Introduction
We act as the lead accountable body for Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS), a local government-led broadband programme, to deliver next generation broadband infrastructure to areas where the market has failed to invest.
CDS’s ambition is to provide superfast broadband speeds of over 24 megabites per second to all premises in the CDS area by 2020 and represents the biggest public-funded broadband programme in England.
CDS activity has been supported by funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) and local authorities across the region, and includes investment from commercial partners: BT, Gigaclear and Airband.
Phase One
Phase One has now been completed. CDS main contractor BT exceeded its contract target for this phase of the programme. During this phase, fibre optic technology was used to upgrade the existing infrastructure based on the telephone exchange and cabinet network. In some areas, fibre was brought in as a whole new network offering ultrafast speeds directly to the home.
Partner authorities for Phase One include Devon and Somerset County Councils, and Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth unitary authorities.
Phase Two
Phase Two of the programme is benefiting with funding from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, and includes £4.6 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 to 2020.
As well as all the authorities involved in Phase One, Mendip, Sedgemoor, Taunton Deane, Teignbridge and West Somerset district councils, and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership have contributed towards Phase Two and the Connecting Dartmoor and Exmoor element of the project has received additional financial contributions from Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks.
Latest information
For the latest information about the CDS programme and the roll-out of new superfast broadband in your area, visit Connecting Devon and Somerset website
European Union’s European Regional Development Fund