The decision that Matfen village will now be a key
priority in the County Council's latest broadband roll out was made on 29th
May. For far too long, Matfen has
suffered from a very poor / no Internet. Whilst other towns and villages have begun to see
improvements or resolution in their internet services, Matfen was effectively being cut off.
That simply wasn't good enough and Cllr Jones and I pledged to work hard to
deliver a solution. I am immensely pleased that such a solution has been found
and BT will be bringing broadband to the village.
The problem the villagers of Matfen faced in getting
online is because the village is at the end of a long connection to the local
exchange ‘cabinet’ which is located in neighbouring Fenwick, rather than in
Matfen itself. As a result, the County Council's first roll out of broadband
upgrades had been unable to find a cost effective solution, given that the estimated cost exceeded £2000 per household.
Councillor Veronica Jones has led the campaign locally, and said "This really is fantastic news for Matfen village. The hard work now really begins to make sure it is delivered. I will also be working hard to ensure those in more rural areas are able to benefit from the latest innovations to help improve their broadband service."
I should add that I am fully aware that there remain several villages and hamlets and not spots in the patch, which still need addressing. Several like Colwell and the Hexham Shire I am fully aware of and am working on but all information is good information.
As always please keep me and the local councillors informed. The broadband roll out is progressing and we are getting there, but all information helps because I can only act on matters that local people let me know about.
