High-speed internet for Hemel estate

Openreach, BT’s local network business, is to install new fibre optic cabling and Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) technology for Kings Copse, Leverstock Green by November next year.

The faster speeds will be particularly welcomed by households wanting to connect several devices to the internet at the same time, allowing them to download box sets, Skype friends and family, and shop or research online, all at once.

The Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme allows households with internet speeds of less than 2Mbps, who are not included in any current fibre broadband programme, to get funding for better broadband using any technology.

The cost of bringing fibre broadband technology to residents in the estate has been covered by the scheme and investment from Openreach.

Kings Copse resident Tom Brand, who led a local campaign for an upgrade, said: “Broadband speeds are more important now than ever before. Improving our internet speed is going to mean a massive improvement on our quality of life.

“I work from home twice a week and it will mean I can increase my productivity and send files quicker. In the evenings, my fiancé and I will be able to catch-up on many of the exciting TV shows we’ve not been able to watch. And it will also mean we can keep all our devices connected to our wi-fi network at once - currently we can only have one and even then it’s very slow.”