CHEPSTOW based company Spectrum Internet met with Monmouth MP David Davies recently to discuss broadband issues within the county.
The Internet Service Provider (ISP) has chosen Monmouthshire to be the first location to receive its residential broadband services and is already working with a number of communities where broadband is poor. The company has been offering high quality commercial services across the UK for nearly 10 years and is now looking to extend the service to residential customers.
“Monmouthshire is a great place to live and work but I have seen little improvement to services by other ISP’s and it has now left the region behind the times,” said Managing Director Giles Phelps, who grew up in Mathern, near Chepstow.
“This has a massive effect on businesses who want to grow and compete, particularly with rivals in Bristol. Plus more companies are enabling the ability for staff to work from home but you need decent broadband to work effectively.”
Mr Davies was keen to know about the different technologies that deliver broadband, as he toured the facilities at the Chepstow exchange to find out about the ISP’s recent investment in infrastructure.
“As Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, I am currently leading an inquiry into broadband provision in Wales and it’s quite clear we need huge improvements in rural areas,” he said.
“Broadband facilities are still very poor in too many parts of Monmouthshire and residents are often confused as to why they cannot get the speeds that are being advertised. Companies like Spectrum play an important role in bringing vital digital services to communities which are not currently well served and it’s encouraging to see a local business take the lead on this issue.”
Spectrum has been prominent in campaigning for clear information to consumers about real service speeds and clear pricing.
The company is currently recruiting at its Cardiff data centre and is hoping to extend the Chepstow facility over the summer, with plans to employ up to an additional 10 members of staff.
For further information, visit www.spectrum-internet.co.uk.