BT accused of not finishing Shrewsbury broadband fibre work
Concerns have been raised by Shropshire councillors over the broadband connectivity in the county, after claims that BT left work unfinished.
Councillor Nic Laurens, portfolio holder for economic growth, presented his annual report to full council on Thursday, in which it revealed that a target to provide all homes in Shropshire with superfast broadband by 2020 will not be met.
Lib Dem Councillor Hannah Fraser said there are new fibre optic cables hanging from telegraph poles in Shrewsbury where she said BT have stopped work.
She said: "I live about half a mile away from the main telephone exchange, and in my area we have brand new fibre optic cables hanging from telegraph poles as BT have just stopped working.
"The service drops out and we're not alone, there are many areas that are supposed to be serviced properly and they're not.
"This council needs to do everything it can to push BT to give residents the service they deserve.
"This county doesn't have decent broadband connectivity and we need to be doing much more to make sure that works."
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Councillor Heather Kidd added: "The standard of the copper wiring here is so poor that the amount of fibre that's available means that when you've got lots of children home, my speeds go down to about two mbps instead of being 54 mbps as quoted to me."
Councillor Nat Green said: "I've been informed by a resident who lives less than 100 yards away from the telephone exchange in Shrewsbury that he can't get fibre broadband."
Councillor Elliott Lynch, deputy portfolio holder for economic support, said they are working on getting the final two per cent of the county superfast broadband.
He said: "We certainly have come a long way, we have 90 per cent connectivity, but 2021 we're hoping to have 98 per cent.
"There are challenges with the final two per cent, but there are things in the pipeline to allow us to move into projects for the two per cent."
Councillor Nic Laurens, portfolio holder for economic growth, added: "It's totally unacceptable of BT, we are doing everything we can to lobby them. For a company of their magnitude to sign an agreement to deliver but then to say it's too expensive. We will continue to lobby them."
BT has been approached to comment.
