Coleford kicked off Gloucestershire's switch to faster broadband
5th December, 2013
Coleford became the first rural community in Gloucestershire to be able to make the switch to faster fibre broadband.
Fibre broadband arrived in Coleford in the Forest of Dean - marking a key milestone for the project and giving 5,000 local residents and businesses the chance to take advantage of the new technology once the roll-out is completed in the coming months.
Gloucester town crier and holder of the world record for the loudest 'oyez, oyez, oyez', Alan Myatt, announced the arrival of the new technology in the town centre.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne said: "This is great news for Coleford. Faster broadband will give local people a wealth of new opportunities, whether in accessing local services or seeking out education and training opportunities. For businesses, it offers the potential to expand, create jobs, and work more efficiently.
"This is a fantastic milestone for the project and a sign of things to come across the more rural areas of the county."
Michael Dunn, BT's south west regional manager, added: "A lot of planning and building work has gone in to get us to where we are today and Coleford is just the start of this exciting journey.
"This project will have a hugely positive impact on rural as well as urban communities in Gloucestershire. High-speed fibre is increasingly important if local households and businesses are to make the most of the huge range of opportunities offered by the internet, whether they are seeking to start a new business, find new customers, undertake online training or simply wishing to browse for entertainment or leisure purposes."
More Forest communities are expected to go live by the end of the year including Cinderford, Drybrook and Lydbrook.