BT BROADBAND ANNOUNCEMENT IS GOOD NEWS FOR ST ALBANS AND HERTFORDSHIRE

1.28.00pm GMT Wed 25th Mar 2009

The news that BT has identified St Albans as one of the first 29 telephone exchanges across the whole of the UK to pioneer the roll-out of faster broadband technology has been welcomed by Sandy Walkington, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for St Albans.

"The internet and broadband technology have already totally transformed the way we work, allowing home-working and more flexible hours for busy couples who need to juggle work and family commitments. It has given a huge boost to small and micro-businesses. It can play a huge role in helping to get the local economy out of the recession.

"But it has been worrying how Britain has been allowed to drift into the slow lane of broadband, with broadband widely available but at speeds much slower than in many of our main competitor countries.

"This deployment in St Albans of fibre-optic cable from the exchange to the green street cabinets will mean a huge increase in broadband speeds for many residents of St Albans from 2010. As someone who spent a large part of my working life negotiating with Government from Number 10 downwards to get the right regulatory regime for the first stage of 'Broadband Britain', it is good to see St Albans picked to lead the charge on the next stage of the broadband journey," Sandy said.

"There will be some devil in the detail. In particular we will need to see whether the villages and rural areas served by the St Albans exchange will also benefit or whether there will be a distance limitation. But overall this announcement is very good news for St Albans and for West Hertfordshire, with Watford and Hemel Hempstead also being picked in the first 29 exchanges."