Faster broadband to come to Creeting St Peter?

BT has announced that it is to extend the availability of its next-generation ADSL broadband service to a further 2.5 million homes, around 900,000 of these in rural areas. The news comes as Ofcom reveals that the average speed of broadband in the UK is 6.8Mbps (megabits per second).BT had already pledged to roll out its faster ADSL technology to 80% of the UK and this latest announcement means it will now reach 90%, promising broadband speeds more than double what they are now. However, the technology that it is using relies on the older copper wire telephone network, and offers speeds of up to 20Mbps. Unfortunately, few people will achieve the maximum speed because ADSL degrades the further a house is away from the exchange.

Given that Creeting St Peter is reportedly seven miles from the nearest exchange, that does not augur well for significant improvements, with Cllr Mark Valladares noting the difficulties this presents to those wanting to run their businesses from home. "Rural communities need improved broadband services, from schoolchildren doing their homework using the internet, to the elderly relying on the internet to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, improved broadband speeds are a must. And if we are to secure the future of villages like ours, the ability to run a business remotely will encourage people to move here and put down roots.", said Cllr Valladares.