BT chief calls Cumbria 'brave' for rejecting fibre broadband plan

Cumbria County Council made a "brave" decision in rejecting BT and Fujitsu's fibre optic broadband strategies, according to BT's managing director of next-generation access Bill Murphy.

Speaking to in-Cumbria, Mr Murphy revealed he had been surprised by the move, but praised the local authority for making a tough call under a huge amount of pressure.

The BT chief went on to insist that the company is not backing out of the tender process.

"It must have been very, very difficult," he commented. "Obviously we didn't work hard enough and have got more work to do, but we are not walking away."

Fujitsu, the other bidder for Cumbria's fibre optic broadband contract, has pulled out of the race after failing to see a way to reach the mass market with its network - a necessary step in attracting the major internet service providers.

However, Fujitsu stressed it is still monitoring the marketplace to look for locations in which the business model is more viable.