The Shropshire Journal - 30th July 2004

Bishop’s Castle is in the fast lane. The first independent broadband network in Shropshire is up and running. Bishops Castle Broadband Collective was launched last month, and with conversion grants from Switch On Shropshire, many local businesses are already feeling the benefits of fast internet access.

Dave Simpson is developing the Castle Hotel website. John and Gill Lucas, who run The Porch House as a B+B and self-catering apartments, are joining Dave in offering visitors their own internet connection: “Many visitors bring laptops and want to work as well as relax here, so offering a broadband connection is a valuable extra, all the more surprising for the historic surroundings.”

Clocks and Pots has a tiny shop front, but that’s deceptive: John and Susan Morgan can offer visitors –real and virtual- a tour of their French warehouse, where they can search out the antique pine furniture of their dreams. John says; “our website is mostly pictures, which took ages to load. The whole process much is faster now, which leaves me more time for clock repairs and other customers.”

Decorative Antiques sells Art Deco jewellery, glassware and pottery. Their business relies heavily on the internet.  Richard and Evelyn Moulson have a custom-built website which needs frequent updating . Broadband has halved the time Richard spends renewing stock details. “Before, you’d send up a photo and just wait, whistle and twiddle your thumbs. Now they are gone in a flash.”

BCBC is a small band of local volunteers who got tired of waiting for landline broadband, and decided to do it themselves.

They hired a satellite link and set up a network. Now they’re climbing ladders, giving advice, and generally bringing the personal touch to modern technology in the town.  The service provides an always-on, unlimited connection to the internet completely separate from the telephone network and is available to anyone in Bishop’s Castle, if you are interested go to www.broadbandcollective.com/bishopscastle.

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