End to broadband debacle in sight

HOPES are rising that firms at a Royton business park will soon have superfast broadband services.

Companies at Salmon Fields have been calling for urgent action for months. And now BT Openreach says local businesses can finally order high speed fibre broadband services.

A BT spokesman said: “Openreach recently completed all the cabling and technical work needed, so superfast broadband will be available to firms on Salmon Fields.

“As this is an open network and people can choose any broadband provider, so we have to give these firms two weeks’ notice after we have finished our work. We have been able to bring fibre broadband to Salmon Fields 21 months earlier than previous planned. There should be no reason for firms to relocate because of the lack of internet services.”

The long-running controversy has involved numerous telecoms firms and organisations including BT Openreach, BDUK, Oldham Council and Manchester City Council.

Luke Vernon, managing director at VSM Healthcare, has been leading the campaign: “We are hoping we will finally get superfast broadband soon. This has been a long-running saga. We have now been waiting 159 days to get this service - which we were told would take 45 days.

“We fear that business parks such as ours are not a priority for BT Openreach. We think they prefer big housing estates where they can sell TV and telecom packages to families.”

Mr Vernon is now sending a report to Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher on the “debacle” and added: “It’s not going to make pretty reading.”

twitter: @RobmacdonaldOC