UK cable operator Virgin Media is to trial high-speed broadband delivered overhead via telegraph poles. 

The operator will use the village of Woolhampton in Berkshire to trial a 50Mbps service for approximately six months. "This unique trial will allow us to understand the possibilities of aerial deployment and may provide an exciting new way to extend next generation broadband services,” said Virgin Media CEO Neil Berkett.

The trail is part of Virgin Media’s plans to bring high-speed services to households beyond its fibre optic network. It has already identified one million homes that could benefit from overhead deployment. The operator said the government is currently considering a change to planning guidelines, which is needed to enable large-scale overhead deployment.