COMMENT
Imagine if you wanted a doctor’s
appointment and were told “Since you live in
Bighton / Old Alresford, you can only see a
doctor on the third Thursday of every
month”. Or you rang for a taxi to take you to
the station, and a tandem turned up. Well
that’s what it’s like if you use the internet and
you’re unlucky enough to live out here in the
sticks, where the broadband speed ratio is
the equivalent of a horse and cart to a
Porsche.
We make no apology for returning to the
subject of faster broadband: Hampshire
County Council has announced that it plans
to appoint a commercial partner in its
programme to implement faster broadband,
and that the appointment is likely to be made
in February/March.
As we have discussed previously, our part of
Hampshire is in the 10% or less of areas
unlikely to receive the upgrade, but this
could still change if enough people register
an interest. Barry Edge, with a small band of
supporters, has worked tirelessly to
engender interest around the area. He has
researched endlessly, e-mailed scores of
people and pounded the streets delivering
leaflets (you have probably received one
through your door in recent months).
There are many people in these rural areas
who depend on broadband, both business
and private, and who quite rightly think that
they should not be discriminated against
purely because of where they live – after all,
we all pay rates and taxes.
Even if you don’t use the internet, even if you
can’t tell a laptop from a lap tray, please
register an interest. It doesn’t commit you to
anything, but it boosts our numbers and
could affect the campaign to bring faster
broadband to Alresford and the outlying
villages.
Go to: https://www3.hants.gov.uk/broadband/
broadband-signup.htm and support your
community.
Thank you - and thanks again to Barry Edge,
who has put in so much work to publicise the
issue.
Jill Buss
Warner and Richardson
We would like to apologise to our new
advertisers Warner and Richardson for the
poor reproduction of their first ad with us in
our December / January issue.
1st Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion
(said)
2nd Sunday 9.30am Parish Communion
3rd Sunday 9.30am Parish Communion
4th Sunday 9.30am Parish Communion
Thursdays
1st Sunday
2nd Sunday
3rd Sunday
4th Sunday
9am
Holy Communion
11am
11am
11am
11am
Family Service
Parish Communion
Matins
Holy Communion
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