Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

I live in a village with no cable (crap ADSL) but we have a building that has very high security and is constantly visited by Virgin Media vans.

I'm just interested to find out what the building for and more importantly why I don't have cable as I'm less than a quarter of a mile away.

Google Map
http://goo.gl/maps/BFfn

StreetView
http://goo.gl/maps/Vafx

I and most of my neighbours would gladly dump BT and their poor ADSL service if we had the choice.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Papworth headend/"exchange".

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

It's a Virgin Media hubsite. It houses the 5 broadband routers that feed the area with their Internet service and the equipment that transmits that and the TV signals.

It's the equivalent of a BT exchange if you like. All homes with cable in its' served area are connected to it via coaxial cable and fibre.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Thats what I thought and heard it was but the village its in is not a cabled area.

I'm so close I could string an ethernet cable out the kitchen window to it!

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

I've done a postcode check of the actual site and it is showing as serviceable...

How close are you exactly? Can you see any green cabinets?

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

A few roads back, probably a 2 minute walk

Grey boxes but can't see any green.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Do you know if they are ntl boxes or BT?

Whats your postcode [PM if you want]?

Chances are you will have to fill in a cable my street request.


P.S: I know the feeling, I live in a new house in a cabled area around 100m from a cabinet, no service for me (and I work for VM!).

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Postcode sent via PM :tu:

---------- Post added at 16:06 ---------- Previous post was at 15:28 ----------

A bit more google street viewing reveals green boxes between the headend and my house

http://goo.gl/maps/ldxe
http://goo.gl/maps/tgQt
http://goo.gl/maps/pLcz

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Don't listen to the lies its where they horde their stolen monies from the customers for a crappy service :P

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Maybe it's just a cafe where VM employees get a good discount? That would explain the constant visits and vans parked outside.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

1st pic is a BT distribution cab, the other two are definately VM. Good luck.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Old thread I know but Virgin got back to me (finally).

They said they did a survey (not sure how) and they reckon it would cost £1082 per house to cable which seems odd as the green boxes are in place and we have a head end.

Virgin told me the target cost of installation is around £300 per house.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Huh. I wondered what they were doing with my 86,000 Ugandan dollars. :D

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

its a virgin brothel

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

What is this VM building in Bromborough, Wirral? I never see any Virgin Media vans there.

http://www.google.co.uk/maps?q=Bromb...251.54,,0,4.25

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

might eba headend but cant be sure cant see it closely nor am i aware of a headend in that area

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Its listed as NTL at the entrance to the industrial estate.

http://www.google.co.uk/maps?q=Bromb...6,,2,9.22&z=19

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Yeah used to have NTL on it. There are some vans parked outside it actually if you look on Street View.

I was told in another thread there isn't a headend there and the headend for most of the north west is Baguley in Manchester. Could this building be a hubsite instead and if so, what's the difference?

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Its the switch site for the wirral. I go there every other week to do various surveys.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, we lived in Wythenshawe. I went to Wythenshaw college. At the end of the road where the college was (its now been demolished), was a Tesco's store, "Tescos Baguely". Right behind that, was a big building, that had more satellite dishes than I had acne, with NTL signs everywhere.

Would I be right in assuming that was the NTL (now virgin) headend?

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

That building on Southmoor Rd is still bristling with dishes and is the Baguley Headend.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Am I right in thinking there's one in Birkenhead too?

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Yes but its a hub site not a switch, Bromborough has the exchange in it, Birkenhead is just a hub site that feeds it.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

I'm familiar with BT exchanges due to my work. What's the difference between these and Virgin's? I'm assuming the VM copper telephone lines get converted to fibre in a street cabinet prior to reaching somewhere like Bromborough? Whereas with BT, it is in the exchange itself where it switches to fibre.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

You have hit the nail on the head and its the same with the broadband.

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

I might be wrong, but if you follow your link you can see one in the car park!!

Cheers

Grim

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

:LOL:

Re: Whats is this Virgin Media Building For? - Papworth, Cambridgeshire
 

Yeah, I realised that and did say it in a later post :)