Innovative broadband lines could boost VoIP solutions

Business VoIP service users in rural areas could benefit from the innovative deployment of broadband in a Welsh village.

Virgin Media is using electrical poles owned by Western Power Distribution (WPD), to deliver super-fast broadband to residents of Crumlin in Caerphilly.

Users will be able to access download speeds of up to 50Mbps, compared to the current average rate of just 5.2Mbps.

IP telephony solutions could profit from the increased speeds as a faster internet connection can improve call quality.

Richard Doble, design and policy manager at Surf Telecoms, a firm owned by WPD, claimed more companies could seek to use the poles.

He said: "The possibilities of aerial deployment promise a valuable use of existing infrastructure and an interesting new commercial opportunity for utility companies."

It is the first time Virgin have used existing poles to deploy broadband as the firm previously had to build its own infrastructure.