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Press Release
broadband4brent goes live!
After a campaign lasting five months, villagers in Brent Knoll and East Brent are at last able to log on to the Internet using high-speed Broadband connections. Both villages are served by the Brent Knoll exchange, which has now been upgraded by BT. The new service went live, on schedule, on Wednesday 26 May.
The broadband4brent campaign began just after Christmas 2003 when Derek Almond, Steve Baggs, David Filmer and Tony Gore, all from Brent Knoll, set out to increase the number of people registered with BT Broadband from 79 to 200. Two hundred registrations was the target figure required by BT before they would commit to upgrading the exchange. The team began by delivering leaflets to every home and business in the two villages, encouraging subscribers to register and offering a free registration service. Within a week the target of 200 registrations had been achieved, and the total eventually reached 338.
There followed a long wait before BT would set the date for upgrading the exchange, and the team investigated alternatives such as the wireless broadband system operating in Wedmore. Bitter disappointment followed three months later, when BT set a date of 26th January 2005 for the upgrade. Following further negotiations with BT the date was brought forward to 26 May, and broadband4brent is now a reality.
Campaigner Steve Baggs said, "We are all delighted with the success of the campaign, and very grateful for all the support we have received. There have been some frustrations along the way, but what matters is that we have achieved our objective - the villages now have a new facility, and one which will become increasingly important to individuals and businesses in the 21st century."
People interested in upgrading to Broadband Internet access can get to the campaign web site at
www.broadband4brent.co.uk for advice, and pointers to information on choosing a supplier and equipment.
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