Broken promises over broadband

RE your report “Work to bring superfast broadband to Rother is well ahead of schedule, according to the County Council” (Rye and Battle Observer, Friday 28 February 2014).

Really? Can I suggest that the county council goes back and reads their own previous announcements, for example in the Battle Observer from December 2011, when the county council announced: “EVERYONE in East Sussex, both homes and businesses, should have access to superfast broadband within the next two years, according to county council leader Peter Jones”

[www.bexhillobserver.net/news/local/superfast-broadband-links-are-pledged-for-all-by-2014-1-3360628 ]

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Two years from December 2011 took us to December 2013, so according to that announcement the whole of East Sussex should now have superfast broadband already. Well, they fact is, they haven’t, and they aren’t predicted to get it until sometime in 2015 – two years behind the original promise.

So how can the County Council claim to be ahead of schedule?

It’s quite simple really: when you get behind on one schedule, you simply publish a new one! That’s what they have done here.

When are the County Council going to start thinking about how they are going to fulfil their original promise to bring superfast broadband to the whole of East Sussex? Because that’s another thing that they don’t say: the truth is that their current plans will achieve only 96% coverage, not the 100% originally promised.

Meanwhile, the County Council should withdraw this misleading press release and issue an apology for the broken promises.

Andrew Wedmore

Brightling