[I'm stunned to hear you can't get broadband in Favell Drive, Furzton, because you are connected to what's called the "Shenley Church End" exchange which is actually in Emerson Valley, i.e. mere yards from you!

(The usual reason for failing the broadband check is basically that the line is too long, not too short as you were told.) Us poor souls in Shenley Lodge are connected to "Bradwell Abbey" exchange which is actually in Fishermead, so we are resigned to being too far away. But you should really be AOK. If you were to fail at all, I would have expected you to fail the initial database check due to an error in the database, but to have failed an actual physical line check is extremely puzzling (assuming I've understood you correctly).

Anyway, as of today there are three very positive things you can do about it, largely thanks to the BB4MK campaign; two of them are very recent initiatives indeed.

1. Apply to go onto the MK Council / NTL wireless broadband trial.  We're "wireless trialists" ourselves, and we find it to be fast, reliable and above all free of charge! Come the end of June/July the trial may be pulled or it may be rolled out commercially (hopefully the latter), but in the meantime I understand that they still need more people to apply. Here's a link to the MK Council registration page.

2. Instigate the very new procedure designed to rectify the sadly familiar "my neighbour can get it but I can't" problem. See this page. We'd be very interested indeed to hear what happens if you manage to instigate that procedure, because it really IS very new.

3. Apply to join the imminent BT Trial which is due to start in June. Register now. It was only announced this week.

Most of us are applying for both the NTL and the BT trials, on the basis that they are just that - TRIALS - so may be axed at any time.

Oh, and idea number 4, the best yet, is to come along to a Thursday night pub gathering - see the section called "Informal Weekly Meeting". It's usually in the Swan, MK village, but I do manage to convince the group to come to the Old Beams once in a while (time soon, methinks). Usually just 6 to 10 folk turn up, and the conversation soon digresses onto much more interesting things than broadband!

You can also sign onto the group's chat site via the section called Informal Email List if you want, and get all the BB gossip on a roughly daily basis. Sounds anorakky I know, but there's a really good people-power buzz about it.]

My saga started on 6th December 2003, when my broadband connection, (which I had had with Tiscali for 8 months) was mysteriously unavailable. To cut a very long story short, Tiscali were unable to reconnect, and BT maintain that my house is too far from the exchange and sometimes cables deteriorate!

Now, I know my house has not moved, so to say that it is too far away (when I have been a subscriber with Tiscali for 8 months) is ridiculous. The only offer that BT would make was that I could pay for a second line in the faint hope that it would work (I would obviously have to pay extra line rental and connection charge in the meantime).

I live in Furzton, and am surrounded by friends and neighbours that use broadband.

This is beyond a joke!!!

Regards

Adrian, Furzton

Success . . .I have broadband. Activated yesterday and I'm chuffed to bits. Many thanks for your dedication - I'm sure I would not have BB without the action group.

I'm in Worrelle Avenue which I think is currently marked red on your availability map - I know that my next door neighbour also has Broadband.

I needed another line to be installed as my existing line failed the line test - my company arranged it so I don't know if they gave BT any special instructions. The important thing is that it worked!

Thanks again,

Mike, Middleton

As an IT professional who works from home I find the lack of broadband a real pain to say the least. Although I have been watching your group with interest for a while I have finally decided to join and add my grievances to everyone else!

I am stunned that with Crownhill Industrial estate only a mile away there is no broadband in this area. With Leased Lines so expensive SDSL is the most cost effective way for any small company to go, and I am surprised they are not screaming for it!

Kind Regards

Chris, Crownhill