Celebrations as fibre broadband arrives in Rivenhall

Residents and businesses based in the Essex community of Rivenhall have been celebrating after superfast fibre optic broadband arrived in the village in June.

The high-speed technology has been delivered to the area thanks to a £24.6 million rollout programme from Essex County Council and network provider BT, which aims to bring loading speeds of up to 70Mbps to local premises, the Braintree and Witham Times reports.

Peter Hope, who works for computer firm Speedy Broadband, explained: "It will certainly be of great benefit to those who find the current speed almost unusable because of multiple users in the house."

Last month, the first green roadside cabinet to go live in the village was celebrated with an official launch, supported by Braintree Council, Rivenhall Parish Council and Rivenhall CofE Primary School.

Vice-Chairman of Rivenhall Parish Council Howard Bills highlighted some of the ways in which local people have been benefiting from gaining a fibre broadband connection, explaining it made it easier for more individuals to work from home, while also proving valuable to young students.