Bembridge & St Helens Guide
Following a long campaign by BBA members, BT has finally nailed 6 October as the date by which broadband will be available in Bembridge . BBA members John Dyer of J.D.DOT.COM and Richard Beet of Curzon Communications have for the past 18 months been looking at wireless and landline option being offered by BroadbandWight and BT.
In a telephone call to BBA vice-chairman Richard Beet in June, well before the BT's public announcement about services to different parts of the Island, BT service manager John Williams confirmed that broadband will be available by the beginning of October.
"In the letter dated 9 July, BT confirmed that initial tests had shown that ADSL broadband could be provided to my home at Forelands, one of the furthest places from the exchange," said Richard. "That should mean that most 87XXXX lines in Bembridge and St Helens will also be OK."
BBA pressure on BT began in 2002 reaching a peak following denials by BT that they had raised the trigger level (the number of people registering an interest in broadband) in November 2003 despite evidence to the contrary. At the height of the dispute with BBA, BT suddenly announced that they were dropping the trigger levels nationally and providing provision dates by the end of June.
Wireless broadband has long been seen as an alternative for Bembridge residents and businesses. For more than two years, BBA member John Dyer has been attempting to work with BroadbandWight to provide service through signals beamed in via the mainland to Stenbury Down and on to St Helens or the fire station tower in Bembridge.
"I kept getting promises that were continually being broken," said John. "The company that I was dealing with changed their suppliers and we were having difficulty using council property for the tiny antenna that was needed. "I now understand that the radio link is deemed to be too long and that the company is looking to work with licensed telecommunication operators such as Cable and Wireless and NTL to provide the link.
"Unfortunately, I think they may now have missed the boat as far as Bembridge being a showcase is concerned."
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