Stormy public meeting over broadband poles as one resident threatens to knock them over with digger

Residents of the Briarscroft Estate and surrounding streets say they are unanimously against plans by Brsk to erect poles close to their homes to roll out new technology to replace copper wire, which the company says is outdated.

A packed meeting at Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Club chaired by Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley was the second in recent months, after another at Kingswinford Community Centre before Christmas.

Mr Harley was representing the council and acted as a go-between with Brsk managers and the residents, who say they have suffered 'aggressive marketing' by sales representatives and that the company has not responded to their complaints.

One resident said police had been sent by the company to his doors over a dispute with an employee of the company and another threatened to use a digger to break down a pole if it was installed outside his home.

Brsk – which has 400,000 customers nationwide – say they only erect poles when it is necessary if underground fibre cannot be used and that they were following government guidelines by installing it.

But Barry Slack of Wharfedale Close said 250 residents had signed a petition against the company potentially installing poles in front of their houses, and said if they went ahead, none of them would buy the broadband.

He said: "We understand the arguments Brsk come up with about critical infrastructure being necessary for fast broadband but don't agree that telegraph poles come under that category.

"It has been a clean street scene for many years on the estate and that is the way we want to keep it. Most people already have satisfactory broadband and we are not against competition but we don't want the poles and the company don't seem to be listening."

Brsk regional manager Laura Richardson said they worked with Openreach PIA where possible to utilise the underground fibre and couldn't use other companies so it was necessary for them to install the poles in some areas due to lack of capacity but they tried to avoid doing so and would place them sympathetically

She said: "I had a number of positive conversations after the meeting where people were open to use of the technology and have found this to be the case in other areas where initially there is some group resistance.

"Copper broadband is likely to be phased out very soon, it is outdated and the government have said the new technology needs to come in to bring the UK into line with other European countries.

"Where possible we will use open reach technology but at other times we may need to use poles which will be placed sympathetically and in condition with the wishes of the residents – at all times we are open to dialogue."