IN the last decade, home broadband has changed people’s lives all across the country... and it all started in Vange.

Ten years ago this week, Mark Bush, 41, of Great Mistley, became the first person in the UK to get broadband internet installed in their home.

Since then, the dad-of-three, who works from home, has never looked back.

“Our whole family use broadband all the time – from homework to entertainment, shopping to communication with people on the other side of the world,” he said.

“It’s pretty much like the elastic band that holds us all together.

“It’s really good to have something like the internet in common with my kids too. Sometimes we chat to each other over Facebook from separate rooms in the house.”

Mark, a training manager, became the first person to get broadband when he volunteered to take part in a trial being run by Virgin Media.

He said: “I remember reading about broadband overseas and realised it could have a massive impact on my life.

“When I saw they were looking for people to trial the first roll-out of broadband I was very happy to take part.

“I thought quicker internet access, enabling me to be online for as long as I wanted without having to pay by the minute, would change the way I work and live.

“It’s so easy to forget now, but the old dial-up could be frustrating. Sometimes it wouldn’t connect, and you wouldn’t be able to make phone calls while you were on the internet.

“Usually I would have to wait until 6pm for cheaper rate phone calls, so that limited its use for work purposes severely. The computer is now definitely my first port of call for my daily needs.”