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Rutland Telecoms: More villages could offer own broadband
Monday 19th April 2010, by Daniel King
We could be set to see a growing number of small, rural communities offering their own super-fast broadband network to their residents in the near future, if comments from Rutland Telecoms are anything to go by.
It was recently revealed that the village of Lyddington has defied BT and other big telecoms providers by setting up its own high-speed service, after the area was deemed not to have good economical value.
Local investors put their hands in their pockets to produce £37,000 to get the network up and running, with Rutland Telecom in charge of its delivery.
The initiative has even been backed by celebrity Stephen Fry who applauded the community's DIY approach.
"It has always been a frustration that fast, reliable broadband service has always been hardest for those who most benefit," he commented.
And it could be that other small villages follow in Lyddington's footsteps.
David Lewis, managing director of Rutland Telecom, said rural communities may now start forming themselves into a company to deliver high-speed broadband.
"[You] need some outside expertise to achieve it, but under legislation you are legally allowed to become a customer of Openreach and go ahead and insist on your rights to have the network put in place on your behalf at low cost," he explained.
He added: "You need to be local, smallish and specialised to achieve it because you have to talk to the local community."
What do you think about Mr Lewis's remarks?
Do you think more villages should start trying to supply superfast broadband to its residents?
