FOLLOWING BroadbandAltonÕs triumph in drumming up enough local support to get ADSL Broadband services installed in the town, BT has now announced the date that the new services will Ôgo liveÕ.

The services will be activated in Alton on February 28, making it one of the first 30 exchanges in the country to be equipped with ADSL through BT WholesaleÕs broadband registration scheme.

The Alton exchange will become the second exchange in Hampshire to be equipped with ADSL broadband through the scheme. It follows hard on the heels of BishopÕs Waltham, which is due to be enabled on December 12.

It was announced on Friday, November 22, the day that the six-week deadline for order confirmations elapsed, that the required level of 263 confirmed orders had been received. BT put much of the registration schemeÕs success in Alton down to the efforts of the BroadbandAlton campaigners.

The BroadbandAlton campaign has been running since June, after BT announced that Broadband internet services would not be available in Alton, despite being available in Farnham, Bordon, Petersfield and most other surrounding towns.

After the resulting outcry, BT said that it would install ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) Broadband technology at the Alton exchange, if demand for the service could be proven.

Thanks to the efforts of BroadbandAlton, the required pre-registration level was reached as quickly as October, and enough of these were turned into confirmed orders within the six weeks that BT allowed.

Lizzie Beesley, BTÕs South East regional director, said: ÒWe are delighted to be able to now announce a firm date when broadband will be available at Alton, a place where there has been a very strong campaign to raise awareness of the huge opportunities offered by broadband.

ÒBT is eager to bring broadband to all parts of the UK. We are now at the stage where demand and customer interest are dictating our investment decisions. Alton and BishopÕs Waltham are early examples of how well this approach is working.

ÒBusinesses will see how broadband improves competitiveness, profitability and customer service, and individuals can, for example, watch their favourite sporting events online, send and receive large files more quickly and children can exploit the internet for learning and leisure faster and more effectively.Ó

ADSL broadband uses existing BT phone lines. It operates at between ten and 40 times the speed of standard internet connections, eliminating the frustrating delays while large files and graphics download. And it is Òalways-onÓ, so users no longer worry about running-up charges on-line. Phone calls can also be made over the same line at the same time.