Campaigners in bid for faster broadband in rural Shropshire
Campaigners fighting for quicker broadband in rural Shropshire have written to council chiefs asking to be at the front of the queue in the authority's £25 million roll-out of faster services.
Members of the South-West Shropshire and Marches Better Broadband campaign say the scheme favours areas where broadband is already up to speed.
The group was mobilised after a special meeting called in Clun last month revealed fears that the more remote areas, which already have snail-like internet speeds or no access at all, will be dealt with last in the scheme.
BT bosses and council chiefs were unable to give the packed room a definite answer on when the project would reach them.
The group has also started a e-petition and is looking to get more than 1,000 names to force a full council debate on the subject.
Patrick Cosgrove, a member of the group said: "We plan to write to Keith Barrow, the leader of Shropshire Council, to ask for an immediate change in focus with regards to the roll-out.
"In rolling out faster broadband across Shropshire, priority should be afforded to those areas without any broadband provision or with very poor broadband speeds.
"In simple terms the council should be working from the rural parts of the county inwards rather than carrying out the easier upgrades first where premises already enjoy much higher connection speeds.
"We have set up an electronic petition in support of our campaign and also written to Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary expressing our concerns, and to Margaret Hodge at the Parliamentary Accounts Committee in anticipation of its examination of such issues."
