Three Strikes Five-Year 4G Backhaul Deal With Virgin Media Business

Three has signed a five year deal with Virgin Media Business to improve the mobile operator’s backhaul in order to meet increased demands for network capacity as its 4G network is rolled out across the UK.

The agreement will see Virgin Media Business provide better connections between Three’s 15 aggregation sites and its core data centres across the UK using Virgin’s nationwide fibre network.

It is claimed that the new service will increase Three’s network by 300Gb, allowing it to cope with the anticipated strain from 4G users. No financial details have been disclosed, although it is described as a “multi-million pound” deal.

Three 4G backhaul deal

“With the new high-capacity backhaul network from Virgin Media Business we are ready to welcome even more people to the Three family,” says Bryn Jones, Three’s chief technical officer. “Regardless of where they are, now all of our customers will receive the best possible experiences when using 4G.”

“Through our network, [Three] can meet customer expectations and deliver a fast and consistent connection,” adds George Wareing, sales director, Virgin Media Business.

Earlier this week it was announced that Three had agreed to share some parts of its 4G network infrastructure with rival EE, who it currently operates the Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL) joint-venture, as they continue their respective LTE plans.

Three, which is not planning to charge a premium for its 4G service, has started rolling out LTE in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Reading, and plans to reach 50 towns and cities by the end of the year.

Virgin Media Business is also supporting O2’s 4G network, with the two parties agreeing a ten year backhaul agreement last summer, and has major backhaul deals with all four major UK networks.

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