MBNL utilizes Virgin Ethernet backhaul

Virgin Media Business is preparing for the first commercial deployment of its synchronous Ethernet mobile backhaul, winning a £100 million (€114 million) deal from Mobile Broadband Network (MBNL).
 
The eight year deal will see Virgin construct 14 regional aggregation networks in the UK for MBNL – a joint venture between T-Mobile UK and Three UK -, offering the firm access to a mobile backhaul network capable of speeds up to 1Gbps for its current 3G infrastructure.
 
Graham Payne, managing director of MBNL, says surging demand for mobile data services from smartphone owners is a “big growth opportunity,” and that deploying Virgin’s Ethernet product enables the firm to “scale for future demand.”
 
Virgin Media Business chief, Mark Heraghty, says the deal highlights the potential of the mobile market for the firm’s fiber optic network. “[W]e can leverage that asset for all mobile network operators in the UK.”