12 March 2007
Furious internet users in Cheltenham have vented their frustration after over 400 homes on a new estate in Springbank realised that they were unable to get a high-speed internet service.
The situation has got so bad that local residents have taken the issue to their local MPs, who will table a discussion on the issue in the House of Commons this week.
Speaking to the BBC, Graham Phillips, a local resident, called on BT to take "ownership" of the problems.
Mr Phillips has been attempting to work from home but due to the lack of broadband, has been forced to travel into his office instead, wasting his time and his money as well as causing damage to the environment.
"We're talking about a greener Britain, but I have to travel to work to get my emails. It's preposterous. I'm almost boiling with anger," he fumed.
Another resident, Jade Taylor, added: "I was doing an Open University course and found it difficult to do my research because it was taking so many hours without the internet."
MP Martin Horwood, a local Liberal Democrat representative, promised to bring the matter forward in the House of Commons today, adding: "It's insane they don't have what is a basic part of the internet service. This is affecting jobs, education, it's serious in this day and age, that they've been left out while other people have it."
BT has since released a statement, saying that it was "looking at other technologies to provide the service including wireless" and that the issue was something it is very aware of.
"Even if we do not have an imminent solution in this case, we are working on and developing new technologies all the time," the statement concluded.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.