Internet frustration for North Lincolnshire firms and residents
RURAL businesses and residents in North Lincolnshire have become frustrated with broadband speeds up to 20 times below their advertised rates.
Many areas in the region have seen broadband speed drop to a reported 0.1Megabits per second (Mbps), despite receiving packages advertising a rate up to 20 times faster.
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Farmer Martin Golland of Deepdale near Barton-Upon-Humber who is concerned at the quality of broadband internet connection in the countryside.
The Government has promised to upgrade everyone to 2 Mbps by 2012, with a broadband tax of 50p per month on phonebills will be used to provide even faster connections by 2017.
Cath Farrell, North Lincolnshire branch secretary of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE), said: "Broadband in certain rural areas is incredibly poor and it creates a two-tier society between those who have access to modern communications and those who don't."
Martin Golland, of Langold Estates Ltd, Deepdale, avoids using the internet in his business due to unreliable connection.
He said: "We've been without the internet for weeks on end before, so when it comes to the business I'd much rather stick with more traditional methods."
A BT spokesperson advised broadband users that complaints about internet performance need to be registered through individual service providers before they can be investigated.
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10 Comments
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by Charge For iPlayer, Tax Emails
Friday, November 06 2009, 10:24PM
“In Broughton I have Virgin upto 8mb ADSL MAX 1.5mbps which I believe is supplied through BT Wholesale, maximum connection has dropped from 1.5 to 1.1 over last 8 months, tests show 0.7mbps at best, constantly drops out, I agreed to go to TalkTalk claiming 2mbps tested while talking to them, 2 days later got a letter quoting 200kbps, 9 calls later was told I would only get 100kbps so I told them to cancel and went back to Virgin, BT claim maximum 512kbps on my line, I have to click on refresh several times to get many pages to fully load. Instead of fixed phone lines being taxed £6 a year they should charge for BBC iPlayer which only those with better connections can use then use cash to upgrade rural areas, could even put 1p tax on emails sent, it would then be internet users paying for upgrades not phone users that don't use internet. You can bet anything raised will be used to give even faster services to urban areas and rural areas will gain very little.”
by Tracee, Whitton
Friday, November 06 2009, 2:16PM
“Thoades. Thank you, I am going to contact them. I would like to thank everyone for their help. It is a lot nicer than some of the postings that go on against other headlines”
by thoades, Scunny
Friday, November 06 2009, 1:47PM
“Tracee,
Have a look on the Quickline web site, you might be in look at Whitton. Even if the on line checker says you are not covered it might be worth while asking them for a site survey, I'm on it and its awsomely fast!”
by Steve, Messingham
Friday, November 06 2009, 11:30AM
“Ditch the phoneline. Try microwave broadband from Quickline.co.uk”
by Durr, Grimsby
Friday, November 06 2009, 11:03AM
“Try Googling, it helps you find out things you don't know.”