A public meeting is set to discuss the issues surrounding the almost 70 households in Peasedown St John’s south western area currently excluded from BT’s superfast broadband roll-out, despite being within yards of two cabinet boxes.
Other homes less than 15 minutes walk away already receive superfast broadband speeds.
Maps obtained by B&NES Councillors Sarah Bevan and Karen Walker (Independent, Peasedown St John) indicate that despite BT’s plans to improve coverage during phase 2 of its coverage improvement plans, Home Farm Close, Wellow Mead and some homes in Wellow Lane are in so-called ‘white areas’, where there are no plans for new coverage.
Cllr Sarah Bevan said: “When Home Farm Close residents recently contacted us about their lack of high speed broadband, we took action to find out why.
“Now that our research has shown that probably through administrative error certain postcodes have been excluded in BT’s promised coverage, we know it’s just a simple connection problem to existing infrastructure. BT should act straight away to rectify this.”
Cllr Sarah Bevan recently contacted BT who have agreed to meet with affected residents to discuss the issue.
The meeting will take place at Beacon Hall, French Close, BA2 8SN on Tuesday 25th October at 6pm. Cllrs Bevan, Walker and BT staff will be on hand to talk to residents who have been having broadband connectivity difficulties. All residents are welcome to attend.
In July, BT issued the following statement regarding the superfast broadband roll-out in Peasedown St John: “Across the South West of England, well over two million households and businesses can now get fibre broadband – and the number is continuing to increase rapidly.
“We very much understand the frustration of residents who can’t yet get this exciting technology and we are working hard to make it as widely available as possible.
“Fibre broadband is now available to the great majority of premises in this area, but unfortunately the solution for a relatively small number of premises is more complicated because they are connected directly to the local exchange on ‘exchange only’ lines, rather than via a cabinet.
“Although these premises are not yet included in any current fibre broadband rollout programme, this most certainly is not the end of the story.
“One possibility could be a Community Fibre Partnership in which the local community co-funds the extra work with BT’s local network business, Openreach. The Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) partnership has also indicated it is making plans for further superfast broadband investment in Devon and Somerset.”
