Virgin Media Starts FTTP Broadband Rollout in Burnham-on-Sea
Cable ISP Virgin Media UK has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that they’ve started to deploy their new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based ultrafast broadband and TV network across the coastal Somerset town of Burnham-on-Sea, which is home to a total population of around 20,000 people.
The deployment forms part of the operator’s on-going Project Lightning build, which has so far extended their network to cover a further 2.4 million UK premises. The operator’s original network was deployed using Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) technology, but recent builds like the one above use FTTP via Radio Frequency Over Glass (RFoG) – both methods make use of the DOCSIS standard so as to harness the same consumer hardware.
At the same time Virgin Media are also rolling out their latest DOCSIS 3.1 network upgrade across the United Kingdom, which by the end of 2021 aims to have made download speeds of 1Gbps+ possible across their entire network of c.16 million premises (here). Outside of those areas you can currently expect average speeds to reach up to 636Mbps from their existing EuroDOCSIS 3.0 based packages (via their top TV bundle).
A total of 7,500 homes are expected to be covered by the rollout in Burnham-on-Sea, which we’re told will take 12 months to complete. Some of the operator’s work will also harness Openreach’s existing cable ducts via Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA), which enables them to run their own fibre without having to dig up as many streets (credits to Peter for spotting this).
The move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise because VM’s network is already present in Weston-Super-Mare to the north.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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VM have been installing in Weston-super-Mare until recently and appear to have stopped and moved elsewhere.
Mark – can you please find out if they intend to resume and cover the main parts of the town.
They did this near me, left about half the village without despite putting a bloody huge street cabinet in. That was 3 years ago. Interesting to not they are using PIA for this rollout. I wonder who pays if the ducting needs unblocking as in my local area significant unblocking work is being carried out for openreach fttp which makes it really easy for another operator to come in and use the ducting.
They completed all of the more densely populated new build areas in Worle and then disappeared. So if like me you’re in an area of mostly detached properties you don’t stand much chance I’d say.
You guys may have more luck looking at the future Cityfibre rollout in WSM. A chunk of the rollout is already planned and visible on one.network (mostly in Worle though, strangely), I am sure you will have something in the next years.
Burnham-on-Mud, south of Western-super-Mud.
Be nice if I could get the 1gbps 1st see thay don’t give to craps about people already on network
I have been using the 1 GB/s package since the day it become available in the in the West Midlands the superhub four is terrible so I had to purchase a £450 router and now I get extremely high speeds through out my house
I have been using the 1 GB/s package since the day it become available in the in the West Midlands the superhub four is terrible so I had to purchase a £450 router and now I get extremely high speeds through out my house.
A lovely day on Burnham-on-Mud’s ‘award-winning beach’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6JrzAYr_G4
Yattal, do you have issues of some kind with Weston and Burnham, or are you just being a bit childish?
Msh. thanks for that info. Have registered to be kept up to date on development in Worle.
Shame they only covered about half of Weston. They missed north Worle, the whole of south ward and didn’t bother going up to Worlebury. One has to ask if they plan on coming back to finish the job? Especially as they have marked up around Ashbury drive etc.
Interesting to see what Cuty Fibre have planned already in Weston. They have started on Lockong Castle and have planned to cover much of Milton, Worlebury and Weston Village.
Unfortunately, those that live in the surrounding villages (Uphill, Hutton & Locking) still seem stuck with ADSL/VDSL as there appears no plans from anyone thus far to cover these locations. Still, it’s nice to see some ISPs making a concerted effort to cover the town at last! Fingers crossed it doesn’t take too long to cover the whole town and it’s satellite communities.