Villages face long wait for fibre broadband, says expert

Fibre optic broadband may not be available to residents of rural parts of the UK for many years, a technology expert has said.

Richard Bond, business reporter for the BBC's Look East, acknowledged BT is rolling out the technology across the country, but insisted this will have little impact on most remote communities over the next five years.

He argued telecoms companies such as BT and Virgin Media will continue to focus their fibre optic broadband investment on the big towns, as this is where most prospective customers live.

As a result, Mr Bond said other forms of technology may be required in rural areas to satisfy residents' demands for high-speed internet access.

"The main hope for villages is that alternatives to fibre optic networks, such as wireless technology, will become more available," the expert stated.

BT is spending up to £2.5 billion by 2015 in a bid to bring super-fast broadband access to two-thirds of properties across the UK.