FTTP/Virgin media work in Shrewsbury?

Virgin Media is not in this town, yet roadworks is showing a lot of Virgin Media work in this area.
From roadworks:

LAY APPROX 620M OF MICRO-TUBE IN FOOTWAY AND APPROX 30M IN CARRIAGEWAY, BUILD CONNECTING TEES AND CABINETS

Are we getting Virgin Media or have they been contracted by Openreach to install FTTP? BT ADSL checker doesn't show anything new and the Virgin Media website still states I'm not in a Virgin Media area.

If I expand the date range shown on roadworks it shows much of the immediate area being worked on by Virgin Media.

Anyone have any info or idea what could be going on? Have Virgin Media been known to carry out fiber laying work on behalf of Openreach?

You're getting Virgin Media/ Liberty Fibre FTTP.

If someone were contracted to do work for Openreach it'd be Openreach on the roadworks, and they'd be using existing poles and ducts where possible rather than digging everywhere.

Checker won't update until available most likely.

Thanks, anywhere I can find out more about the rollout in Shrewsbury? Also would this mean I'd have to switch to Virgin Media to receive the service? I'm on Sky FTTC right now with the regular SkyHD satellite TV service.

Also I should note I can already see them digging outside.

Edited by deleted (Thu 27-Feb-20 09:10:21)

In reply to a post by MrSpeedyGonzales:

Also would this mean I'd have to switch to Virgin Media to receive the service?

Yes. Virgin Media don't wholesale to other operators (at least not yet - it's been rumoured they're considering this)

You will be able to retain the Sky Satellite TV service if you want to.

Well I think the plan was to go with Sky Q eventually but I don't know how that would play out now.

Any ideas what kinds of speeds one could expect with this new Virgin Media/ Liberty fibre venture?

You can use Sky Q on pretty much any ISP - you don't have to be with Sky for the TV box to work fully (the only difference is you lose some of the WiFi mesh networking capabilities but I use Sky Q with BT FTTP and it is fully capable).

Virgin provide high speed packages and because of the way they deliver it isn't limited by the distance of lines - if you order a 200Mb package then it will be connected at 200Mb (although contention still kicks in but you don't hear such bad stories these days about over contended links).

Speed options are 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 350 Mbps and 500 Mbps currently.

A few areas have access to a 1100 Mbps tier too.

could be fun trying to dig a trench underwater at present god i feel sorry for all the people flooded out!

In reply to a post by ian72:

You can use Sky Q on pretty much any ISP - you don't have to be with Sky for the TV box to work fully (the only difference is you lose some of the WiFi mesh networking capabilities but I use Sky Q with BT FTTP and it is fully capable).

Virgin provide high speed packages and because of the way they deliver it isn't limited by the distance of lines - if you order a 200Mb package then it will be connected at 200Mb (although contention still kicks in but you don't hear such bad stories these days about over contended links).

I was thinking more along the lines of keeping costs down and consolidating services, guess it would work out more expensive to keep the Sky TV and have Virgin media for internet.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Speed options are 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 350 Mbps and 500 Mbps currently.

A few areas have access to a 1100 Mbps tier too.

You think its likely to be the 1100mbps installed around here given its all brand new infrastructure and BT have gigabit options in newer estates?

In reply to a post by threelegs:

could be fun trying to dig a trench underwater at present god i feel sorry for all the people flooded out!

Well thankfully the water has gone down a couple meters since we we're on the news but its expected to rise again as the next storm comes in.

It got right up to the front of the town walls WNSY exchange, any higher and ground floor equipment would of been submerged. Picture

Edited by deleted (Fri 28-Feb-20 09:27:41)

100, 200 and 350Mb are available to order for anyone.

500Mb needs an accompanying TV package.

1000Mb is currently only available in trial areas at the moment. It should be enabled in your area some time in 2021.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

1000Mb is currently only available in trial areas at the moment. It should be enabled in your area some time in 2021.

1000 is a product with deployment in progress, not a trial. It will be available everywhere there's VM potentially FY 2020-21.

In reply to a post by CarlTSpeak:

1000 is a product with deployment in progress, not a trial. It will be available everywhere there's VM potentially FY 2020-21.

Nicely leads into the story on the main site today:
https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/8676-will-virgin...