Broadband fears after fibre works stop in village

Residents in a rural Kent village have raised concerns they could be left without broadband access after fibre installation works stopped.

Work began in August in Hunton to replace existing copper broadband infrastructure with fibre cables, but residents said it stopped after a few days.

Some residents said they had been told they might need to find another broadband provider, but they did not know what was happening.

Kings Hill-based firm Trooli said it had not been possible to extend its fibre network and affected customers had been contacted. Openreach said the old network would close on 31 January 2027 and customers would need to move to a digital phone service by then.

Resident Rodney Ballard told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Trooli had given notice to some residents that their connections would be terminated, while Openreach had said copper connections would be withdrawn.

"There's no real plan being told to residents how this is going to happen," he said.

Hunton parish and Maidstone borough councillor Mike Summersgill said residents had welcomed the start of installation work but then "all of a sudden the road closure and barriers were taken away".

After work stopped, he said: "My worry is for the single, elderly constituents who rely purely on the landline to keep in touch with family or to be talked to by doctors."

Leah Istratescu, from Staplehurst, who works at Hunton and Linton Pre-School, said reliable broadband was essential for running the school and communicating with parents, adding: "It's really important that we keep them updated."

A Trooli spokesperson said the broadband service had been delivered using Openreach copper infrastructure that was being withdrawn.

The company said it had explored extending its fibre network, but said: "Unfortunately, there are few locations where, because of excessive costs, we have had to conclude this is simply not possible."

Trooli said it had contacted affected customers and advised them of other broadband options.

After some customers said they had been told the copper broadband switch-off would be on 23 October, an Openreach spokesperson said: "Openreach has no plans to switch off services supporting broadband or phone lines in the village this October."

They said: "Decisions about Trooli's services or its fibre rollout in Hunton are for the company and are separate from the closure of the analogue phone network.

"Anyone concerned about their service should speak to their communications provider - the company they pay their bill to - about the options available."

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said rural communities should not be left behind in the rollout of faster broadband.

It said: "We are investing billions of pounds to bring internet upgrades to hard-to-reach homes and businesses that would otherwise miss out - including in Kent.

"Where commercial rollout plans change, the government will work with suppliers to explore alternative ways to connect affected communities."

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