If the undertaking given to the Chipping Barnet MP Mrs Theresa Villiers is honoured by BT, she hopes superfast broadband will be provided to 98 per cent of the homes and businesses in her constituency within the next two years.
Currently only 90 per cent of Mrs Villiers’ constituents have a fast broadband connection, but there are “some significant gaps” in the service provided in High Barnet.
BT has told Mrs Villiers that the next phase of its delivery of fast broadband will include upgrades to another five cabinets in High Barnet, at the following locations:
- Wood Street, near the Black Horse public house (cabinet 39)
- Bells Hill, near the junction with Wood Street (cabinet 40)
- Manor Road, near the junction with Cedar Lawn Avenue (cabinet 38)
- Wood Street, near the entrance to the Old Court House recreation ground (cabinet 33)
- Salisbury Road, near the junction with Stapylton Road (cabinet 64)
But another three cabinets have NOT been included in the upgrade programme:
- Bruce Road, near the junction with St Albans Road (cabinets 36 and 65)
- Salisbury Road, near the junction with High Street (cabinet 34)
Earlier this year BT confirmed an upgrade for the cabinet at Hadley Parade in High Street (cabinet 52) after funding provided by local residents.
Mrs Villiers (www.theresavilliers.co.uk) said the upgrading of six of the nine cabinets identified by Barnet Society was an important step towards addressing some of the “most serious” gaps in High Barnet’s broadband service.
“This announcement is good news, but the upgrade of the five cabinets is not yet a certainty as it will be subject to further physical surveys and work, and the whole process could take up to two years.”
Mrs Villiers promised to keep fighting for faster broadband for the cabinets not included in the upgrade.
Ken Rowland, co-ordinator of the fibre4barnet campaign (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), welcomed BT’s announcement, but said the battle had not yet been won.
The priority should be to compile a map of the roads served by the cabinets that have missed out on the upgrade so that local residents can continue to put pressure on BT to be included.
