EAST Meon councillor Rob Mocatta is urging residents to remain patient until 2020 in the expectation of faster broadband arriving by then.

The East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) member was asked to investigate the possibility of the council spending money to improve rural broadband speed.

A council report on the issue said with the changes due to Broadband, it was decided to support Cllr Mocatta’s recommendation that the council does not proceed.

Cllr Mocatta said that one of the deciding factors was significant changes to provision by 2020 that would see residents able to connect to superfast BT fibre optic cable.

He said: “Langrish and East Meon schools have good provision along BT cables, but at the moment BT doesn’t have to say where the cables are.

“It could pass houses and the residents wouldn’t know, but by 2020 BT will have made public maps of all their cables and people will be able to connect to them.”

Cllr Mocatta added that slow rural broadband was a national issue, not just one for East Hampshire, although the report suggests that it is particularly slow here.

He said: “Broadband speed in East Meon is appalling, but of course you can pay to have it improved if you want to, but at a huge cost.”

It is understood that a Froxfield resident has recently paid around £100,000 to improve his broadband speed.

The council decision to be patient comes as Meon Valley MP George Hollingbery welcomes news that between April and June 3,049 properties in his constituency got superfast broadband.

The installation was part of a £15.2 million government grant.

Mr Hollingberry said: “This money has been a great help to rural communities, like the Meon Valley, where it has helped bridge the gap when it’s not been viable to install superfast broadband.”

“The technology is now absolutely vital to the rural economy so that businesses can expand and create jobs while allowing entrepreneurs to set up in rural locations with the knowledge the infrastructure is in place.

“More work needs to be done, but this is very welcome news indeed.”