A RESIDENT in Winnersh has spoken out about internet connectivity problems in the area.
According to Graham Bedwell, there are often phone and broadband outages, leaving the community with slow communication networks.
“There was a faulty telephone exchange in west Wokingham, and it was a week before the issue was resolved,” he explained.
“In general, neighbours and myself are often suffering from slow phone and broadband connections.”
The internet and telephone cables connected to Mr Bedwell’s property are supplied by Openreach.
He added: “I find it really hard to get in touch with Openreach when there’s an issue because I’m with a different provider.
“They provide most of the infrastructure, and my provider buys a lump of usage from them, so I find it very hard to resolve any slow phone and internet problems.”
According to thinkbroad-band, 97.2% of Wokingham borough is currently connected to superfast broadband — when internet runs at least 30 megabits per second.
But many residents say they experience connection problems when using the telephone and broadband networks.
And those who live in areas which are not currently connected to superfast coverage may be eligible for faster connections soon.
This is because the Superfast Berkshire programme, a project which has been running since 2013, is in its final stages.
The project intends to deliver faster internet coverage to 99.6% of buildings in the county, including homes in Wokingham borough.
It has now entered phase three, which means more homes will have superfast broadband by next summer.
As part of the third phase, Openreach and Gigaclear are installing superfast connections to areas which are still without fast internet access.
Currently, Gigaclear is rolling out superfast broadband to Arborfield, Binfield, Finchamp-stead, Hurst, Swallowfield and Wargrave.
And Openreach will extend superfast-capable broadband to Barkham, Shinfield, Woodley and Winnersh.
“In today’s world, especially in the new world where a lot of people are working from home, I think it’s important for people to have the choice to connect to faster internet if they wish,” said Stuart Munro, executive member for business and economic development at Wokingham Borough Council.
“I think the borough’s internet access can only get better.
“A few months ago, I might have thought differently.
“As more networks expand in the region and competition grows, things are only going to improve,” he added.
Areas that are not due to receive faster broadband from the Superfast Berkshire programme are eligible to apply for the Government’s Gigabit Voucher Broadband Scheme.
It offers a £1,500 voucher to homes in rural areas with low broadband speeds, and £3,500 vouchers to small to medium-sized businesses, to support the cost of installing new broadband connections.
Residents who are not Openreach customers but are experiencing slow broadband and telephone connections like Mr Bedwell, can contact their communications provider about any issues they are facing.
Then, their provider will raise the problem with Openreach directly.
For more information about phase three of the Superfast Berkshire programme, head to bit.ly/WokinghamInternet
