Rural areas of Berkshire could miss out on fibre broadband

The Berkshire parish of Wargrave will be introduced to fibre optic broadband through a rollout project by its local council and BT, but residents from the most rural areas fear they will be excluded.

Richard Bush is a member of Wargrave Parish Council and lives on a farm in the Crazies Hill area of the village. He explained that the village centre's already superior service will be upgraded, but those who live further afield could face being left behind.

He told the Henley Standard: "There's a very good service in Wargrave itself which is only going to get better. In outlying areas, however, it doesn't look like it's going to be covered, especially around Crazies Hill where I am."

The improvements in Wargrave village are set to come in 2014 as a result of the project, which aims to bring a superfast connection to 90 per cent of the county.

However, the suggestion that rural spots like Crazies Hill will not be covered corroborates growing fears that BT is not interested in upgrading areas with a population density that is not seen as commercially viable.