MIDDLETON-IN-TEESDALE is the first rural community in County Durham to receive new broadband technology.
The village will receive 3G voice services and access to the internet via mobile devices as part of Vodafone’s Rural Open Sure Signal (ROSS) programme.
The technology, called, Open Sure Signal technology, uses a small low-powered unit, which is slightly larger than a home broadband box.
It works with existing broadband to create a 3G signal which provides a blanket of coverage for rural communities that had little, or no, signal, beforehand.
The company stated that “mobile connectivity plays a vital role in keeping communities in touch and helps support local economies”but “rural and remote locations often miss out on advantages provided by modern communication tools, due to the complexity of delivering network coverage.”
The programme is supported by village champion, Adam Hearn, and MP Helen Goodman, who will be officially launching the programme at the UTASS office, in Chapel Row, on March 30.
Vodafone has now installed the technology across several locations in the village, meaning the wider community will now have good quality mobile signal for the first time and are better able to take part in and enjoy the social and business benefits that mobile connectivity can bring.
For more information visit blog.vodafone.co.uk/2014/11/07/vodafone-uk-ceo-jeroen-hoencamp-talks-ross100/
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