Should Virgin Media be forced to open its cable network to competitors?

Marcus125 · 14-04-2011, 17:24

Ok the title is not true but...

Admin edit (Chris): It is now.

With Fujitsu about to lay fibre and open it up to VM and Open reach laying fibre and opening it up(yes VM could and probably will use Open reach's fibre) will Virginmedia be letting others use its fibre network?

Sky have to give VM there channels even though sky have invested millions in building up the tv network. It all seems a little 1 way to me, VM want everything for nothing but don't want to give anyone access to its network.

craigj2k12 · 14-04-2011, 17:28

virgin own its network, so has complete controll over it

BT network is mostly owned by the government, so they have to open it up to everyone

Digital Fanatic · 14-04-2011, 17:34

**Chris** · 14-04-2011, 17:37

Thread title changed.

There's no need to be deliberately misleading. If your thread is genuinely interesting people will take part in it. If it's not, a misleading title will just cause annoyance.

Stuart · 14-04-2011, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus125

Ok the title is not true but...

With Fujitsu about to lay fibre and open it up to VM and Open reach laying fibre and opening it up(yes VM could and probably will use Open reach's fibre) will Virginmedia be letting others use its fibre network?

Sky have to give VM there channels even though sky have invested millions in building up the tv network. It all seems a little 1 way to me, VM want everything for nothing but don't want to give anyone access to its network.

Actually, it's not quite as one way as you say. For a start, while Sky give access to the TV channels, they have their own LLU network which I doubt they'd give anyone access to. BT are only opening up their own fibre network because (I believe) they are required to.

Ignitionnet · 14-04-2011, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigj2k11

virgin own its network, so has complete controll over it

BT network is mostly owned by the government, so they have to open it up to everyone

This isn't true, BT's network is in its entirety owned by BT. The government has no ownership of BT.

craigj2k12 · 14-04-2011, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

This isn't true, BT's network is in its entirety owned by BT. The government has no ownership of BT.

they have investment in it and therefore is regulated by ofcom

Ignitionnet · 14-04-2011, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

Actually, it's not quite as one way as you say. For a start, while Sky give access to the TV channels, they have their own LLU network which I doubt they'd give anyone access to. BT are only opening up their own fibre network because (I believe) they are required to.

Sky's LLU network is using BT's network. They can't offer access to BT's network. The part of the network they do own, core fibre, is both used by them and other companies.

The issue is now more one of whether or not VM should be required to allow access to their ducts and physical infrastructure. They aren't going to have much choice in the not too distant future.

BT are required to offer the fibre service on an equivalency of access basis.

---------- Post added at 18:18 ---------- Previous post was at 18:10 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigj2k11

they have investment in it and therefore is regulated by ofcom

They have no investment in BT and its regulation is nothing to do with any government ownership.

Have a read of http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Regula...heUK/index.htm

AndyCalling · 14-04-2011, 20:03

BT are regulated because they were a massive state monopoly that was privatised and the hope was to avoid a massive state created private monopoly. Regulation has taken the edge off, but because the privatisation was done very poorly (big discussion, but clearly true) it has achieved very little. The massive jump in phone costs since Ofcom reduced regulation a short while back proves this. The other companies are so small compared to BT that they have all followed along as sure as if the prices were fixed. Not good.

BT are a very poor comparetor. VM made their network (or the cable companies they bought up did). To force them to let other companies use it would be like forcing a Tesco branch to sell ASDA food as well because there was no ASDA near by. Ridiculous.

The only way to do this would be to declare VM a monopoly (but with competition so fierce from BT and Sky I don't see that happening) and force them to sell the cable infrastructure to a separate company who would not be allowed to be a service provider, sort of like a Railtrack or Transco for the cable industry. Or the cable network could be nationalised of course and private media providers would all be allowed access. VM would likely go to the wall at that point, at least their cable arm would.

craigj2k12 · 14-04-2011, 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyCalling

BT are regulated because they were a massive state monopoly that was privatised and the hope was to avoid a massive state created private monopoly. Regulation has taken the edge off, but because the privatisation was done very poorly (big discussion, but clearly true) it has achieved very little. The massive jump in phone costs since Ofcom reduced regulation a short while back proves this. The other companies are so small compared to BT that they have all followed along as sure as if the prices were fixed. Not good.

BT are a very poor comparetor. VM made their network (or the cable companies they bought up did). To force them to let other companies use it would be like forcing a Tesco branch to sell ASDA food as well because there was no ASDA near by. Ridiculous.

The only way to do this would be to declare VM a monopoly (but with competition so fierce from BT and Sky I don't see that happening) and force them to sell the cable infrastructure to a separate company who would not be allowed to be a service provider, sort of like a Railtrack or Transco for the cable industry. Or the cable network could be nationalised of course and private media providers would all be allowed access. VM would likely go to the wall at that point, at least their cable arm would.

It would never happen, but I would like to see what Be* could do with DOCSIS3

pip08456 · 14-04-2011, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigj2k11

It would never happen, but I would like to see what Be* could do with DOCSIS3

Let's wait and see what they can do with FTTC via BT. It is being considered but no announcement yet but I fully expect it to happen.

The whole point in my going to Infinity now, saved Â£i30 on the line install as well. Ok an 18 mth contract but by the time that's run it's course Be should be up and running.

craigj2k12 · 14-04-2011, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip08456

Let's wait and see what they can do with FTTC via BT. It is being considered but no announcement yet but I fully expect it to happen.

The whole point in my going to Infinity now, saved Â£i30 on the line install as well. Ok an 18 mth contract but by the time that's run it's course Be should be up and running.

10 years time i will be on Be* 500meg FTTH

pip08456 · 14-04-2011, 20:28

Calm down Craig!

v0id · 14-04-2011, 22:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigj2k11

10 years time i will be on Be* 500meg FTTH

Doubt it. The Be* brand probably won't even exist in 10 years time and will have fully merged into O2

**Hugh** · 14-04-2011, 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus125

Ok the title is not true but...

Admin edit (Chris): It is now.

With Fujitsu about to lay fibre and open it up to VM and Open reach laying fibre and opening it up(yes VM could and probably will use Open reach's fibre) will Virginmedia be letting others use its fibre network?

Sky have to give VM there channels even though sky have invested millions in building up the tv network. It all seems a little 1 way to me, VM want everything for nothing but don't want to give anyone access to its network.

Reallly?

I will just change channels to watch Sky Atlantic - oh no, I can't, can I?