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Virgin Media to trial telegraph poles for 50Mb broadband |
Woolhampton trial to provide insight into technical, operational and commercial viability.
Virgin Media have announced a new trial using telegraph poles to deliver ultrafast 50Mb broadband to a rural village.
By connecting homes directly to Virgin Media's fibre optic network, the trial will effectively increase broadband speeds in the Berkshire village of Woolhampton and villagers will be offered Virgin Media's TV service, including around 5,000 hours of catch up TV and on demand content.
The trial, which will run for approximately six months, comes as part of their plans to bring next generation digital services to people who live beyond the reach of fibre optic networks.
Virgin Media has already announced plans to extend its fibre optic network, which passes 12.6 million homes, to 500,000 new homes and has identified more than one million homes in parts of the UK that stand to benefit from deployment over telegraph poles.
The Woolhampton trial will provide valuable insight into the technical, operational and commercial viability of this type of solution.
Virgin Media believes that using overhead poles as well as underground ducts could, in some cases, significantly improve the viability of delivering next generation digital services to rural communities and continues to explore a range of innovative solutions that could allow it to further increase coverage.
Neil Berkett, chief executive officer of Virgin Media, said: "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."
Further information:
Virgin Media
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