Virgin Media O2 Extend 1Gbps FTTP to 4,200 Homes in Dalkeith
Some 4,200 extra homes in the Woodburn area of Dalkeith have just become the latest in Scotland to benefit from the ongoing UK expansion of Virgin Media’s (VMO2) new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based gigabit broadband and TV network, which can offer top download speeds of up to 1130Mbps to local residents.
The work forms part of their ongoing Project Lightning build, which has so far extended their network to cover over 2.7 million extra UK premises since 2015/16. The operator’s original network was deployed using Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) technology, but this expansion harnesses FTTP via Radio Frequency Over Glass (RFoG) – both methods make use of the DOCSIS standard to harness the same consumer hardware.
At the same time, VMO2 are also rolling out their latest DOCSIS 3.1 network upgrade across the UK, which by the end of 2021 aims to have made download speeds of 1Gbps+ possible across their network of around 15.5 million premises. Outside those areas, you can currently expect average speeds of up to c.630Mbps from their existing EuroDOCSIS 3.0 based packages (via their top Ultimate Oomph TV bundle).
Prices for their top 1Gig package start from £62 per month on an 18-month contract term, with a guaranteed price freeze for at least 24 months.
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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I’ve been waiting on a story about Virgin in Dalkeith showing up on here.
They finished Woodburn many months ago. My brother’s Virgin connection in Woodburn sent live in December 2019.
Mayfield is pretty much complete now.
They are already on to Newtongrange and Gorebridge.
The Dalkeith exchange also just lit up on OpenReach’s FTTP map as due to be completed by April 2024.
https://api.superfastmaps.co.uk/fibrecities/2.0/
I wish VM would produce a roadmap or a list of places to be upgraded. Guess I’ll be going to openreach when their build finishes here next month if VM aren’t going to compete but how would I know ??? they keep it a trade secret until they actually do it so I would imagine that people weighing up their options will go for FTTP when it’s available and if VM won’t tell you when it’s coming then I guess they’ll choose a provider that does announce it.. like OR or Citifibre/G.Network/ every other network in existence
Websites like https://one.network and https://www.roadworksscotland.org are pretty much the only resource publicly available to see where Virgin Media have planned works.
I wonder if they have plans on expanding into Penicuik, as they have built/are building in every other town in Midlothian.
Don’t wish to hard, you might just find a box installed outside your driveway
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1462937/Virgin-Media-connection-box-driveway-TV-Grimsby-Lincolnshire
They have form for it
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4529187/mums-fury-as-front-door-to-dream-new-home-blocked-by-a-big-ugly-broadband-box/
And another
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4402810/pensioners-fume-as-virgin-media-install-giant-white-boxes-outside-their-living-room-ruining-their-view/
I understand kit has to go somewhere, however I’m sure the sympathy pill is not in VM medicine cabinet.
The first of these the cabinet replaced a smaller one that had been in the location for years, and the resident didn’t actually have a dropped kerb outside her property where the box was. The width of the new box was largely the same, it was just a little taller!
The second of these the homebuilder put the house next to the cabinet that was already in situ for 10 years, not the other way round! (“But she was horrified when she found out developer Keepmoat Homes had built the entrance just inches from a Virgin Media box which has been in the street for ten years.”)
The third of these is admittedly a bit lousy and somewhat unfortunate, but the cabinet has to go somewhere.
The fact of the matter is that you don’t own the land outside your property boundary, and you do not own a view.
In the first the homeowner may regret publicing her dissatisfaction as the council will now know that she’s been illegally driving over the pavement to park her car on her property.
In the second it would surely not have been a big deal for Keepmoat Homes to have designed the house so that the door was on the right and therefore with easier access to the pavement.
In the third I believe that VM did relocate the cabinets (with The Scottish Sun taking credit), but this is very rare.
Anyone know why all of Mayfield and surrounding area has fast broadband speeds but, Cushat Gardens which is also located in Mayfield doesn’t even have access to VM or speeds above 77mbs?