Country dwellers in the UK are celebrating this week after telecommunications giant BT announced plans to roll out a super fast fiber optic broadband service to a half dozen country communities.
The results of the internet provider’s “Race to Infinity” competition, which saw broadband users from across the country vote for their own area to be included in the network improvement plans, were announced on January 4, 2011 with communities in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire and the Scottish Borders emerging as the winners.
Homes in Baschurch, Blewbury, Caxton, Madingley and Innerleithen will have access to the improved connection by the end of next year, BT officials have confirmed.
The competition was part of the companies plans to invest a total of 2.5 billion pounds sterling in the network in coming years, with hopes that more than 60 percent of the country will have access to the improved fiber optic connections within the next four years.
More than 350,000 Internet users logged on the register their interest in becoming part of the new wave of British broadband connections, causing the company to up the number of winners from the original five to six. BT bosses have indicated that the votes cast will also play a vital role in the planning of the continuing development of the broadband network. Exchanges in areas where discernible interest was shown by consumers were added to the list of those to be assessed for suitability for the implementation of the new technology.
Online pundits have shown a mixed reaction to the news, with some sceptics saying the competition was simply a PR stunt for the company and questioning whether they will be able to make good on their promises. Others, however, have welcomed the news as hailing the beginning of a new age of ease of Internet access for the island nation.