Berkshire residents urged to demand fibre broadband

Residents and businesses in Berkshire are being urged to demand access to fibre optic broadband.

Council figures show 159,000 properties - equivalent to 43.6 per cent of the county - are currently unable to connect to super-fast broadband, with the majority of these premises located in rural areas.

West Berkshire Council said the area has a "vibrant economy" and therefore deserves access to the highest standard of broadband services.

To back this message and show their support for the rollout of next-generation broadband, people can register online or via the telephone.

"Fast broadband is hugely beneficial for businesses, gives seamless streaming of video and makes downloading music, internet banking, shopping, social media and posting messages for community groups much easier," the local authority commented.

Earlier this year, BT announced plans to boost the county's communications infrastructure by rolling out fibre optic broadband to another 7,500 homes and businesses during 2013.

This move will take the number of local properties with fibre broadband access to around 288,000.