Virgin Media goes high fibre in Berkshire

Cable ISP Virgin Media has announced it will trial fibre broadband delivered via telegraph poles, with a view to extending its superfast network coverage to new areas.

Typically the biggest cost of deploying fibre broadband is digging trenches or carving up roads to lay the cable underground. Deploying fibre through overhead infrastructure such as telegraph poles — or pushing it down existing ducts or pipes such as sewers — offers a cheaper and faster way of extending next-generation broadband.

Virgin Media will pilot its overhead fibre broadband in the Berkshire village of Woolhampton, offering residents 50Mbps broadband during the six-month trial that will start this month. Residents will also get access to the company's TV services.

For more on this story, see Virgin Media launches overhead fibre pilot to boost network on silicon.com.