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Broadband link call by villagers
By Andrew Smith
Plea to upgrade local exchange
VILLAGERS in North Oxfordshire are backing a campaign to bring
high-speed Internet access to their area.
Paul Tate, from Hanwell, near Banbury, is rallying support in a bid to persuade
BT to upgrade the telephone exchange at Wroxton St Mary to deliver a broadband
service.
Mr Tate, a self-employed accountant and information technology consultant, said
that having a Internet link which is up to up to 40 times faster than the
traditional modem service, will help him develop his business.
It will also allow pictures, videos, music and games to be downloaded rapidly.
He said: "There are a lot of small, home-based businesses in surrounding
villages which want an "always on" Internet link.
"Broadband will enable me to work more efficiently and introduce services I am
not able to offer yet."
Fourteen exchanges across the county have been upgraded to offer broadband
services but residents and businesses have to be within five kilometres of an
exchange to be able to receive it.
It costs up to £500,000 to modernise an exchange to
handle broadband but BT recently set up a registration scheme where anyone
interested can tell their Internet service provider and BT and if it reaches a
certain level for a particular exchange then it will decide to upgrade it - if
commercially viable.
It is this scheme Mr Tate is trying to encourage people in the villages of
Hanwell, Honey, Wroxton, Balscote, North Newington and Drayton to register.
BT spokesman Jason Mann said: "There have been campaign groups in other areas of
the country which have been successful.
"The Wroxton St Mary exchange currently has 43 registrations and no trigger
level has yet been set which would make us consider introducing broadband.
"Typically about 200 registrations are needed."
For details of receiving broadband, see the web site
www.bt.com/broadband
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