Virgin wants homes to access the internet through their own book-sized transceivers
Wi-Fi signals that connect laptops and other gadgets to the net are filling up, prompting Virgin to offer customers a personal mobile internet signal. Photograph: Marc Romanelli/Getty Images
The drive for universal mobile phone coverage has seen masts hung from every street corner and disguised as fir trees, clocks and even church windows. Now miniature versions could make their way into living rooms, under plans being drawn up by Virgin Media.
The cable operator wants to offer customers a personal mobile phone signal, using transceivers the size of a paperback book, because the wireless network relied upon by personal computers is predicted to become overloaded.
Virgin hopes to bid alongside more traditional mobile operators such as Vodafone and O2 for a chunk of the 4G high-speed mobile internet spectrum due to be auctioned by the government next year. Other landline companies, including BT, are considering bidding for spectrum, but have yet to disclose their plans.
Virgin and BT have been engaged in a broadband arms race, trumping each others' highest speeds, with BT now offering internet access in some areas of up to 110 megabits per second, more than 10 times the average home connection and enough to stream video to a handful of screens simultaneously.
Fast internet is a potential high earner for telecoms companies – Virgin charges up to £45 a month for a 100Mbps connection. However, the top speeds can only be guaranteed as far as the cable socket. And as the number of gadgets with an internet connection increases, with iPads joining smartphones and laptops in many homes, the Wi-Fi signal which connects them to the fibre network is filling up.
Eventually, even those paying extra for a high-speed line may find they have a slow connection because their wireless channel is full.
The pressure will mount as the so-called "internet of things" takes hold. Household appliances from fridges and washing machines to boilers are expected to get their own internet connection in the next few years so that they can be operated remotely.
Virgin Media strategy director Robert Samuelson said: "As more pieces of equipment are going to use Wi-Fi and we get into video, there is a risk of the quality of service declining. It's already happening in student halls of residence and hotels."
The Wi-Fi capacity crunch has affected even high end establishments such as Hilton Hotels, with frequent complaints from guests about slow internet speeds. Luxury venues, including the Ritz and the Dorchester, charge for a connection, presumably as a way of limiting usage, while other hotels offer free Wi-Fi for basic functions like email but charge for a high speed connection.
Wi-fi signals are notorious for seizing up at conference centres, particularly during hi-tech events such as the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where efforts to demonstrate the latest in wireless technology have been hampered by overcrowded networks.
The miniature masts which Virgin wants to use, known as femtocells or nanocells, would have a range of up to 100 metres. They could be plugged into living rooms and studies, or used in offices to provide coverage over a wide area at higher power. Public places such as restaurants, exhibition centres and railway stations may also take an interest in the technology.
Once the 4G spectrum auction is complete, mobile phone networks will begin erecting yet more masts and transceivers as they roll out high speed internet. However, the money might be better spent indoors, where signals are often poor. Deutsche Telekom research has shown that even on smartphones, 45% of traffic is generated from homes, 45% is from work, and only 10% is while out and about walking, driving or taking a bus.
The cable operator wants to offer customers a personal mobile phone signal, using transceivers the size of a paperback book, because the wireless network relied upon by personal computers is predicted to become overloaded.
Virgin hopes to bid alongside more traditional mobile operators such as Vodafone and O2 for a chunk of the 4G high-speed mobile internet spectrum due to be auctioned by the government next year. Other landline companies, including BT, are considering bidding for spectrum, but have yet to disclose their plans.
Virgin and BT have been engaged in a broadband arms race, trumping each others' highest speeds, with BT now offering internet access in some areas of up to 110 megabits per second, more than 10 times the average home connection and enough to stream video to a handful of screens simultaneously.
Fast internet is a potential high earner for telecoms companies – Virgin charges up to £45 a month for a 100Mbps connection. However, the top speeds can only be guaranteed as far as the cable socket. And as the number of gadgets with an internet connection increases, with iPads joining smartphones and laptops in many homes, the Wi-Fi signal which connects them to the fibre network is filling up.
Eventually, even those paying extra for a high-speed line may find they have a slow connection because their wireless channel is full.
The pressure will mount as the so-called "internet of things" takes hold. Household appliances from fridges and washing machines to boilers are expected to get their own internet connection in the next few years so that they can be operated remotely.
Virgin Media strategy director Robert Samuelson said: "As more pieces of equipment are going to use Wi-Fi and we get into video, there is a risk of the quality of service declining. It's already happening in student halls of residence and hotels."
The Wi-Fi capacity crunch has affected even high end establishments such as Hilton Hotels, with frequent complaints from guests about slow internet speeds. Luxury venues, including the Ritz and the Dorchester, charge for a connection, presumably as a way of limiting usage, while other hotels offer free Wi-Fi for basic functions like email but charge for a high speed connection.
Wi-fi signals are notorious for seizing up at conference centres, particularly during hi-tech events such as the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where efforts to demonstrate the latest in wireless technology have been hampered by overcrowded networks.
The miniature masts which Virgin wants to use, known as femtocells or nanocells, would have a range of up to 100 metres. They could be plugged into living rooms and studies, or used in offices to provide coverage over a wide area at higher power. Public places such as restaurants, exhibition centres and railway stations may also take an interest in the technology.
Once the 4G spectrum auction is complete, mobile phone networks will begin erecting yet more masts and transceivers as they roll out high speed internet. However, the money might be better spent indoors, where signals are often poor. Deutsche Telekom research has shown that even on smartphones, 45% of traffic is generated from homes, 45% is from work, and only 10% is while out and about walking, driving or taking a bus.
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