South Derbyshire named among worst areas for broadband

Thursday, May 26th 2011
The constituency is the sixth worst in the UK for slow broadband.
South Derbyshire named among worst areas for broadband
South Derbyshire is one of the worst constituencies in the UK for slow broadband speeds, according to new figures released by the Labour Party.

The study found 55.7 per cent of residents in the area are forced to put up with low-quality home and business broadband connections, reports the Burton Mail.

This result means South Derbyshire ranks in sixth place on the UK-wide slow broadband list.

Across the UK as a whole, the Labour Party discovered 18.1 per cent of people live in an area that can only receive low-speed broadband.

It warned this issue will not be resolved until 2015 - the year the government is targeting for the delivery of broadband to every home and business in the country.

Carlisle took the number one spot with 64.7 per cent of locals facing frustration with their web access, while West Tyrone, Midlothian, Mid Ulster and Carmarthen East completed the top five.

District councillor Amy Plenderleith claimed the figures may be related to her campaign that called for consumers in South Derbyshire to log on and complain if their service is not up to scratch.

The initiative scored a major victory in 2010 when BT announced plans to upgrade the Etwall telephone exchange by this autumn, bringing fibre optic broadband to thousands of householders and businesses in the area.

As well as the Etwall exchange, Cllr Plenderleith hinted the other hubs that serve South Derbyshire could also be improved in the future.

Slow broadband is only a temporary issue that will be rectified once these upgrades have been carried out, she insisted.

Commenting on the news, James Holland of technology website Electric Pig said it is "incredibly important" for people to have access to fast broadband and described it as the "third utility".

He added: "It makes a real impact on choosing where you live, as people rely on the internet so much.

"People will research the speed they can get at an address before making any decisions." 

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