Free and superfast broadband to be installed in council housing (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Free and superfast broadband to be installed in Wandsworth Council housing

5:20pm Monday 12th November 2012 in News

Social housing tenants in the borough could soon have free super-speed broadband installed.

Wandsworth Council is considering options for giving estate residents access to fibre-optic broadband to ensure tenants can get online as easily as the rest of the borough.

Currently 85 per cent of Wandsworth residents have some form of internet access - up from 74 per cent in 2007 - but the figure falls to around two thirds among council tenants.

A spokesman for Wandsworth Council said: "Currently there is nothing to stop tenants subscribing to broadband, but in blocks of flats this has traditionally been via copper wire.

"This means they had to pay line rental and delivery speeds are not always as fast as advertised.

"Instead, they will be able to subscribe individually to the fibre optic broadband offered by the company chosen to work in partnership with the council.

"There would be no charge to the council, so no costs to pass onto council tax payers."

If the council's housing committee agrees to the move at its meeting on November 14, work will start on gauging residents' interest before beginning the official tender process.