Lord Forsyth tangled in cable controversy
Campaigners want superfast line extended
Tory grandee Lord Michael Forsyth has accused opponents of “mischief making” after he was caught up in rural broadband row.
Neighbours of the former MP for Stirling , who lives in Drumlean near Kinlochard, have been battling to improve the area’s broadband speed.
Three years ago they were told that superfast fibre optic cable planned for Aberfoyle would not be extended into Kinlochard.
It was claimed the cable could not be distributed using telephone poles and the cost of burying it would be prohibitive.
Hopes of improved computer use were, however, lifted earlier this year when BT announced they had chosen part of the area to trial a new lightweight fibre optic cable which could be mounted on existing poles.
But those hopes were dashed when it became clear that while the cable stretches three miles from Aberfoyle, it currently stops at Drumlean – close to Lord Forsyth’s home but well short of the main part of the village.
BT yesterday (Thursday) confirmed a “small number of homes” had been hooked up to the new cable using existing poles and others that were replaced.
One source said Lord Forsyth had been bending the ear of BT top brass about the area’s broadband speed and added: “BT engineers were told not to tell anyone as the overhead line has stopped in the area of Lord Forsyth’s property but had it been extended by another few hundred yards Kinlochard residents would have benefitted from the service.”
Colin Smith, from Kinlochard, part of the village’s unofficial broadband group,was “disappointed” the cable had stopped short of the main part of the village. He said they were meeting with BT managing director Brendan Dick next Thursday, adding: “We will be doing our best to persuade him to extend this cable the short distance into the heart of Kinlochard so that the whole community can benefit from this trial.”
Former SNP councillor for Trossachs and Teith, Fergus Wood, who farms about half a mile from Drumlean, said: “It is super that Lord Forsyth is benefitting from this but could the cable work not be continued?
“They have taken it so far, why not take it to its logical conclusion so the business of Kinlochard can benefit.
“At the moment the broadband here is slow and erratic and the type of speeds we are getting is about one megabit, sometimes half. Businesses in the area desperately need faster broadband.”
Lord Forsyth (62), MP for Stirling from 1983-97 and a former Secretary of State for Scotland, said claims he was receiving preferential treatment from BT were “unhelpful mischief-making”.
“If people are trying to politicise this or make cheap points they will let BT off the hook,” he added.
“I am trying to force BT to face up to their obligations and if they cannot do it we will have to find providers who will.”
However, SNP councillor for Bannockburn Alasdair MacPherson said: “I warmly welcome the installation of high speed broadband to any rural community.
“However, serious questions need to asked if Lord or is it Sir Michael Forsyth, who remember was rejected at the ballot, used his undeserving and absurd titles to pressurise one of BT’s most senior officials in Scotland to secretly get the infrastructure installed to his rural property.
“Brendan Dick will now be receiving emails from me to come and visit similar rural communities that I represent who have been lobbying BT for years for high speed broadband.”
If people are trying to politicisethis or make cheappoints they will let BT off the hook