Virgin Media in new build Property

[Brandyman]

Hi

We are shortly moving into a new build development (June) and I’m assured by the builders (David Wilson Homes) that both the estate and the individual properties have been cabled for virgin. Indeed there is a virgin termination box on the outside of our new home with cabling appearing to run to it from the road.

Even though some of the occupied properties on the estate have got Virgin Media, the Virgin website says services not available at our new address.  The explanation from virgin is 

"All new build site works were placed on hold around of OCT/NOV last year to deploy a new network (XGS-PON).  Due to works been on hold, not all connections have been completed to go live.

We are waiting on Virgin Media to decide which sites are to be deployed to XGS-PON, once decided works will commence.  Currently we have no timescales on when this will happen".

This all seems a bit odd as FTTP has also been installed for sky and BT.  It is almost as if virgin don't want to keep their customers.

Any advice gratefully received.

[Jonny-M]

It sounds like for some mad reason VM were still building RFoG for new estates and only decided at the end of last year that XGS-PON made more sense. For whatever reason they seem to have spent six months doing nothing while figuring this out.

Out of interest if you check an occupied address on the VM checker, does it offer you TV services?

If you need a connection quickly then pick one that uses the Openreach network, if VM aren't able to give the site developer an accurate timeframe of when they expect to complete works by then there's no chance some offshored sales team member is going to know.

[Brandyman]

Thanks for the reply.  Certainly some of the occupied houses are showing as available for virgin media, I'll check some of the more recent ones next time I visit site.

[nodrogd]

Very few existing cable franchises are currently able to deploy XGS-PON from the associated area headend as the kit is not installed yet. I assume as soon as the capability becomes available new housing projects will be included.

[Brandyman]

I have checked and it is clear that most of the occupied properties are able to get virgin.

I don't really understand as all the external cabling is in place and connected to the house.

[nodrogd · Accepted solution]

If the existing DOCSIS capacity is reached, adding more customers would just create over-subscription of the network segment & the existing customers would suffer a speed drop. The external cabling is the builders remit, as is the street ducting, & is financed by them. VM becomes responsible for maintaining it after customers signs up. 

[Roger_Gooner]

Cabling to premises is just the tip of the iceberg as there is much to be done upstream. It could be that VM has decided not to do any further installations in new builds as this will just mean more work in migrating to XGS-PON later. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait for a VM service.