Residents want eyesore telegraph poles taken down in their road - despite it potentially leaving them without internet.
Toob recently installed the five poles and cables in Kelburn Close, Chandler's Ford to improve internet speeds - enraging resident Clare Hugill and at least 16 of her neighbours, she said.
The group says the installations spoil the skyline and ruin the view from their homes - and are calling for Toob to take them down.
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But, Clare said: "We contacted Toob and were advised that unless the poles are erected residents will be left without internet. We’ve gone back to them with more questions but are yet to hear anything.
“We’ve had different internet providers before and the fibre-optic cables have always been underground.
"Now they’re stretching the length of the road between five telegraph poles.“The cables have a negative aesthetic impact on what was a clean, unspoilt skyline.
"It just seems like nobody wants it.”
Neighbours Christine Moore and Sarah Standfield share Clare’s concerns.
Christine said: “Now, when I look outside of my window I can see three huge telegraph poles.
“Some of the wires look quite low and go alongside trees. Are people expected to cut the branches down?”
Sarah added: “The road was built in 1981 and was originally designed for one car to each house and is quite small.
“All of a sudden – without warning – workmen have installed the poles in just a few weeks when residents have been objecting, and it feels like Toob are putting profits before the concerns of the people who live here.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Toob said: “We are investing more than £11m in building a full-fibre broadband network in Eastleigh to serve more than 13,000 homes in line with the Government’s Project Gigabit.
“We carefully plan our network to ensure minimal disruption to residents, using existing networks and ducts wherever possible. Where these do not exist or are not useable, we deploy our own infrastructure, sometimes the most viable solution is to install new telegraph poles.
“If new telegraph poles are required, we engage with residents before build commences and carefully consider any feedback.
“If at all possible, we will accommodate the feedback we receive and adjust our plans accordingly, equally if a local community has a consensus that the new poles are not an acceptable solution, we will put the network deployment on hold for that area.”
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