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Broadband Britain: Don't just sit there waiting for it
A hero will (have to) rise...

By editorial@silicon.com

Published: Tuesday 29 October 2002

Fed up of not having broadband out in the sticks? It's a pain but do you just shake your head and mutter expletives, going on about "BT this..." and "BT that...". Perhaps you ring up BT every now and again to vent your spleen.

Well, if you've not worked it out yet, that's not the most constructive way of going about getting it.

"Like many things in life, you have to fight for it," says Trevor Sherman, a self-appointed Local Hero who has signed up with Broadband4Britain's campaign which goes by the same name. His job, albeit a voluntary role, is to co-ordinate the disgruntled broadband have-nots in his local area, West Haddon in Northants.

One person, stomping about their home-office or living room bitching about BT and not having broadband is nothing new but 50 people joining together to bitch about these things in public starts to gain recognition.

The Local Heroes scheme (Click here: http://www.silicon.com/a56168 to read more) has a dual purpose - to speed up the roll out of ADSL, by streamlining the sign-up process which is vital for hitting 'trigger levels' of potential broadband users, and to keep the torch burning for rural broadband, to keep it in the news and to maintain people's interest and demand for the service.

Sherman was quick to realise BT weren't likely to roll out broadband in his area out of the goodness of their hearts, so he set about doing what he could do force the issue.

His message to others bemoaning a lack of broadband is to get involved. If you really want it that badly then follow his lead. Get out and about in your local area. Speak to local businesses, canvass interest, collect names, contact your MP, encourage others to do likewise. Don't just sit there, doing nothing or hoping somebody else will take up the fight for you.

Sherman is confident he will have broadband by March next year - but it won't have been easy. He claims it is vital to his livelihood. That's a bold claim but by fighting for it he has backed up his words.

If it is worth fighting for it must be worth having - and if it's worth having, then it's worth fighting for.