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Not spot campaign gains momentum

5:05pm Friday 4th January 2008

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If you are still having problems with accessing broadband, AM Alun Davies wants you to get in touch.

The Assembly Member for mid and west Wales has launched a campaign, in conjunction with the Western Telegraph, to find Pembrokeshire's broadband not spots: places that still have to use dial up to get on line.

Although most of the county can now enjoy fast internet access through broadband, thanks to the updating of the phone lines, there are some places where people are still having trouble getting speedy access to the web and who are missing out on the benefits of broadband.

Alun is a member of the Assembly's mid and west Wales broadband action group. He is compiling a database of Pembrokeshire's not spots in order to present a case to the assembly.

"The Welsh Assembly Government wants to see everyone have easy access to broadband," said Alun. "The only problem is in identifying those places unable to receive those services."

Since launching the campaign in the Western Telegraph before Christmas, Alun's office has been overwhelmed with calls on the topic.

"We really are taking a lot of calls on this issue," said a spokesman in the constituency office.

"The campaign is still very active and we are still encouraging anyone who is having difficulty to contact us.

"The bigger the response, the greater the force we can apply to those responsible for providing the service under phase two of the broadband roll out scheme."

If you are in a not spot call Alun's office on 01267 238306, e-mail him on alun.davies@wales.gov.uk, or leave a comment in the box below.


Your Say YourWestern Telegraph

Chris Ball, Bosherston says...
6:54pm Fri 4 Jan 08

Tried to get broadband with Tiscali. They wasted 3 months of my time & telephone calls before telling me we lived too far from the exchange. About 4 people in the village can get it at speeds not much better than dial up. Our line is too poor electrically to get a signal.

Andrew Bays, St Davids says...
4:11pm Sun 6 Jan 08

Same story - wasted hours with BT trying to get bb but eventually told house was "too far" from exchange

lorraine thomas, summerhill sa678lx says...
7:49pm Wed 9 Jan 08

we are unable to recieve broadband due to the fact that BT will not spend any of their revenue to upgrade our telephone line. we have been fobbed off with the junction box is too expensive to upgrade to there is a line concentrater device on our line and BT are not prepared to remove this because it would cost £166. At present Nick Ainger is supporting our case and even though BT are still refusing to upgrade he has written to the Welsh Assembly to ask them to fund this with money that is available to them to connect people to broadband.Apparantly though we have a good line speed of 6 so really there is no excuse for refusing us this service.

Jayne Calvert, Llanfallteg says...
5:28pm Thu 10 Jan 08

I have tried getting broadband with AOL and BT who now say we are too far from the exchange and there are no plans to upgrade. Lower parts of the village on the Haverfordwest exchange are able to recieve broadband.

John Dyas, Mathry says...
9:57am Fri 11 Jan 08

I am developing a High-tech super insulated low energy barn near Mathry. I has taken seven and a half months of daily work to eventually get a telephone connection. This only happened after daily calls to the "chairman's office" (higest way to complain) I am now told broadband is not available. This project is now in jeopardy as all potential purchasers require some form of boadband connection to be able to communicae with the outside world. During the construction I have had to complete a 30 mile round trip to my hose in Haverfordwest every time I wish to send or receive an e mail or look up technical info on the WWW. I have tried a modem for the laptop but the mobile phone signal is only intermitent at the site. In the year 2008 parts of Pembrokeshire still can not recieve Broadband or Mobile phone signals. This is third world conditions and does noting to help promote Pembrokeshire.

Jo Rowlands, Wisemansbridge/Summe rhill SA67 8NS says...
7:21pm Fri 11 Jan 08

We have been trying to get broadband for two years through AOL, BT and Tiscali but BT have told us we cannot get it as we have a concentrator and router on our line. I have written to Nick Bourne about this and he contacted Andrew Davies in the Welsh Office. He said they have released the money for this at least a year ago but BT still refuse to do anything about it!

Miss Anne Mabbett, Wiseman's Bridge, Saundersfoot says...
9:32pm Sat 12 Jan 08

Dear Sir

I live in the small hamlet of Wiseman's Bridge, just outside Saundersfoot. Although our exchange supports Broadband for most people in Saundersfoot, they still have not updated the cabling to the houses where I live to enable them to have Broadband. There are old conductors/amplifier
s on the line and the cabling needs changing but finding someone on the BT helpline, who can give the number at the Saundersfoot Exchange seems to be a problem. This sort of work does not seem to be part of their routine maintenance work for improvements for our side of Wiseman's Bridge.


Reg Strudley, Tanners lane SA67 6SH says...
11:26pm Sun 13 Jan 08

For years I've tried and applied for broadband and each time it comes down to BT not being prepaired to spend the money to upgrade the phone line, I've spent hours on the phone trying to talk to someone at BT who can give me some answeres, we pay the same for our phone service as others with broadband but are not getting the same service, my line speed is below the normal requirements for a line anyway at 36.Kbps but BT still wont do anything about it

Rhian Thompson, Carnhedryn, Nr St Davids says...
8:40pm Mon 14 Jan 08

Although the village of Carnhedryn is only three miles from the telephone exchange as the crow flies,the overhead telephone cables distance is about 5 miles. So what is the solution? BT need to run underground cable on a more direct route. This seemed to be underway last year only then to find that Brawdy now takes priority! Where is the sense in this when the tracking which is the most expensive part has already been laid ready for cabling.

Joan Cowdell, Near Portfield Gate, Haverfordwest says...
11:12pm Tue 15 Jan 08

I live on the little road that runs from the B4341 to Ratford Bridge, and there are 5 farms on that road all crying out for broadband. But BT say the cost of renewing the lines is prohibitive. Part of the problem is that our line comes such a long way round from the exchange, via Dreenhill, but a broadband enabled line runs from Haverfordwest to Broadhaven and passes the top of our road, which would be a far lesser distance.

H&J Jones, Cwmsychbant, LLanybydder says...
9:30pm Sat 2 Feb 08

We have contacted our AM Elin Jones in the past but where told that there was no money to do upgrade work. There was some sort of dispute between BT and The National Assembly Government. allegedly! An economic decision taken by BT years ago to opt for aluminum cable, the then cheaper alternative to copper has left our village without the ability to get ADSL broadband.!!!

I Hawkins, West Wales says...
10:34pm Sat 2 Feb 08

You could always add your name toa petition to regulate the brodadband industry to provide high speed access in rural areas - http://petitions.pm.
gov.uk/BroadbandSpee
d/

Jon England, Pembrokeshire says...
10:53am Mon 3 Mar 08

Please be aware that Wireless Broadband Delivery is available in all of the above areas.

For details please go to www.tfl-group.com

Many regards,

Jon England BA, Director of Operations, TFL-Group

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