A recent study furthered the misery for Shrewsbury as far as internet speeds are concerned by naming it the slowest town in England for broadband.
National recognition is usually a good thing, but not in this case. Independent consumer site Broadband Expert confirmed our worst fears: if you have an SY postcode, you are receiving the slowest speed in the country on average.
Shrewsbury’s MP Daniel Kawczynski is a long-time campaigner for faster speeds, and the town can perhaps take heart from a Government announcement which aims to provide the UK with Europe’s top network by 2015.
MP Daniel Kawczynski
But the fact still remains that residents, shops and businesses both small and large are seemingly being held back by shoddy internet speeds.
It is both frustrating and detrimental to the local economy, including many smaller businesses in rural areas close to the town, townspeople say.
And as BT’s Race to Infinity – which encourages towns to compete for a superfast internet upgrade – draws to a disappointing close, Shrewsbury is still a considerable way behind the leaders with just 1,140 votes.
The village of Baschurch is, however, bucking the trend in third place – which gives them a much better chance of securing BT’s internet incentive after securing more than 1,320 votes.
Rob Webber, commercial director of Broadband Expert, said: “Studies show that broadband speeds are a contributing factor to a region’s future economic prosperity, which is a concern for these slower speed areas.
“In our opinion, the Government’s pledge to make superfast broadband available in the majority of homes and businesses by 2017 cannot come soon enough. I’m sure residents and workers in Shrewsbury will agree.”
A mother from Hemford, near Minsterley, who asked not to be named, said her whole family as well as her online sign language interpreting business had suffered ‘incredibly’ because they still had no broadband connection after more than a decade.
Her 25-year-old son, Alex, even has to travel to his friend’s house in Shrewsbury every time he wants to use the internet as he goes about setting up his own web design business.
“It has definitely impacted on our family life and our potential to earn and we are desperate for a proper broadband connection,” she said.
“Nothing has improved in over a decade – we still have to use a dial-up connection which always crashes and it does just drive you mad.”
Resident Thomas Hotchkiss, of Bicton Heath, said even when he worked at a computer company in York over a decade ago it wasn’t as bad as Shrewsbury’s current situation.
He receives a paltry 1.86 Mbps at present, which is little over half of Shrewsbury’s already poor 3.46 Mbps average.
“The broadband speed in Shrewsbury is absolutely abysmal and it is sure to be holding back businesses right across the area and making serious business applications impossible,” he said.
“The problem is we’re six and a half miles from the nearest sub-station here and they tell us that’s the reason why it’s so slow but there simply must be a way to get round it as this is 2010 not 1910. It’s sometimes feels like going back to the Middle Ages.”
Mr Kawczynski said funding for rural areas which currently receive a low speed internet connection had recently been secured and that he would continue to fight for better provision.
He said: “The coalition Government has made excellent progress in securing broadband funding for rural areas that receive a poor speed of service.
“I very much welcome this and I am doing everything possible to secure a much faster broadband service for all my constituents across Shrewsbury and Shropshire. I have no doubt that the local economy would benefit greatly as a result.”
Visit www.racetoinfinity.bt.com to vote for the town before tomorrow’s Race to Infinity deadline of December 31.
In the words of Mr Webber, 2017 really cannot come soon enough.
By David Seadon