Confusion after residents told their broadband service would be abruptly ending

An email letter caused panic among residents after it told them their broadband services would be 'terminating'.

Dozens of customers from Wroughton, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva, as well as other Swindon areas, who used Three/Relish for their internet, were told in a letter last month that their service would 'no longer be available from June'.

Many people were shocked by this, and wondered what they would do, especially as they did not have alternative fibre broadband providers where they lived.

However, after meeting with the head of Building Digital UK and Three, councillor Gary Sumner, case worker for Sir Robert Buckland Rebecca Clements, and Bishopstone Parish councillor Lucille McGrath were told that the letter was sent out in error.

The initial letter sent out to customers said: "Due to technical changes in your area, your current Home Broadband service will no longer be available from June.

"Your existing equipment will need to be removed by a professional.

"Should you wish to stay with Three we can offer you an alternative Home Broadband service. Visit the coverage checker to see what options are available in your area. We will be in contact with you to discuss."

During the meeting, Cllr Sumner says that Three admitted that '"their communications could have been better and as a result the termination is paused and they will contact customers with an agreed date."

This happened because the existing 4G masts are being replaced with new 4G/5G masts which will provide a better service with a greater spectrum.

Existing customers will be provided with new consumer receiving equipment for free, as well as three months of free broadband (to direct customers) and the same will be offered to re-sellers, although it is up to them to pass this on.

No new contracts will be required, so if an alternative service comes along (such as fibre in Bishopstone) people will be free to leave.

Between the old service terminating and the new service commencing there may be a three to five day ‘outage’ in some cases where people will be without the service, but the new equipment will be able (in most cases) to pick up a service from the Three mobile network.

Cllr Sumner added: "I’ll be getting updates in due course on the mast programme and 7 sites will be having the new installation constructed before the old one is terminated, whilst 12 masts are what they call ‘rip and replace’ which will affect the service for customers for 3-5 days."