BASINGSTOKE’S notoriously poor Internet service is set for a major boost next year – thanks to a billion-pound investment in super-fast broadband.

BT has announced the town centre telephone exchange, in Victoria Street, which currently has 28,000 users, will be upgraded to cope with most of the borough’s Internet surfers.

The company will boost the speed by replacing the copper wires, which run to streetside cabinets, with fibre optic cables by next summer.

Mike Galvin, BT’s South East regional director, said: “This is excellent news for the South East.

“The South East is an enterprising and innovative region, which will obtain maximum benefit from this latest major investment.

“We are working closely with regional authorities, agencies and partners across the region to ensure that we remain at the leading edge of the communications revolution.”

The move is part of BT’s national programme to get 40 per cent of British households online by next summer at a cost of £1.5billion.

The new technology will offer “up to” 40Mbit/s downstream, and access will be also available via BT's DSL competitors.

Basingstoke’s speed problems stem from having one telephone exchange which serves a much larger area than it was intended for due to new housing development.

The problem has got so bad that business people and residents frustrated at slow Internet speeds and lost connections recently launched a campaign, demanding action. IT consultant Jaffa Brown, from Hatch Warren, is the founder of the Basingstoke Broadband Campaign.

The 41-year-old, who runs a consultancy business, Touchstone Systems Limited, from his home in Belmont Heights said: “I’m obviously very pleased at the announcement because there are thousands of people who are suffering in Basingstoke from bad Internet connections.

“However, I’m also sceptical because BT said it was going to do this three or four years ago and just before it was supposed to happen, it put a stop to it.

“If, and when, this does happen, it will mean I’m able to do a lot more with my business because at the moment I have to visit a client’s house rather than visit their website.”

The broadband campaign has the support of Basingstoke MP Maria Miller who said: “The upgrade is a welcome decision for Basingstoke residents who have had to deal with significant broadband problems.

“We should not be viewing broadband as an extra – it should be an integral part of every area.”