Several villages in the Burnham-On-Sea area are finally set to receive faster broadband, it has been confirmed.
Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) is working with Gigaclear using public money to subsidise the roll-out of superfast broadband in rural areas of Somerset where it is not profitable to install the needed infrastructure.
The project aims to ensure that 95% of properties across Devon and Somerset can access speeds of at least 30Mbps.
However, Gigaclear is currently on notice of default for its Somerset contracts and Somerset County Council is withholding further public subsidy funding until a plan of action has been agreed.
Programme manager Katriona Lovelock spoke at a public meeting of the County Council’s Policies and Places Scrutiny Committee earlier this month where she admitted the situation is “extremely regrettable”.
She confirmed several villages in the Burnham-On-Sea area would be receiving upgraded broadband soon:Â Crickham near Wedmore;Â Lympsham;Â Rooksbridge near East Brent; and Weare near Axbridge.
CDS had initially been required to spend all government subsidy funding on broadband roll-out by March 2020, but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently granted it a three-year extension, moving the deadline to 2023.
