BT chairman's broadband causes local discontent

People in the village of Hambleden on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border have expressed bitterness at the broadband service enjoyed by Sir Michael Rake, a local resident and chairman of BT.

Rubbing salt in the wound is the fact that Sir Michael is the only local resident who has a broadband connection, as the major internet service provider (ISP) says its chairman is testing new technology.

No other residents have access to broadband connectivity due to the distance to the nearest telephone exchange.

The ISP said: "BT has learnt a lot through the trial the chairman participated in and hopefully those lessons will benefit the residents of Hambleden in due course."

It added that trialling new technology in the homes of company staff is a normal occurrence.

Next-generation trials are being conducted by ISPs around the country as higher speeds often deliver benefits such as more efficient VoIP solutions.

BT is investing £1.5 billion in next-generation networks, but faces stiff competition from ISPs such as Virgin Media.