Virgin Media to trial speedier broadband over telegraph poles

Most internet service providers are heading underground to attempt to provide their customers with faster fibre broadband speeds. However, keen to try something a little different Virgin Media has just announced plans to trial a new sky-based network.

It's just started work on a new project using telegraph poles to deliver its 50Mb broadband product to a village in Berkshire. By connecting homes directly to Virgin Media's fibre optic network, homes in the rural community of Woolhampton (a location which has previously only had access to BT's copper network) looks set to see a ten-fold increase in broadband speed.

Initially the trial will run for six months with the hope the new broadband network will be swift enough to provide access to Virgin Media's TV service. The trial is part of Virgin Media's plans to bring next generation digital services to those who live out of reach of its existing fibre optic network.

Speaking on the telegraph pole pilot, Neil Berkett, chief executive officer of Virgin Media, commented: "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." He continued: "With everything from BBC iPlayer to YouTube increasingly demanding reliable ultrafast broadband speeds, we're keen to ensure that all communities, in towns, cities and villages right across the UK, stand to benefit."

Virgin Media is already committed to extending its fibre optic network, which currently serves 12.6 million homes, and hopes to provide additional services to 500,000 more properties in the near future. However, it also now believes an extra million homes could be provided with speedier broadband using this telegraph pole technique.

As an added bonus it could prove to be a more cost effective way of providing next-generation broadband to home across the country as it won't involve expensive digging. Without the need to uproot roads there should also be less disruption to local communities.

Virgin Media said it was confident this "non-traditional" approach would be a way of upgrading existing home broadband networks without the need for government subsidy.