Suffolk is set to miss out in the latest broadband upgrades

RURAL campaigners have criticised BT for not including Suffolk in a list of places earmarked for broadband upgrades in the region.

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BT announced this week that more than 74,000 homes and businesses in East Anglia will have access to faster broadband by next spring.

Customers will gain access to broadband speeds of up to 20 megabits per second – more than double the maximum speeds previously available to the majority of UK homes and businesses.

BT’s latest phase of upgrades includes installations in 13 communities including Manningtree and Harwich.

But Roger Turkington, director of operations at Suffolk Acre, a charity which campaigns for rural communities, said BT’s decision not to carry out any upgrades in Suffolk was disappointing.

He said: “This is not good news for the county. We have heard from some people in rural areas who are still operating at dial-up speed and that isn’t good enough.

“We want to kill off these internet slow-spots and work towards getting everyone access to fast broadband.

“We will now have to look at other ways of improving the situation either by working with community groups or campaigning for government intervention.”

Mr Turkington added that it was crucial for homes and businesses in Suffolk to gain access to fast broadband.

He added: “There are so many reasons why we don’t want to see Suffolk left behind in the broadband stakes.

“Fast internet is crucial for delivering all kinds of information – like health advice or helping young people with their studies.

“The local economy will also suffer in the long term. Businesses won’t come to the county if there isn’t fast broadband.”

Nicola Currie, regional director for the east of England for the Country Land and Business Association, added: “This is a problem that is not going to get solved overnight so we need a whole lot of innovative ways of tackling the problem.

“The more that all these problems get highlighted, the more likely we are to get changes made.”

A BT spokesman said: “We are working to find solutions for the relatively small number of customers, who are currently unable to access broadband for technical reasons.

“We have made – and continue to make – a major, multi million pound investment in our network in Suffolk.

“No company has made a bigger investment in broadband in the region than BT.

“We are very open to holding
discussions with organisations, to explore ways of providing broadband where the economics are more challenging.”