Tendring Council and BT Expand Superfast Broadband Cabinet Coverage

The Tendring District Council (TDC) in Essex (UK) has reached an agreement with BT that will see the operator expand its existing coverage of superfast broadband (FTTC) services to include the rural villages of Kirby-le-Soken, Kirby Cross and Great Holland via three new and previously unplanned street cabinets.

BT’s original plan for the Frinton and Walton area had excluded the villages due to the “technical challenge” of expanding coverage into such remote communities, although the council claims to have resolved this by ensuring “the right environment” for BT to invest. It’s unclear precisely what that means, although villagers “also played their part by getting in touch with BT to prove that there was a demand“.

Neil Stock, Leader of TDC, said:

“Residents, businesses and councillors representing the villages were upset and felt they were being left out and disadvantaged when the original announcement was made. We spoke to BT about the situation and despite the technical challenges they faced by including Kirby-le-Soken, Kirby Cross and Great Holland they have made it happen.

[BT] went back and looked at the various options available to them and it has now been revealed that the upgrade will be extended. It will be a boost to the local economy and improve people’s quality of life.”

Annette Thorpe, BT’s Regional Partnership Director, added:

“In some instances it is not commercially or technically viable to deploy cabinets. However, we are pleased that after a detailed review, on this occasion, we have been able to include the cabinets originally omitted.”

Indeed it’s quite rare to see BT agreeing such work and altogether over 16,000 homes and businesses in the region will now stand to benefit from faster and more reliable broadband ISP connections (i.e. download speeds of up to nearly 80Mbps).

It’s understood that the upgrade itself is expected to take place over the “coming weeks” in the Frinton, Manningtree and Wivenhoe telephone exchange areas. Credits to Thinkbroadband for spotting this news.