Virgin Media O2 Hand UK FTTP Rollout Contract to Avonline Networks
Broadband ISP and mobile operator Virgin Media (VMO2) has signed an extended contract with civil engineering firm Avonline Networks (M Group Services), which will see the firm’s engineers continue their relationship with Virgin by helping to extend their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) infrastructure to 23 million UK premises by 2028.
In case anybody has forgotten, Virgin Media is currently working to upgrade their existing Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network areas to FTTP (XGS-PON) by 2028 (Project Mustang) – reflecting about 14.3m premises. At the same time, they also intend to deploy full fibre broadband to an additional 7 million UK premises – via a new Joint Venture (JV) in greenfield areas – by 2027 (here and here).
However, VMO2 won’t be doing all of this work themselves, and they’ve long employed third-party contractors, such as Avonline Networks, to help with their network expansions. Suffice to say, that relationship looks set to continue for Avonline after a new contract extension was agreed.
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Avonline will thus be delivering all consumer pre-enablement, business connections, civils and Emergency Restoration Services (ERS) for the South Coast and the South of London telecom franchises for the next five years (i.e. until around the end of 2027). No doubt different contractors will be called in to help in other parts of the UK.
Richard Hale, Avonline MD, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Avonline Networks. We are proud to be partner of choice for Virgin Media O2, supporting the build and maintenance of their Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) and Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, helping them to deliver their ambition of 23 million premises by the end of 2028.
In line with our existing performance, we are completing around 3,500 customer connections each month within our expanded footprint. We are also expanding our workforce and further developing our people, enhancing our capability and delivery.
Being part of M Group Services has supported our expansion and established the business as a leading specialist provider in telecom FTTP network design, build, installation and maintenance.”
We should point out that Avonline also works with other UK broadband operators, such as Openreach, Ogi and more.
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, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Factually incorrect and misleading headline.
Is this the same Avonline who do wireless and stuff?
Don’t be shy, Dave, do enlighten us with what’s wrong with the article.
It’s says “Handed UK FTTP rollout contract” which is factually incorrect. There are multiple partners on the rollout and Avonline are god awful so good luck to VM on that one.
With so much competition for build engineers, it will be interesting to see how successful they are resourcing this project
They seem to be using a company called Bradley’s here in N.ireland for the FTTP overbuild in Derry/Londonderry
That’s Netomnia building up there, not VM.
Are you sure? they have placed all their cabinets with the VM ones, which made me think it was VM.
I do know they announced they were building here but it only was one exchange area.
I contacted netomnia a few months ago and they said it was in planning and couldn’t tell me if I would be covered.
It’s great if it’s them,
https://ibb.co/x6Z7sj0
Is that pillar something they use? That’s out front of my house
Netomia said they don’t use green cabinets and still in design stages
Also contacted the installing company to check
That’s VMO2. The larger cabinet is theirs, the smaller one is theirs.
Netomnia do not use cabinets.
Yeah I suspected, Netomnia use CBTs like OR either on poles or UG
They’re absolutely useless, last year saw avonline doing work all around the village wasn’t sure what they were doing then realised it was virgin rollout and they did every street except mine…
They work in West Midlands with lightsource afaik.
I can confirm that Avonline do not use Lightsource as one of their build partners, I work in Avonline within this Region.