WHEN Ian Smith lost his all too vital – if always slow – internet connection he was told by his supplier his house had moved too far away from the cable.

Since then, Mr Smith has even resorted to putting cable down himself to get his connection back while the excuses have ranged from the line being “too long” to “we’re waiting for a part.”

He is still being billed for his lost service even though no-one knows where it has gone.

So he didn’t exactly spark on hearing Herefordshire Council’s pitch for superfast broadband which went out to tender this week.

In Pudleston, near Tenbury, where Mr Smith lives, you take your connection as you find it – if you can.

His story illustrates the reality behind broadband in an area recognised as having among the worst connections in England.

He’s relied on the internet for everything from bill-paying to homework and did so for some six years, until it “went”

overnight in April.

Now, some of those household essentials require a 20-mile round trip or a big phone bill.

There isn’t even e-mail to fall back on.

“It was always slow, you weren’t getting much more than half a meg but it was enough, now there’s nothing at all and no-one seems to know why,” Mr Smith said.

Some of his neighbours have similar problems while homes just 500 yards away seem to get a signal without any trouble.

But it’s the excuses that have worn him down and Mr Smith can’t switch suppliers because that would mean breaking a contract with his existing suppliers, losing any obligation to restore the service that came with the contract.

Having reached the end of the line, Mr Smith is ready to leave everything to the telecoms ombudsman to sort out. He’s even thought about selling up and moving to where connections are better.

The council says it has put a “complex and demanding” multimillion pound contract out to meet the requirements of the government backed pilot superfast broadband network planned for the south-west of the county.

This procurement process is expected to last several months.

Meanwhile, Mr Smith is interested in the localised wireless broadband service that by Herefordshire firm Allpay has up and running using church towers as transmitters.

He’ll be getting in touch with Allpay – by phone.