MAY Hill residents and businessmen say they have been left off the map of the latest faster broadband rollout across the county.

Residents in Glasshouse Lane have been putting up with years of telephone line malfunctions and dismal internet speeds of just 0.90Mbs.

And despite their predicament they say they can’t get a straight answer from Fastershire as to whether they are included in the latest broadband rollout phase.

Tony Butler, who relies on the internet to contact work colleagues as far away as Argentina, said it’s extremely frustrating.

“We’ve had several faults on the line and each time they repair it the speed goes down.

“I do work overseas. As a contingency plan I have to pay £15 to use a dongle for those month my line goes down.”

Mr Butler believes broadband should be treated as a utility due to the many government services that require internet such as the renewal of car tax, licence and insuring a vehicle.

He says he’s disappointed with the responses he has from Fastershire so far.

“We weren’t in phase one of Fastershire,” he said. “Then the county council did a report with Fastershire saying everyone would be on.

“But Gigaclear have said we are not on the list so I emailed Fastershire and asked them to send me the details to which they make their judgement on which properties to include.”

A county council spokesperson has refuted theses claims and says properties in Glasshouse Lane are included in the new rollout of faster broadband.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Lynden Stowe (Con, Campden-Vale), cabinet member for economy, skills and growth, said: “It is so important that we are making sure that access to a fast and reliable internet connection is available for our businesses and residents as more and more services go online.

“Faster broadband is vital for our communities and businesses to thrive and I’m delighted that the Fastershire project, in partnership with Gigaclear, will be taking faster broadband to even more rural areas of the county where larger suppliers were not prepared to go without public investment.”