Installing poles for the island’s fibre broadband is the quickest and cheapest way of ensuring targets are met.

The Department for Enterprise and Manx Telecom are rolling out ultra-fast broadband over the next four years to 99% of premises.

The rollout of fibre broadband across the Isle of Man is taking place on a phased basis, planned around optimal routes from an engineering efficiency perspective.

However the use of telephone poles to install the broadband cables, such as in Colby where existing phone lines are buried underground has angered residents.

Spokesmen for MT and DfE have both confirmed that cost and timing are the main reasons for using poles to provide access to faster broadband,

A spokesman for MT said: ’Generally new poles are considered only where areas are served by directly buried cables which would require extensive groundwork to access and replace with ducting.

’Around one third of the island has directly buried cables and these are the areas where new poles may be the best option - both from the point of view of disruption to neighbourhoods and cost - if there are no suitable poles already in place.

’Providing fibre by laying new ducting, rather than by pole, in these areas would create delays of several months in each location and cost up to 10 times as much as installing new poles. There would also be a potential extra cost to residents in accessing the fibre through ducting across their own land.’

As part of the national broadband plan, it was identified that across the island approximately one third of premises have poles already in place and where possible MT is working with Manx Utilities to share assets and reduce the need for additional poles.

A DfE spokesman added: ’One third of the island was identified as having accessible ducts available to deliver fibre, leaving one third of premises (totalling approximately 4,000 premises in the intervention zones), requiring new infrastructure such as poles and/or duct work.

’The use of poles consequently remains standard practice for many operators across the world when installing new infrastructure pending a longer term highways programme which may provide the opportunity to bury the infrastructure and it often remains the most economic and efficient way to implement and deliver new services.’

There is a meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday night at Arbory Parish Hall for Ballacriy Park residents to question DfE and MT over the rollout in the estate.