Devon and Somerset Name 42 New Communities for Fibre Broadband

The joint £94m Connecting Devon and Somerset programme in England, which is working to make BT’s “fibre optic broadband” (FTTC/P) service available to more than 90% of local premises by the end of 2016 and hopefully 100% by 2020, has today announced a list of the next 42 communities that will benefit from its roll-out.

Apparently the latest batch of areas will be upgraded by October 2014 and the update notes that coverage will also be further extended (infill) around the “fringes” of Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilminster, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Honiton, Taunton and Bridgwater.

The programme has so far installed and connected 173 new FTTC street cabinets, with a further 75 set to go live by early July 2014. Some 980 kms of fibre optic cable has also been laid since the roll-out started last year, and they’ve just connected the projects first 330Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) line at Westpark Business Park near Wellington (Somerset).

David Hall, Deputy Leader of Somerset County Council, said:

“Today’s announcement means many more communities across Devon and Somerset can enjoy the countless benefits of the digital world. For our businesses, it means improved efficiency, the development of online markets and the potential for growth. Our rural communities can have the same access to public services, information and entertainment that is already enjoyed by our urban areas.”

To take the programme even further, we have also worked hard with BDUK on our application to the Superfast Extension Programme (SEP) which was submitted on Monday. We want to access all the £22.75 million funding available to us to make superfast broadband available to 95% of premises by the end of 2017.”

The 25 new connected communities are:

Cannington, Chilton Trinity, Nether Stowey, North Petherton, Otterhampton, Pawlett, Puriton, Spaxton, Tedburn St. Mary, Whitestone, Ashford, Barrington, Braunton, Burlescombe, Chudleigh, Dowlish Wake, Heanton Punchardon, Horton, Ilsington, Kingstone, Landkey, Milverton, Mortehoe, North Tawton and Swimbridge.

The additional 17 communities are:

Ashill, Beercrocombe, Catcott, Chilton Polden, Combe Martin, Denbury/Torbryan, Dunkeswell, Edington, Fivehead, Great Torrington, Ilfracombe, Ipplepen, Kingsbridge, Milborne Port, Stokenham, West Down and Woolfardisworthy.

The 31 communities that have already been connected are:

Belstone, Bishop’s Hull, Bishop’s Lydeard, Bradford-on-Tone, Combe Florey, Cotford St Luke, Crediton, Creech St Michael, Dunchideock, Exminster, Hatherleigh, Hemyock, Holsworthy, Newton St Cyres, Nynehead, Okehampton, Okehampton Hamlets, Petrockstow, Ruishton, Sandford, Shillingford St George, South Tawton, Sticklepath, Stoke St Gregory, Thurloxton, Wellington, West Buckland, West Monkton, Kennford, Henlade and North Curry. The programme has also been able to provide additional coverage around the fringes of Barnstaple, Bideford, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Honiton, Ilminster, Taunton and Bridgewater.