Devon and Somerset set to begin phase two of superfast broadband

Devon and Somerset are set to begin the second phase of rolling out superfast broadband to houses and businesses across the two counties.

This is in part thanks to a new £39.5 million investment made to the scheme Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS). The majority of areas are already covered, which includes wireless broadband being set up for the national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor. However, the second phase is set to reach particularly difficult areas such as the Quantocks and the Mendips.

With the extra funds, which also includes £4 million from the South West Ultrafast Fund, the CDS hopes to reach 4,000 homes and businesses currently without superfast broadband access. It is also anticipated that the CDS will be able to begin rolling out its Next Generation Access project, providing broadband speeds of 30Mb and above as well as ultrafast broadband (speeds of up to 100Mb) to homes and businesses.

As a result, Somerset Council is looking at broadband options for phase two. Councillor David Hall, deputy leader of Somerset County Council, said: “The broadband market is a lot stronger and diverse than when we signed the contract for phase one. Supplier events held in the past year were well attended with over 30 different suppliers showing interest. We hope to build on the success of the open procurement model for the National Parks ensuring we come up with the best possible solutions for our phase two funding."

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