Cumbrian village selected for Vodafone broadband trial (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cumbrian village selected for Vodafone broadband trial

12:08pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News By Rachel Ryan

PEOPLE in Witherslack are celebrating after the village was picked out for a national super fast broadband pilot.

Witherslack has been selected by Vodafone to receive a huge boost in its mobile internet coverage with 'Open Femto' technology.

The village, which has limited internet coverage, will now be one of the 12 trial schemes - out of 100 original applicants - to have mobile broadband in the area via open femto technology, which allows mobile users onto the femtocell to access the internet when they are in range of the device.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron said that the decision to trial the technology in rural hot spots was a great move forward for rural communities.

“This is great news for Witherslack and for South Lakes. Vodafone are keen to go ahead because they've seen that there is a huge need for mobile broadband in our area and they've met the local people who want to make it a reality”.

Mr Farron lobbied Vodafone to shortlist Witherslack earlier in the year and is now planning to meet with Vodafone experts, Witherslack parish council and local residents to plan the implementation of the project, which will be paid for by Vodafone.

Mr Farron added: “What is even more crucial for Cumbria's growth is that we work in partnership with the government, the telephone companies and Ofcom to make good internet and mobile coverage the norm and not the exception in Cumbria."