Broadband ISP Trooli, which is building a new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network across parts of South and South East England, has signed one of the first long-term Joint User Pole (JUP) agreements with UK Power Networks. The move will enable them to run their fibre optic cables across certain low voltage electricity poles.
Just to recap. Trooli has already built their network to cover 100,000 premises (homes and businesses) and they’ve previously set a goal of reaching 170,000 premises by the end of 2021, which will be followed by 400,000 premises in December 2022 (across c.300 towns and villages) and then 1 million premises by the end of 2024. Last month they were also given a £67.5m investment boost (here), albeit via a debt facility.
At present electricity poles are already being used fairly extensively throughout England to carry broadband cables, albeit very carefully due to the obvious safety issues and the related need for additional training, as well as the requirement for close coordination between two different operators.
However, the government has been pushing for more progress on this front (here), which is where Trooli’s new JUP agreement with UKPN may come in handy. UKPN currently owns and maintains electricity cables and lines across London, the South East and East of England.
The new agreement thus gives Trooli access to the low voltage overhead pole network across UKPNs’ East and South East England operating areas, enabling them to reach “thousands more premises in its network areas.”
Brian O’Neill, Trooli’s Operations Director, said:
“With this JUP agreement, we can access an extra 4,000 premises in our existing areas that were previously out of our reach. This additional volume will only expand as our network increases in size.”
The provider’s broadband packages typically cost from £50 inc. VAT per month for an unlimited 300Mbps (100Mbps upload) service (currently discounted to £35) with free standard installation, and this rises to £80 for 900Mbps+ (300Mbps upload). The gigabit package may be more expensive than some rival gigabit plans, but this largely reflects the higher build costs of tackling rural / semi-rural towns and villages.
What I like about their website is that they state clearly the areas covered. A refreshing change to many other ISPs where you have to enter your postcode to be told whether they serve your area or not.
“they state clearly the areas covered”
Well, it only lists the names of towns covered by them. And I doubt that these towns are completely covered, more likely to find that even in these towns certain addresses or roads are skipped, as is the case with many other altnets.
So by low voltage they mean you can touch it and not die?
I think you’re confusing LV with ELV.
In terms of power distribution LV is essentially the part between the substation (or transformer) and each home.
I think in this case “low” means hundreds as opposed to tens or hundreds of thousands of volts. I wouldn’t recommend licking it.
It’s all relative 🙂 Low compared to what
Low voltage is (for AC) less than 1000V. Medium Voltage is 1000V to 35kV. High Voltage runs from 35kV to 235kV and Extra High Voltage is above that. Extra Low Voltage is less than 50V (again AC).
This is about running fibre on the wooden posts used along the roadside to deliver 230V to people’s houses in rural areas. If the pole has insulators on it (i.e. its 11kV or 33kV) then it doesn’t appear to be part of this agreement.
Headline says low voltage poles, but the photo is of an 11kV high voltage pole…
Yep 11kv, bit too hot to handle.
IIRC, Energis was built partly by wrapping fibres around high-voltage electricity lines on the National Grid.
Not the sort of thing you want to use for individual property drops though 🙂
@NE555 – If I remember correctly Surf Telecoms did this many years ago on the power lines around the South West. Not sure if they are still going but they did partner with Neos at one point.
How widespread is the use of 230v over poles in the UK ? true rural we end up with a tranny on a pole, pushing 230 over any significant length isn’t a great thing.
The final distribution in the UK is all 415V three phase. There is no 240V AC distribution anywhere because that would be stupid. Between any two phases of 415V three phase is 230V single phase. What comes into your house is two phases from 415V three phase.
@Jonathan – That’s not correct. It’s not 2 phases from a 3 phase supply.
The final distribution transformer is tapped to give a neutral. Into each property is single phase + neutral or 3 phase + neutral.