Super-fast broadband bypasses the North East

Mar 26 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

NORTH East technology giant Onyx Group has warned that the region is in danger of falling on the wrong side of a digital divide after being overlooked by BT’s latest roll-out of super-fast broadband services.

And the company, which works in partnership with BT, is planning to leverage its standing with the telecoms group, with the help of businesses across the North East, to show there is huge demand for super-fast services in the region – a move which it hopes will speed up the process of bringing the next generation of broadband here.

This week BT announced the first locations where substantial numbers of customers will have access to fibre-based super-fast broadband via the firm’s network.

The technology will be deployed from early 2010 at 29 exchanges across the UK, bringing high speeds within reach of 500,000 homes and businesses.

Areas of Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Greater Manchester will be amongst the first locations.

Most of the areas are urban, but two of them – Calder Valley, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, and Taffs Well, near Cardiff – are smaller and BT said it will be looking to learn lessons from deploying fibre technology in such environments.

However, despite the region’s growing reputation as a hub for science and technology firms the North East was overlooked.