Superfast broadband hopes in cut-off areas
PEOPLE living in some of the most cut-off parts of Devon and Somerset could be given superfast broadband, thanks to a new £4.7 million investment.
BT Openreach is to provide superfast broadband in areas not included within current publicly subsidised or commercially funded broadband rollout plans.
Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) commissioned Openreach to deliver the first phase of the roll-out of superfast broadband.
The £4.7 million is the first repayment of the taxpayer subsidy for that project, which BT agreed to make once a certain level of broadband adoption had been reached.
The first phase of the CDS programme, which
is the largest publicly funded broadband rollout in England, made superfast broadband services available to more than 280,000 homes and businesses.
CDS and Openreach are now developing proposals to invest the repayment in expanding superfast broadband coverage to as many additional homes and businesses as possible.
Following a public consultation by CDS, the proposals will include a focus on areas with the lowest available speeds and with significant levels of deprivation.
CDS said it would not know how many properties would benefit until detailed modelling was completed.
The final proposals will have to be approved by the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK agency and are unlikely to be announced until early 2019.
Cllr David Hall, Cabinet member for economic development, planning and community infrastructure at Somerset County Council, said: “We all know how important good connectivity is to this area, for domestic users but also the small businesses that drive our economy and create jobs.
“We will be working closely with Openreach to make sure this investment, and the investment still to come, goes as far as possible and brings superfast broadband to as many people as possible across Somerset and Devon.”
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council Cabinet member for economy and skills and a member of the CDS board, said: “The announcement of this new collaboration is excellent news, and while this is a significant investment, this is just the first of a series of repayments from BT. This additional funding highlights the success Openreach has had in take-up of its services in our region and it will enable CDS to extend superfast broadband coverage in areas which have so far not been covered as part of ongoing roll-out plans.”
Kim Mears, pictured, Openreach managing director for strategic infrastructure development, said: “We are delighted that the success of this programme means we can hand back money to take superfast broadband coverage even further.
“We are keen to deliver better broadband to the few remaining ‘not-spots’ across the region.”