Green box holds promise of fast broadband links for Shropshire villagers
It's green, about three feet tall and so ordinary you would probably pass by without really noticing it.
But this unpromising-looking roadside cabinet has delivered an early Christmas present to people of a Shropshire village.
Montford Bridge has become the first place in the county to benefit from a £24.6 million project to deliver faster broadband.
Through the scheme, called Connecting Shropshire, more than 160 village homes and businesses now have access to faster internet services.
The cabinet was officially switched on yesterday morning in a move welcomed by Environment Secretary and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson.
Transform
He said: "The roll-out of superfast broadband has the potential to transform rural areas, bridging the age-old gap between rural and urban.
"It will allow businesses to grow and expand and communities to access services in a way that they've not been able to before.
"It will be a massive benefit to everyone who lives in this area, and I look forward to seeing many more of these projects get off the ground."
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council portfolio holder responsible for broadband, said the switch-on was an "important step forward".
Montford Bridge, near Shrewsbury, will be joined by more than 6,000 homes and businesses in Albrighton, Harlescott, Minsterley and Pontesbury in having access to high speed fibre broadband in the next three months.
An announcement of areas included in this first phase is to be made in January. The project is being funded by £7.8 million from the Government's Broadband Delivery UK programme, £8.2 million from Shropshire Council and £8.6 million from BT.
More than 62,000 rural homes and businesses will be able to access faster broadband by the end of spring 2016 through the programme, which is designed to benefit areas previously considered to not be commercially viable for connections.
Including commercial fibre broadband roll-outs, it is intended at least 93 per cent of Shropshire homes and businesses, excluding those in Telford & Wrekin, will have access to fibre broadband and speeds of at least 2mbps by spring 2016.
