By: MarkJ - 29 September, 2011 (9:56 AM) - Score: 1924 - Fixed Line Broadband
Fujitsu, which is currently working alongside TalkTalk , Virgin Media and Cisco on the Open Access Wholesale Network (OAWN) project (here) that could potentially offer ultrafast 1Gbps (1000Mbps) capable broadband ISP services to 5 Million UK premises in rural areas by 2016, has finally connected the first homes to its Greasby (Wirral Peninsula) trial.The plan is highly dependent upon government funding and BT's controversial Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product pricing, which allows Fujitsu to run its own Fibre-to-the-Home ( FTTH ) network through BT's existing underground cable ducts and overhead telegraph poles.
Jon James, Virgin Media's Executive Director of Broadband, said:
"Just two miles away is a road recently identified as having one of the slowest broadband connections in the whole country. We want to change that and make superfast broadband something that can be accessed by everyone. This is an exciting opportunity to work in Greasby with some of the world’s leading technology companies to test a network capable of the speeds we can deliver in towns and cities on our own cable network, helping bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas and reinvigorating our international competitiveness."
"Just two miles away is a road recently identified as having one of the slowest broadband connections in the whole country. We want to change that and make superfast broadband something that can be accessed by everyone. This is an exciting opportunity to work in Greasby with some of the world’s leading technology companies to test a network capable of the speeds we can deliver in towns and cities on our own cable network, helping bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas and reinvigorating our international competitiveness."
Work on the first 6-month trial officially began at the end of July 2011, although this marks the first time that any actual homes have been connected. Residential customers can expect to receive service speeds of 100Mbps from special packages, which will be supplied by both Virgin Media and TalkTalk .
The OAWN project is also "heavily involved" with the UK governments recently announced £2bn tender for a new national framework agreement, which aims to help bring superfast broadband (24Mbps+) ISP services to 90% of "people in each local authority area" by 2015.
However the project will find it difficult to move beyond a trial unless all of the involved parties can agree upon a fair price for BT's PIA product. This is particularly crucial as the government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) office has already allocated most of its £530m public funding and any delay could disadvantage OAWN's ability to bid.
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Comments: 9
BroadyPosted: 29 September, 2011 - 11:24 AM
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FTTP takes on a new meaning in the UK "Fibre to the Press"
Big Bad JohnPosted: 29 September, 2011 - 1:19 PM
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The sooner the PIA prices are out the better, and everything can move onto the next step of a growing fibre network.
wirelesspacmanPosted: 29 September, 2011 - 2:59 PM
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I really would not hold your breath about getting low PIA prices.
Big Bad JohnPosted: 29 September, 2011 - 6:38 PM
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It's not reallly about the cost it's the part where companies like Fujitsu etc can understand where they are and move on to the next stage or not (then complain to Ofcom of course).
TripsPosted: 30 September, 2011 - 3:51 AM
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@wirelesspacman
Is it not the case that the prices proposed by BT back in January are below the European average charge for PIA?
If that is the case then the prices are low, just not as low as some want them to be so they run to the media complaining the price is too high and paint an untrue picture of reality.
wirelesspacmanPosted: 30 September, 2011 - 7:53 AM
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@Trips
I think BT claims them to be less than the EU average yes.
My issue really (which is in agreement with your sentiment) is that they are already at or below the forward looking replacement cost of the access network and thus to lower them further is not fair on BT.
Afterall, they would get used by Fujitsu (or whoever) to roll out fibre into the access network. That would then render the copper wortheless and mean BT got no line rental from it. That would then mean the only income BT would get from the ducts and poles would be the (now very low) PIA rental charges.
If I was BT I would fight any attempt to force very low PIA prices on them all the way to the highest court.
BobPosted: 3 October, 2011 - 12:07 PM
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The only costs PIA should reflect is the ducting cost plus a reasonable marrgin for BT.
Given BT have invested little in the ducting the costs of most of it would have been written off many years ago.
the builderPosted: 5 October, 2011 - 2:22 PM
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In my thinkin, BT PIA pricing shouldn't factor in the issue of new fibre infrastructure rendering the the copper worthless..
The whole reason of having fair price on PIA is to make the market competitive. If it makes copper worthless then BT should start thinking about laying their own fibre or let others do so to progress. Surely, BT cannot have high PIA cost just to make up on possible loss on copper line rental due to competition from fibre. Thats is just unethical way of making money and stopping everyone from progressing.
Digita britian... not a chance if this is the way...
LeePosted: 27 January, 2012 - 7:06 PM
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Anything that involves TalkTalk is gauranteed to be a complete catasraphe.
No person in Cornwall will pay over the odds for something they don't need and no business user would ever trust talktalk to deliver them something as important as a 1000mb connection. They'd pay for a private pipe instead.
Can you imagine it, the indian call centers, untrained staff, lack of complaints department and all the scams and fraud that talktalk staff try to commit.
This is a project destined for failure, but still at least we get to take some of our money back from the EU.
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