Virgin Media agrees rural Lincs fibre broadband rollout

Virgin Media has agreed to roll out fibre optic broadband to two North-East Lincolnshire villages after being contacted by local campaigners.

Paul Manarin, assistant principal at Oasis Academy in Immingham, and Tom Horton, a student and lobbyist, have convinced the cable company to install fibre optic lines in Habrough and Stallingborough, delivering a significant boost to existing speeds.

A survey conducted by the campaigners revealed 90 per cent of local residents are unhappy with the broadband speeds they receive.

"[Virgin Media] have agreed to make significant investment in the villages and they will be inputting fibre optic cables, which means people will be able to access super-fast broadband," Mr Horton told the Grimsby Telegraph.

Although the broadband project is still in the planning stage, it is hoped work will get underway early in the new year.

The plan comes in addition to North Lincolnshire Council's public broadband project, which aims to bring super-fast broadband to 90 per cent of local properties by March 2015.