site this morning to check network cabling (I'm the IT manager) and I saw a Virgin Engineer outside, spoke to him and he confirmed the fact that the green cabinet outside was Virgin and showed me the duct up the premises.

Got back to my our current office address and thought great, I'll put a order in with Virgin media business. On calling I was told that unless the premises had cable before there was no policy to install. Strange policy I thought given the duct and box outside. The guy I spoke to on the phone said it was in place since October.

Has anybody experienced this, any thoughts on a way forwards?
Secondly is there a way I can order a consumer service, the offices do contain some living space but we had not planned to use this by default. I'm thinking if we can not install the business service, I should just order the consumer. Although I'm sure the systems/processes will stop this.

Maybe this situation will change in the future. Otherwise its ADSL or FTTC which is scheduled for activation in March. However reading the forums I see there is no confirmed option if your premises are connected to the actual exchange. Something which looks likely given the new premises proximity to the telephone exchange (Stafford).

Hoping I can get something sorted, the move to the new offices actually involved selecting a location close to the exchange and Virgin coverage.

Thanks for any thoughts on the business install option or anything else.

Regards,

Dave

**Stephen** · 01-02-2012, 23:09

Hi, if the premise is cabled and connected to the cab by ducting then you should be able to place an order for VM Business products.

weesteev · 02-02-2012, 06:40

Got your PM icecoldcube, have responded to you there

icecoldcube · 02-02-2012, 18:32

Thanks for the updates both!

Looks like no Virgin at the new premises, the ducting is there but no coax into building.

Dave

ccarmock · 04-02-2012, 13:59

So if the duct is there why won't they pull a coax in?

Are VMB not installing any new Cable broadband services then?

Matthew · 04-02-2012, 22:31

We've just had a fibre pulled into 2 buildings for our connection from Virgin.

ccarmock · 04-02-2012, 23:07

It does look like they are not carrying out new Cable installs though - there is now a note ont he website to say they can provide cable broadband only if the builing has previously had cable.

Seems a strange policy!

qasdfdsaq · 05-02-2012, 02:46

Wow, that's pretty strange indeed.

If there's cabling in the street and ducting into the building already, one would think it's cheaper than your average first-time residential install and should be fairly trivial to pull cable through the duct.

Maybe try put one in yourself and pretend it's always been there and the building "previously had cable"

ccarmock · 05-02-2012, 13:48

A while back they were running in new coax for a business service - this is how I got thir business cable modem service originally. However it seems that since October last year they will not do that and will only provide service where the cable already exsists. Given they have install teams anyway I don't see the logic in this at all. Especially as they have just launched the new 30 & 50 Mb/s business cable services with a much improved static IP address service.

I guess if you really want the business cable modem service the way to do it is get a residential service of some kind installed first and then order business services.

qasdfdsaq · 05-02-2012, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccarmock

I guess if you really want the business cable modem service the way to do it is get a residential service of some kind installed first and then order business services.

Ironic, but that's actually a good idea that might just work.

**Rob** · 05-02-2012, 16:49

I guess VM are just paying lip service to business, but for some reason don't see it as financially worthwhile. A bit dumb if you ask me when there was all that money invested in ducting streets.

We were perhaps fortunate to get VM installed to our office this time last year. But it did take a couple of months as they took forever to organise a crew to dig up our own tarmac path. Trouble is we have the service from last year 20meg. Can I speak to anyone about that now to get an upgrade. Nope nobody answers the phone and the email address given out by the recorded phone message gets no response.

ccarmock · 05-02-2012, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

I guess VM are just paying lip service to business, but for some reason don't see it as financially worthwhile. A bit dumb if you ask me when there was all that money invested in ducting streets.

We were perhaps fortunate to get VM installed to our office this time last year. But it did take a couple of months as they took forever to organise a crew to dig up our own tarmac path. Trouble is we have the service from last year 20meg. Can I speak to anyone about that now to get an upgrade. Nope nobody answers the phone and the email address given out by the recorded phone message gets no response.

It seems they are concentrating more on larger businesses now and not the smaller business market.

You can upgrade from the older services to new though since you have a cable service already. I did this just before Christmas - I had the 10 Mb/s fixed IP address service and changed to the 50 Mb/s serice with 5 fixed IP addresses.

I called 0800 953 0180 to order the upgrade.

**Rob** · 09-02-2012, 11:13

Having just spoken to business sales to enquire about our own office's services (we're fortunate enough to already be cabled), I can confirm that Business are not doing any new standard cable broadband connections to premises. This is despite a building being located in a street ducted area. So if you are lucky enough to already be connected then great. If not tough.

The decision may get reviewed in the future but apparently someone has made the decision that new connections are just too expensive to dig even a few metres to the premises from a street in the current climate. It does seem odd to me since I would have though exploitation of the expensive street infrastructure is the only way to get a return. And if business are thinking like this then when will residential stop installing new cable too?

ccarmock · 09-02-2012, 17:59

I agree this seems strange. However if you really need a business cable service (maybe due to alternatives being unsuitable) then what about having a residential service instaled - maybe TIVO for a short period to get cable in and then orderign a business product? Crazy way to do it given the caompany is all Virgin media at the end of the day!

qasdfdsaq · 09-02-2012, 21:17

And that you pay more for the equivalent business service anyway, and sign up to a longer contract too. So they make far more money off you but are willing to spend far less.