Virgin Media brings 50Mb broadband via telegraph poles

Cable broadband provider Virgin Media will bring 50Mb superfast broadband to the residents of Berkshire in Woolhampton, via telegraph poles which will connect rural homes to the ISP’s fibre optic network.

The trial will start this month and will provide more than one million users with access to Virgin’s multiple services including TV for the next six months, it was reported.

Earlier, in 2009, a fibre optic broadband trial in Cornwall used both BT’s phone network and underground cable (fibre optic) to provide faster services in the region. Using new methods such as this is believed to make significant reduction in the costs of deployment as well as bring many remote and rural areas on the next generation networks.

Neil Berkett, the CEO 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. 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.”

Recent Q4 results indicated that Virgin Media’s faster broadband services boosting the growth in subscriptions and revenues. There are over 41,000 customers who use its 50Mb XXL package by the end of Q4, showing 81% increase in the subscriptions, comparing to the previous quarter. The cable giant’s ultra-fast 200Mb broadband trial is also underway in many places in the UK.