BT fibre pilot delayed by Muswell residents

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BT’s super-fast broadband pilot could face delays as residents complain about the roadside cabinets.

Haringey Council has stopped the installation of the boxes in Muswell Hill following complaints from the Conservation Area Advisory Committee and residents, saying they didn't fit into the area.

A spokesperson from the council also said: “There was some local concern that BT installed these cabinets before getting planning approval.”

The list of complaints given by the council said that the cabinets were “much higher and bulkier” than current ones, restricted the width of pavements, causing problems for wheelchair users and those with buggies, and did “nothing to preserve or enhance the character of conservation areas” - a stipulation of planning permission.

The £1.5 billion pilot that started in Muswell Hill and Whitchurch, Wales, at the beginning of July is testing out high-speed broadband of up to 40Mbps.

A spokesperson from BT told IT PRO that this incident would not stop the pilot from going ahead and the rollout was “100 per cent on track.”

"The pilot has not "halted" [as some articles have claimed]. The majority of cabinets have been successfully installed in Muswell Hill and customers are already enjoying super fast broadband,” the spokesperson said.

“There is an issue with a small number of cabinets in a conservation area and Openreach are in dialogue with the council on a solution."

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