WROUGHTON residents will finally be able to log on to broadband internet services next week after a two-year campaign.

The technology, which allows subscribers to surf the web at high speeds, is so costly to set up that BT insisted in 2002 that 300 people must provisionally sign-up.

Campaigners successfully reached that target last Decem-ber, but not without a lot of hard work.

Now campaign organiser John Forster-Heatlie is eagerly awaiting the service going live on Wednesday.

He expressed his thanks to the Evening Advertiser, which has given coverage to the campaign.

"The story goes back about two years when BT enabled all the exchanges in Swindon but left out Wroughton," he said.

"I then had an article published in the Evening Advertiser which really started the campaign off.

"Until that point we only had about 30 to 40 pre-registrations."

Mr Forster-Heatlie, along with others, have flooded the village with flyers, bumper stickers and badges.

He added: "Broadband will mean people will no longer have to put up with slow internet connection."

Lizzie Beesley, south west regional director for BT, said: "Wroughton customers will now become part of the new communications era.

"More than 85 per cent of UK households are already connected to broadband enabled exchanges and BT is looking to reach 100 per cent of homes wherever there is demand.

"For individuals, broadband can open up whole areas of learning and recreation through high-speed access to the limitless range of knowledge and information contained on the internet."

On Friday, South Swindon MP Julia Drown will officially visit the telephone exchange in Moor-mead to see for herself the cutting-edge technology.

She said it would give the village, which forms part of her constituency, a major boost.

"The upgrading of the exchange is a milestone for Wroughton," she said.

"Broadband will play an important and lasting role in the future success of communities."

Since BT launched the registration scheme in July 2002, more than 500,000 people have logged their interest in the technology.

As a result, around 1,000 exchanges have been up-graded.

Kevin Shoemsith