Unholy row as Shrewsbury church unplugs fast broadband

A row is escalating between Shrewsbury residents wanting fast internet and a church that had a broadband cabinet removed from in front of its noticeboard.

The cabinet was installed outside the Christian Science Society in Coleham before objections were raised as it was in front of the sign.

It was removed days later and now residents say the area is one of the few sections of town waiting for fibre broadband to be enabled.

Alex Evans, a resident who works from home, said: “Coleham, although it’s a stone’s throw away from the exchange, is one of the few areas still waiting to be fibre enabled. With so many businesses and residents along the street, it’s a beneficial upgrade.

“I work from home, running a business which is heavily reliant on a good internet connection. ADSL [asymmetric digital subscriber line] reduces my opportunities and productivity.”

A spokesman for Openreach said: “Finding a suitable location for this new cabinet in Coleham has been extremely difficult.

“We completely understand that people living there are keen to see improvements to the local network.

“But equally, we have to balance that with our responsibility to carry out any work, including where we put new infrastructure, with the views of local residents and community groups.

“We’ll be taking another look at this in the future, and people should monitor openreach.co.uk for the latest updates. It might also be worth them checking with their local council about any plans they might have for funding broadband improvements in the future.”

The Christian Science Society was not available to comment.