BT Draws Criticism For Giving Trial Broadband Connection To Its Chairman

British Telecom (BT) has drawn criticism for giving its Chairman, Sir Michael Rake preference over other residents of Hambledon village that has being chosen for a trial of BT’s high-speed broadband internet connection. 

The chairman has been living in Hambledon village only for the past one year. The village, which is located 35 miles from London, is classified as a ‘not spot’ where broadband access is commercially unfeasible.  

Gary Ashworth, the executive chairman of Abacus Recruitment, who incidentally resides in Hambledon, said that even after waiting for a broadband connection for 5 years, it’s the chairman who gets the trial connection. 

He also voiced his dissatisfaction by declaring that the whole controversy stinks of corruption. Interestingly, when he contacted BT and asked much it will it cost for a broadband connection, he was quoted a whopping £68,000.  

Ashworth, whose company has over 1000 BT connections, is one of the 166,000 people which live in areas with no broadband connection. However, the government has promised to provide broadband facilities for such ‘not spots’ in near future.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for BT said that Sir Michael was provided one of the 10 trial connections to evaluate the commercial feasibility of the project.

The spokesperson said that new technology was first tried among members of the staff first so that a thorough study is conducted before a public launch.