BT has been awarded a £26m Project Gigabit contract to connect over 650 primary schools in hard-to-reach places across England with gigabit broadband.
Fri, 27/01/2023 - 15:16
Airband has made fibre accessible to another 1,700 homes and businesses as part of the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme.
The network is now live in areas of Cotford St Luke, Staplegrove, and Monkton in Somerset, as well as parts of Bradninch, Tiverton, Calverleigh, Cruwys Morchard, Halberton, Nomansland, Withleigh, Powderham, Bishopsteignton, Luscombe and Tavistock in Devon.
The altnet has also laid out its roadmap for upcoming builds. Work is also nearing completion to provide access to a further 1,150 homes and businesses in Berry Pomeroy in south Devon, which are expected to be ready for service in the spring.
Construction is ongoing to provide full fibre access to almost 600 premises in Stogumber and West Bagbourough in Somerset where build is expected to be completed this coming spring.
This winter, work will start in Somerset to provide access to more than 1,020 premises in Taunton, more than 760 in Neroche, and over 1,070 in parts of Wellington and some of its surrounding communities such as Langford Budville and Holywell Lake.
Airband will begin concurrently In Devon to build access to more than 3,000 premises from Exeter to Silverton, almost 900 premises from Thurlestone to Salcombe, over 840 in Dawlish, more than 750 at Stover, over 700 in Dartmouth, more than 600 premises from Marldon to Combe Fishacre, and over 130 premises from Roborough to Elfordleigh.
In the spring, work is scheduled to get underway in parts of Bridgwater, Huntspill, Ruishton, Stoke St Gregory, Westonzoyland, as well as Colyton, Gittisham and Sidmouth.
Redmond Peel, Founder and Director of Airband, said: “Compared with more urban settings, building, maintaining and upgrading rural broadband networks can present some unique challenges.
“To date, across the whole project, we have applied for and obtained over 550 wayleaves. Working closely with CDS, we strive to meet these challenges head on and are looking forward to connecting many more communities in 2023 and beyond.”
Councillor Rufus Gilbert, CDS Board Member and Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, added: “A huge amount of infrastructure work is due to take place over the next 12 months which will eventually provide access to a further 14,000 premises.”
