Virgin Media zaps ultrafast broadband into electricity pylons

Virgin Media is to zap ultrafast broadband into a Welsh village via electricity poles. It will test the service in the Welsh village of Crumlin, Caerphilly, piggybacking a 50Mb broadband fibre-optic network on to existing electricity pylons.

Although Virgin reckons speeds could hit 50Mbps, as Ofcom revealed today the actual results could be much lower.

The first trial of an aerial fibre-optic network was purpose-built in Woolhampton, Berkshire, earlier this year, but this is the first trial to use pre-existing infrastructure.

We love the idea that sleepy hamlets around the country are blessed with random pockets of advanced technology, like 4G phone connection or independent broadband communes -- in Little Middlington in Polkadotshire, rural Britons are probably zooming around in jetpacks.

Shame they don't have a post office any more.

Image: OrangeSmell