British Telecom (BT) have come under fire after the Chairman, Sir Michael Rake, admitted he is the only person in his village who has a connection to a broadband service.
Other people in the village of Hambleden, on the border of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire were told they could not receive a broadband connection due to the distance from the nearest internet exchange.
BT said Sir Michael Rake’s connection was part of a trial in to new technology which could lead to bringing broadband to all residents in that area – something which has never been done before by any provider due to the high costs.
Residents however, have seen the news in another light. One person went as far as saying it wasn’t fair and Sir Michael should resign from his position as Chairman at BT.
“It’s this preferential treatment that Sir Michael Rake has had that’s upset most of the villagers,” Gary Ashworth from Hambleden, said.
BT responded to the public outcry by saying: “Trials of new technologies are often conducted among a company’s own staff so there is nothing unusual in this situation. We have sympathy for the residents of Hambleden.”
The government has promised to provide all homes in the UK with speeds of at least 2Mbps by 2012 so it will be interesting to see the expansion plans that BT have for remote areas such as Hambleden.
What are your thoughts on BT’s decision to trial the connection with a high ranking member of their company? Fair or unfair?
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