MORAY BROADBAND CUSTOMERS remain unconvinced by BT claims that the Superfast Broadband rollout to customers throughout the Highlands is on schedule.
Following a report that Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant had written to Scotland’s deputy first minister, John Swinney, urging greater action for businesses and homes that were still not being served from the broadband rollout, several existing and potential BT customers have contacted insideMoray.
Mrs Grant has reported “extremely frustrated” constituent complaints over the time it is taking the roll out to reach some areas of the Highlands – and even in areas where BT reports Superfast is available there is confusion over why customers, often in the same street, are receiving very different services.
Forres customer Kirsty Turnbull is one who is still waiting – despite BT saying at one point that the main local exchange had been upgraded.
She said: “My husband and I have been checking the BT website monthly for an update on when our area is getting superfast broadband – and every month it changes. We’ve been waiting two years now for Forres to get it.”
James Bothoms has a similar story, saying: “Twelve months after being told that Longmorn would be upgraded and I’m still waiting for my local cabinet to be switch in. The lack of communication is particularly frustrating.”
Over the last week insideMoray has had first-hand experience of the confusion. The site editor expected his home in Lossiemouth to be upgraded to BT’s Infinity 1 package that promised downloads of between 25mbs and 34mbs and uploads of between 6mbs and 7mbs.
That was after a frustrating 18 months during which the local exchange had been upgraded – but despite engineers saying that there was “no reason” why it was not available, BT continued to insist it could not reach his address while it was already running in neighbouring homes.
After being informed that it was ready to run, the big day arrived – only for it to result in a disappointing 19mbs download and 1.3mbs upload, far short of the promised ‘superfast’ service.
Calls to BT proved equally frustrating, after discussions with first a call centre in India then another in Ireland resulted only in an admission that the speed was not up to scratch – but that it could not be reported as a fault for ten days “because BT engineers will not accept a fault until the line has been running for ten days”.
What are your experiences of the BT Superfast rollout in Moray? Good or bad, please let us know by contacting editor@insidemoray.scot.