HUNDREDS of villagers in Elberton will be denied superfast broadband as it emerged that BT's new fibre optic network will not stretch far enough to reach their rural homes.

Towns and villages not deemed commercial enough to draw investment from internet providers received this year a £35.6 million boost to improve their connection as part of the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) scheme, a joint venture between the government, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Councils.

The upgrade is expected to see properties located in current signal blackspots enjoy speeds above 24 megabits per second (Mbps) and up to 80Mbps by 2016.

All other areas considered to be commercially 'attractive' to internet providers, were told that BT would overhaul the region's broadband connection by introducing fibre optic network to even the most out-of-the-way hamlets.

Yet this is far from true, according to Elberton villagers who, after digging a little deeper into the plans, discovered that the green cabinet supposed to link isolated villages to the new fibre optic network and due to be installed in Alveston, near Marlwood School, would be too far to reach their homes.

The cabinet is a large box which transmits broadband signal to nearby properties.

In an email sent to Elberton resident Andrew Watkins and seen by the Gazette, BT regional manager Michael Dunn confirmed that the only solution would be installing a cabinet in Elberton itself but that the move would not be "justifiable".

"The cost of such an exercise would not be justifiable to provide faster broadband to the village," he said.

"It is unlikely that speeds will improve in the near future although we continue to trial and test solutions which may bring an improvement to service."

Speeds of just 1Mbps were to be expected in the villages, he said.

Mr Watkins, who lives 4km away from Alveston said if he had not taken the matter in his own hands, he and his neighbours never would have found out the rollout would not extend to them.

"The plans were flawed from the start," he told the Gazette. "South Gloucestershire Council were all ready to spout the good news and we were told by a council officer that we came under a commercial provider.

"This proves South Gloucestershire Council have been misleading the public by saying those served by commercial providers will get superfast broadband. It also proves that the claim of 100 per cent of residents to get a minimum of 2Mbps is a load of rubbish."

Villagers will be expected to pay the same price, for an inferior service, he said.

A council spokesman said the commercial rollout was beyond the authority's control.

"As upgrading this area with Fibre to the Cabinet was a commercial decision by BT, it is up to BT to provide a suitable solution to the village and provide faster speeds using fibre to the cabinet or other technology.

"The council very much still aspires to achieve the target of 100 per cent of South Gloucestershire having an access line speed of 2Mbps, and it is hoped that speeds right across South Gloucestershire, whether within the commercial or council project, will increase by March 2016 as telecommunications technology advances."

Cllr Matthew Riddle said he was determined to have a green cabinet installed in Elberton.

He said: "I am lobbying BT at a regional level to get cable and a new green box to the village so that residents can enjoy the improvements that everyone else is getting."