A couple living in a rural mid Wales say telecoms giant BT has quoted them more than £89,000 to connect their home to faster broadband.

David and Daphne Margetts, of Dolwen, near Llanidloes, struggle to get 2Mb with their current connection so when they received a letter from BT telling them that they were eligible for a minimum of 10Mb, their hopes of faster speeds rose.

But on further investigation, the couple discovered that in order for them to be able to access the high-speed broadband, they would have to stump up £89,880, and hope that their neighbours would be willing to help them foot the bill.

“I thought it was wonderful,” Mr Margetts said.

“Openreach checked how they can get to me and it involved a lot of work.”

Every home and business in the UK has the legal right to request a “decent, affordable” broadband connection, according to communication regulator Ofcom.

The universal service obligation which BT offers eligible customers is at least 10Mb.

But in order for Mr and Mrs Margetts to achieve those speeds, they were told it would cost £89,880 to connect the line from the Llanidloes exchange to their home, which is a distance of about four miles. The cost could then be shared with 11 eligible properties.

The works cost £102,000, which includes £82,500 for buying and laying fibre cables, £15,000 for planning the best route and £4,000 for civil engineering costs.

BT would contribute £27,000 bringing the actual cost down to almost £90,000 – a sum which Mr Margetts believes is unreasonable.

“I had told BT that my neighbour 650 metres down the lane had Fibre To The Premises from a junction on the A470 which was 950 metres distant. They get in excess of 70Mb.

“I suggested it would be much cheaper and better to connect to the nearest point.

“I was told in no uncertain terms that what they had quoted was how it would be done.”

BT told Mr Margetts in an email seen by the County Times: “We appreciate this is a lot of money – if you decide this isn’t for you, there are still other ways of getting faster broadband which could work better for you such as community fibre partnerships, where you can take advantage of Government vouchers, or satellite broadband.”

Moreover, the couple have been without internet since early June.

“Openreach switched off the internet connection and now BT are saying they can’t switch it back on because they have this caller display problem to rectify,” Mr Margetts said.

He added: “The ideal situation would be to have an Elon Musk satellite broadband system to cover these areas.”

A BT spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for the disappointment the quote has caused Mr Margetts. Although the USO scheme will deliver for the vast majority of those without decent connectivity today, it hasn’t been designed to overcome the challenges of connecting the most difficult places.

“We understand the frustration of those in hard to reach areas like where Mr Margetts lives, and we’re committed to working with the Government to find solutions to connect those living in the most remote areas. Options could include alternative technologies, as well as clarity on the Government’s £5bn funding for rural full fibre.”