Residents of Doughty House

Netherton Grove

SW10 9TQ

London

Chairperson
Kensington Housing Trust
354 Portobello Rd
London
W10 5XZ

Dear Chairperson

We, the undersigned residents, would like to bring to your attention the failure of the Kensington Housing Trust to provide the residents of Doughty House with access to a high quality Internet connection.

The Catalyst Housing Group has declared quality as one of its business values and is determined to “encourage vibrant, thriving communities with wonderful opportunities for residents”. In order to achieve quality in the services that the Trust provides, it is crucial that the residents are not deprived of the opportunities to gain access to a high speed broadband connection.

Furthermore, the government has pledged to make the UK the best place for super-fast broadband in Europe by 2015. As an organisation that provides housing to the public sector professionals and that operates through grants received from the government, the Trust is responsible for contributing to the achievement of this ambition.

Despite it being in the fibre optic broadband zone and having physical phone lines, Doughty House does not provide access to the Internet. The issue is further complicated by the short term tenancies that prevent residents to enter into contracts with Internet providers.

Many residents are currently using mobile internet which is slower, less reliable and much more expensive. In the twenty-first century, high quality Internet connection is a necessity, rather than a luxury. We would therefore like to request that the Board investigates the various options available in order to allow the residents of Doughty House to gain easy access to a fast broadband connection.

We look forward to your action on the proposed improvements.

Kind Regards

Residents of Doughty House