Virgin Media has announced a new trial using telegraph poles to deliver 50 Mbps broadband to the Berkshire village of Woolhampton.

By connecting homes directly to Virgin Media’s fiber optic network, the trial will effectively increase broadband speeds more than ten-fold in a rural community that has previously relied on BT’s copper network.

In addition to data service, villagers will be offered Virgin Media’s TV service.

The trial will start this month and is scheduled to run for approximately six months.

The trial is part of Virgin Media’s plans to bring next generation digital services to people who currently live beyond the reach of fiber optic networks.

Virgin Media has plans to extend its fiber optic network, which today passes 12.6 million homes, to 500,000 new homes and has identified more than one million homes in parts of the U.K. that stand to benefit from deployment over telegraph poles.

Neil Berkett, CEO of Virgin Media, said in a statement: “This unique trial will allow us to understand the possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting new way to extend next generation broadband services.”

The British Government is currently considering a change to planning guidelines, which is needed to enable large scale overhead deployment. In the meantime, the Woolhampton trial will provide valuable insight into the technical, operational and commercial viability of this type of solution.

The Daily

Subscribe
Friday–December 13

State of DEI: NAMIC, AIM Analyze Workforce Representation

At a time when investments in DEI efforts are being questioned, NAMIC is checking in to remind the industry of the tangible change these initiatives are making.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Apr 16
Cablefax 100 Awards Nominations Open November 13th, 2024.
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Carley Ashley, [email protected], for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.