At Sheringham town community newspaper. North Norfolk England UK.

SHERINGHAM BROADBAND UPDATE

BT Broadband Campaign - 93% of the way there! A much better Internet service is not far away. Well would you believe it! When many said it would take years, we are very nearly there. It was only in July this year that our target level was set. Now just 4 months later we are almost there in terms of hitting the trigger level. Thanks to some really active campaigning and your registrations we now have 466 registrations, which means we only need 34 more. So if you haven't registered yet, now is your chance to make the difference and make your contribution count. You can register in less than 2 minutes in one of the following ways

Online at http://www.at-sheringham.co.uk

By completing a registration form available from the "at-sheringham" (Norfolk A-Z) office, which is opposite the Tourist Information Office in Sheringham.

By phoning in your registration to local Internet Service Provider Paston Chase on 01603 502061.

Remember registering does not commit you to taking the service; it merely is an expression of interest. So why not do it now?

We are lucky to have this opportunity in Sheringham; recently BT announced that 400 phone exchange areas across the UK would not be upgraded, as they are unviable. This is despite many of them having large levels of interest. BT is committed to Sheringham as long as we hit the target level of 500 expressions of interest. When the target is reached it normally takes BT around 3-4 months, to make the necessary upgrades at the phone exchange. So it looks like it will be February or March next year before the service will be available. As soon as we hit the target and have an actual go live date we will let you know. Once the Sheringham phone exchange is upgraded it is not just Sheringham that benefits. Upper Sheringham, Beeston Regis and West Beckham should also be able to benefit, as they are served by the same phone exchange. Across the UK 35,000 people a week are moving to broadband Internet access. 9% of UK households are now using broadband Internet access. 18% of Internet users now use broadband. These figures are growing all the time and prove how popular and essential the service is becoming to many people and communities. In the next issue we plan to start a series of help and advice articles on broadband. So don't rush into signing with the first broadband provider you come across. Once the exchange is upgraded, moving to broadband takes less than 2 weeks from when you place the order. Therefore, you have plenty of time to make a considered desision.

DIGBYS DONE IT !

Last month Digby Eddison successfully completed the gruelling Pedal To Paris bike ride in aid of the Royal British Legion.

Extremely weary and saddle sore Digby vowed to turn his trusty racing bike into Knives and Forks by sending it to Sheffield!" I don't really want to go for any more bike rides" said Digby. All in all he raised Ł730 for the Royal British Legion and he would like to say a huge thank you to all his local sponsors for their kind generosity.

DON'T PLAY WITH FIREWORKS

Dear Editor Broadband in Sheringham. I am very keen to support the campaign to secure broadband access for residents and businesses in Sheringham. Rural areas have been left behind in terms of connecting to broadband and this has left us at a disadvantage. I have been urging the Government to do more to facilitate access to broadband in rural areas, but in Sheringham and other market towns in north Norfolk we have the chance to achieve broadband access very easily. If we can persuade more people to register an interest then we can hit the threshold of 500 which will result in BT converting their local exchange. Registering your interest does not force you into paying for broadband later on, but it will help the town to achieve the threshold figure. I would urge everyone interested in broadband access to register without delay. Yours faithfully, Norman Lamb. Member of Parliament for North Norfolk