Twenty-first century broadband speeds reach Martock

Twenty-first century broadband speeds reach Martock

Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) has brought superfast broadband to homes and businesses in the Martock exchange area. As well as connecting premises within Martock, where the exchange is located, businesses and residents in surrounding communities, such as Bower Hinton, Stoke-sub-Hamdon and Coat, also now have access to superfast broadband speeds of up to 80Mbps.

The area has had a major boost in the number of people who can get superfast broadband, with 4,057 households and businesses now able to order the high speed technology following the construction and connection of 18 fibre broadband cabinets in the area. In addition, one more cabinet will soon ‘go live’ raising the number of premises able to access superfast broadband to 4,473.

To date, more than 261,000 households and businesses in Devon and Somerset are able to access fibre broadband as a result of the multi million pound CDS programme. This has been made possible through the construction of almost 1200 fibre broadband cabinets and the laying of many thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cables by engineers from BT’s local network business, Openreach.

Cllr David Hall, Deputy Leader of Somerset County Council, said: “I’m delighted for everybody in Martock and the surrounding area that now has the opportunity to access superfast broadband as a result of the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme. This project is making a huge difference to people’s lives - the take-up rates in areas that have gone live already underlines just how just how keen businesses and members of the public are to get connected, and what a difference it can make.”

Paul Coles, BT South West regional manager, said: “The arrival of high-speed fibre broadband represents a major investment in Martock and the surrounding areas. It will provide a vital boost for local households and businesses because whatever you do online you can do it better with fibre broadband.”

Residents and businesses can keep up to date with the latest cabinets going live via Twitter @DCCSCCBroadband or via www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk. If your area is covered by fibre broadband you will need to contact your Internet Service Provider to order a fibre broadband service.

Notes to Editors

About Connecting Devon and Somerset

Councils across Devon and Somerset are working together to bring faster broadband to the area and deliver improved broadband for rural Devon and Somerset – the “final third” – rural areas that are unlikely to benefit from commercial investment in broadband.

The Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme covers Devon County Council, Somerset County Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, and North Somerset Council areas.

In 2011 the programme secured £32 million of funding from the government agency Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and both Somerset and Devon County Councils put in £10 million each. Further funding from Bath and North East Somerset Council brought the public sector total close to £53 million. With the £41 million additional investment from BT the Programme is investing £94 million to improve broadband connectivity.

In 2014 BDUK announced a further £22.75m allocated to the CDS programme to support the extension of superfast broadband coverage to 95 per cent of premises nationally. This has been matched locally, which means the programme has over £45 million further to invest in bringing superfast broadband to the area.