2000 Devon UK Premises Get 1Gbps Broadband via £2.5m Gigaclear Project

Fibre optic ISP Gigaclear has announced that a commercial investment of £2.5 million is enabling some 2,000 premises in rural Devon (England) to access their 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based ultrafast broadband network.

Villages including Upottery, Yarcombe and Rawridge in the Blackdown Hills area can now take advantage of speeds reaching up to 1000Mbps (1Gbps), which is considerably better than the c.1Mbps connectivity that some residents previously experienced via Openreach’s older copper lines (ADSL services).

We should point out that this work is separate from Gigaclear’s recent state aid supported contract with the wider Connecting Devon and Somerset project (here), although the two programmes do complement each other.

Graham Long, Upottery Parish Councillor, said:

“It’s a really positive step forward for these rural Devon areas in particular and a great example for other rural communities struggling with poor connections. I am delighted that Gigaclear has invested in this area; broadband is now an essential service, so having access to a full fibre network will benefit people across the county.

Joe Frost, Business Development Director at Gigaclear, added:

“This is the first of our commercial investments in Devon and we are delighted at the support, enthusiasm and excitement received from local residents and businesses, who are all set to benefit from this transformative communications upgrade. Gigaclear’s investment in this new full fibre network will bring economic and social benefits to the area for many years to come, making it an even more attractive place to live, work and play.”

Apparently 2 “full fibre” cabinets are live in the Blackdown Hills area and Gigaclear is now focused on continuing the project to deliver FTTP broadband to properties in the Churchinford, Smeatharpe, Sampford Arundel, Ford Street, Clayhidon and the Sampford Moor areas.