Rural Isle of Wight fibre broadband cabinet welcomed by residents

The first rural fibre broadband cabinet has gone live on the Isle of Wight, much to the delight of local residents.

Around 240 homes and businesses will be able to benefit from gaining access to the high-speed technology, thanks to the Farmers Way green roadside cabinet in the Shorwell area being switched on to receive the superfast service.

Landlady of local pub The Crown Pamela Wynn commented: "We use the internet for our till operation and to offer free Wi-Fi to customers, so greatly improved access and speeds will be a real boost to us as a business."

She added that the pub would be able to expand its offerings thanks to the arrival of fibre broadband, with the opportunity to provide conferencing facilities.

In addition, local resident David Lumley, who regularly works from his home in Shorwell, said the technology would enable both him and his wife "to work far faster and more efficiently".

He added he would use superfast broadband to stream television programmes, shop online, book holidays, research his family tree and contact relatives living on the mainland and overseas.