£12m broadband contract for rural Shropshire and mid Wales ended amid scores of complaints

Councillors in the west Shropshire borderland and Powys had received 100 complaints about failing mobile signals in the area and the way Voneus was dealing with the service.

In a statement Building Digital UK (BDUK) said: “BDUK and Voneus have mutually agreed to terminate the Project Gigabit contract for Mid West Shropshire.”

It added that the agency is now “moving swiftly” to put in place alternative plans with other suppliers to connect premises that were due to be connected.

“Voneus has not received any public funding for this contract,” the statement adds.

The project was to see rural areas of Shropshire get access to faster 'gigabit capable full fibre broadband'.

The Voneus network was to be rolled out across large areas of rural Shropshire, including Alberbury, Westbury, Snailbeach, Wentnor, Ford, Hanwood, Longden, Dorrington, Leebotwood and Bicton, bringing faster, more reliable broadband to local residents and communities.

But it soon emerged that there were connectivity issues. 

Scores of residents had contacted Chirbury and Worthen councillor Heather Kidd and Churchstoke elected member Danny Bebb over 'poor wi-fi' on their respective sides of the Shropshire/Mid Wales border.

Bishop's Castle councillor Ruth Houghton said she and councillors Nigel Hartin, Heather Kidd, Danny Bebb and herself have now received well over 100 complaints about the service.

She told her constituents: “We continue to try to improve those services for you if you are still with them.”