BB frustration reigns in chart-topping Chafford

Chafford Hundred in Essex has a unique place in the UK's broadband landscape.

According to this broadband league table 476 people have registered their interest for broadband.

For many places without a DSL-enabled exchange, that would be enough for BT to recognise that there was a genuine demand for broadband prompting it to convert the exchange to DSL.

Snag is, Chafford doesn't have ADSL. And unlike many exchanges, nor has BT set a trigger level at which it will cough up and convert the local exchange to broadband.

The knowledge that almost 500 people want broadband and yet are unable to get it is the cause of much frustration among the folk of Chafford.

BT has told El Reg that it is currently doing the costings to determine at what level the threshold should be. Unfortunately, it's not in a position yet to say when the results of that process will be known.

According to the Chafford Hundred campaign Web site, Mesh Broadband has recently announced that its wireless network service is available in the Chafford Hundred area.

Ah ha, so is this why BT is not being forthcoming about giving Chafford ADSL? Afraid of the competition, eh?

"Absolutely not," said a BT spokesman. ®