Avonline Networks to Help Virgin Media Build FTTP for 70K Premises

Cable TV and broadband ISP Virgin Media UK has signed telecoms builder Avonline Networks (M Group Services), which will support the rollout of their Gigabit capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based RFoG / DOCSIS network to 70,000 extra premises across the South West of England, Wales and North East England.

The new deal will support Virgin’s Project Lightning network expansion, which since 2015/16 has been working to extend their Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP / RFoG) based network to an additional 3-4 million UK homes and businesses (so far they’ve completed over 1.7 million premises).

According to Avonline Networks, the programme of works will require the installation of approximately 700km of fibre optic network from January to December 2020 and is scheduled to be followed by similar volumes through to and including 2023. This appears to confirm that Virgin Media will continue to rollout FTTP for long after the original 2020 completion date for Project Lightning.

We aren’t too surprised by the above news though as Virgin has been playing catch-up ever since the erroneously overstated progress situation in 2017, which meant their rollout had fallen behind and the build-to-date has not been fast enough to meet their old targets.

Trevor Thomas, Avonline Networks Business Services Director, said:

“Avonline Networks has partnered with Virgin Media for over 25 years, playing a key role in the delivery of next-generation network build and installation programmes including Project Lightning. We are delighted to work with Virgin Media to deliver such a key strategic programme.”

Julie Agnew, Virgin Media Executive Director of Construction, said:

“We are delighted to agree this new partnership with Avonline Networks which will help boost the continued rollout of our ultrafast broadband network across the UK. This new deal further cements our ambition to upgrade the UK’s digital infrastructure in the least disruptive way possible with a resource of well-established partners.”

Avonline Networks was acquired by M Group Services in March 2019 and operates as a standalone services business within the Group’s telecom division that includes Morrison Telecom Services and Magdalene. The company also works with Openreach (BT) and Sky (Sky Broadband) etc.