Broadband 'boost for Oswestry businesses'

Officials in a Shropshire town believe the gift of super-fast Broadband from BT could help bring more businesses to the town and boost employment.

Telephone company bosses have announced that Oswestry will be the next place in the county to get the internet technology which will allow more than 11,000 businesses and households to access broadband speeds of up to 40 megabits per second by spring next year.

Today Oswestry town councillor and businessman Saffron Rainey said this could boost jobs in the town.

"I am really pleased," he said. "It should be a help for new technology businesses and I hope it will also help to create employment opportunities in Oswestry.

"It is a good thing for the town and it should help the economy."

John Waine, director of The Best Of Oswestry which promotes businesses in the area, said: "I think this is a great boost for the Oswestry business community as it gives us access to an impressive broadband capacity.

"It may draw in new technology companies attracted by everything this area has to offer as well as the super-fast broadband.

"It's a vote of confidence in Oswestry's commercial outlook over the next decade."

Schools in the area have also revealed the extra megabits will help students and teachers.