"Broadband to cover many more areas" - MP

Letter: There is no doubt that the majority of telephone exchanges which can provide broadband access are sited in urban areas.

Constituents from Little Chalfont and other areas where the exchange cannot currently provide broadband services have been in touch with me, lobbying for the service.

Broadband allows the customer to download or to send data by computer much faster than on ordinary telephone lines. The new technology can also deal with high quality graphics or music, much faster than previous systems.

Businesses can benefit from this technology.

An Early Day Motion which I signed earlier this month demonstrated that, if rural businesses are unable to access affordable broadband services, they are at a commercial disadvantage to their urban-based competitors.

There is encouraging news, though.

A couple of weeks ago, I met senior representatives from BT and learned that the technology is available to convert more rural exchanges to provide broadband. The key is for everyone who wants this technology whether private or business users to register their interest with BT or with their internet service providers.

The areas where there is a high level of registration are the areas which are top of the list when it comes to conversion.

Following my meeting with BT, I learned that residents of Holmer Green should receive the service from April 16. Sufficient numbers of people wishing to use the service have registered and so the service has been triggered.

People who live or work in Penn should be able to use broadband services, because the exchange was recently "enabled."

The Minister for E-Commerce and competitiveness, Stephen Timms, has also got in touch with me to say that every school should have broadband services by 2006.

In theory, that means that once the technology is put into every school, people living nearby should also be able to receive the service.

At the moment, the Minister says, about one in four schools in England have broadband access.

However, I recognise that people want to make use of the services as soon as they can, rather than waiting for the service to be "rolled out".

People living in Little Chalfont, Cholesbury or The Lee need to put in their registrations and persuade employers and neighbours to do the same.

For information on how to register please go to this site: www.bt.com/ broadband

It gives information on links.

Cheryl Gillan, MP

Chesham and Amersham

13:31 Friday 21st February 2003

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