Press release 22 May 08

As Ofcom releases figures to show that rural households are now more likely to have a broadband connection than residents of towns, Cllr Charles Jones is urging the people of South Derbyshire to provide the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with evidence that they are struggling to access the internet.

Says Cllr Jones, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, "This is your last chance to work with us to make a difference to broadband across South Derbyshire. As other rural areas are finding it easier to access broadband, we should not be left behind. BT refuses to accept they have a problem with broadband access in South Derbyshire, as I recently discovered in a meeting with their Regional Manager, Tom Hamilton. We want to gather as much information as possible to have this debate with the telecommunications giant. We will have a stronger case to improve broadband access across the area if local people tell us about the problems they are experiencing."

"Unfortunately we can’t personally help fix any problems, but we would like to know about them. It’s important that BT know about all of the problems South Derbyshire residents are having. Even though you can purchase broadband through a range of Internet Service Providers (ISP), they still have to use BT to provide you with the service. We want to help more people in South Derbyshire benefit from broadband technology."

If you live in South Derbyshire and are having problems with broadband access, please contact the District Council before the end of May. Please outline the specific details of any problems you are experiencing, the broadband ISP provider you use, your postcode and the phone number that your broadband is on.

Write to Broadband, Customer Services, South Derbyshire District Council, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Swadlincote Derbyshire DE11 0AH, by phone Customer Services on 01283 595795 or when you can email broadband@south-derbys.gov.uk