Published: 05/05/2010 08:59 - Updated: 05/05/2010 09:48

 ASHBOURNE is set to be one of 25 communities in the East Midlands to receive faster broadband next year, as part of a purge by phone and internet provider BT — but surrounding villagers will have to wait.

The telecoms giant announced last week that 38,000 homes and businesses in Derbyshire were in line to benefit from their faster “next generation” broadband by spring 2011 although bosses admit it will only serve around 5,000 people in the area.

Some users connected to the Ashbourne exchange, which operates much of the DE6 area, will see speeds more than double when the new service kicks in, but anyone outside the exchange’s area will have to wait for the next speed hikes.

Andrew Bacon, BT’s East Midlands regional director, said: “This faster broadband service will play a major role in helping our region attract and retain inward investment.

“It is a major step forward offering numerous improvements and opportunities — and faster broadband for many customers in Derbyshire.

“Companies providing broadband services can customise their products and services to more closely match the needs of businesses and households.

Services delivered over next generation broadband can be quicker, more efficient and offer a much wider range of features than those previously available.

“For householders, the service supports the growing demand for high-speed access to a range of online services including HD television, online gaming and a range of other internet and communications services.

“For businesses, it enables smaller firms to operate like bigger companies, quickly responding to changes in the market in a way once only available to much larger enterprises.

For example, companies, such as restaurants, hotels or estate agents, can quickly and easily voice-enable their websites so their customers can access the information over the phone rather than via a computer screen.” But Andrew Shirley, an Ashbourne-based regional surveyor for the Country Land and Business Association, is less optimistic. He said: “This is an important step forward for Derbyshire and shows it is possible for rural communities across the UK to receive next generation access to broadband.

“Unfortunately large parts of rural Britain still lack a broadband connection or they receive a very poor service. As a result, thousands of businesses in the countryside are at an unfair disadvantage to their competitors in urban areas.” “One of the casualties of the recent parliamentary wash-up was to shelve the 50p levy on phone lines which would have funded the expansion of broadband to rural areas.

“The CLA will lobby whoever forms the next Government to make sure that adequate broadband becomes a reality for those businesses and communities which lack this essential service.”