Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Virgin's expansion to 4 million new premises is starting to show its face.

Manchester announced first, £75 million, 150,000 premises.

Leeds next, £40 million, 80,000 premises, with the first premises 'officially' going live in the Lightning project.

I know there are a couple more cities to be announced in the not too distant future, and no doubt a whole bunch more to come.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Makes you wonder if it will just be cities though, rather than towns. What about adding new small towns where they have a presence in a town nearby?

I suppose bang for their buck wise expansion in big cities makes more sense.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

So are they basically doing the bits of Leeds that weren't done before?

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Some of them Hugh indeed.

I am feeling suitably awesome: as part of the Fibre for Middleton campaign Virgin were tapped up to deliver goodness and a sales pitch run. Looks as though they bit, however the council are what turned it from 8,000 premises passed to 10,000 then 11,000 and finally 80,000.

Virgin were previously reluctant to spend more than £300 per premises passed. Thanks to Liberty Global they are willing to spend, in the case of Leeds and Manchester, £500 per premises.

The council's main thing that Virgin appreciated wasn't anything too arcane, it was for the most part just flexibility.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Does anyone know what happened about that FTTP trial in Cambridgeshire?

Are they doing FTTP as part of this expansion? £500 per house passed seems an awful lot just for a bit of copper wire.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Yes. :) There was also another one in Scotland.

Indeed. However I would suggest a trip to http://roadworks.org

Check out what's scheduled for the next 3 months in LS10. That's a lot of civil engineering, which is where the costs are, getting the ducts in the ground, not what is going in them.

Middleton is being built as HFC. Very good HFC, 1.2GHz plant, field upgradable from it's current full DOCSIS 3.0 return path subsplit of 85MHz to the full DOCSIS 3.1 high subsplit, but HFC. The VoIP service that is required for RFoG/FTTP isn't out there yet.

Can't really discuss beyond that.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

does the leeds expansion include your area ignition?

I am no fan of VM but I guess if they ever did your address you would jump back onto their service.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

I live in Middleton so it covers my area. Does it cover my street? In a healthy dose of irony given I and my handiwork are apparently a large part of the reason they are building in Middleton right now, no.

Their plans call for coverage of perhaps 90% in Middleton; I live in the other 10%.

This is subject to change. That build was originally 8,000 premises, it's now 11,000. Should cover the roads either side of ours so perhaps a future phase.

In every project that doesn't deliver ubiquitous coverage there have to be some who are left out.

I have my reasons for returning to them if the opportunity were to arise.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

So what type of work is involved for the Manchester, Leeds upgrades?

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Digging up of roads, pavements and verges, putting new network duct in them, building new cabinets and drops to individual homes.

Alongside this upgrading of existing VM hub sites, where existing customers connect, to handle the new properties.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

Any idea if LS23 is covered in this ?

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

A huge job then... I wonder how long it'll be before we in the Swinton part of Manchester will have it?

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

***duplicate post***

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

I doubt it, a bit remote from the city itself.

They have just put in their next bunch of upgrades for Leeds, after they've done most of Middleton they move on to Belle Isle.

Re: Project Lightning - 2 cities announced so far
 

thought i'd ask as the street next door has it, the one across from me has it the main street has it but not my road arrrgh!