A BROADBAND box delivering high-speed internet has finally been connected – more than 21 months after being installed.

Following problems with rights of way, the BT box in Pity Me, on the outskirts of Durham, has just been connected to the electricity needed for it to deliver internet to customers.

The cabinet in Abbey Road, which is near the Arnison Centre, was installed during the summer of 2015 but was left to idle for more than 21 months because of problems BT has had with the rights of way needed to connect it to power.

These have now been resolved, which means around 100 homes in the area will now be able to access superfast internet.

BT has apologised for the delay and said the rights of way problems were beyond its control.

Framwellgate Moor councillors Mark Wilkes and Amanda Hopgood campaign-ed for the cabinet to be installed and have been fighting for two years to get the technology in the area.

Cllr Wilkes said: “We have had a monumental battle to get these improvements for residents.

“I am absolutely delighted that residents who were getting less than one megabits connections will now have up to 70 times that speed and will finally be able to use the internet for those things that so many of us take for granted.

“Some residents even struggled to send emails and photos due to the low speeds.”

He added: “This has now been going on for more than two years and has taken months and months of chasing it up. It’s ridiculous.

“I believe this is one of the last boxes to be done in Durham city.”

It was initially planned that the cabinet would be up and running in 2015.

The cabinet is part of BT’s commercial roll-out of fibre broadband, which promises speeds of up to 330 Mbps, and was not part of the Digital Durham programme because it was outside the investment area.

A BT spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for delayed upgrade of this fibre cabinet.

“Due to issues with wayleaves, which were completely outside of our control, power could not be connected to the cabinet.

“Those issues have now been resolved and the cabinet is now live. Those who wish to place orders can do so via their preferred service provider.”