- Written by Rachel Candlin
- BBC News, West of England
image source, wessex internet
Rural areas of south Wiltshire will receive high-speed internet connections
Thousands of rural properties in south Wiltshire are set to benefit from a major broadband upgrade.
Wessex Internet has secured £18m of government funding to expand its existing network to around 14,500 homes and businesses across Salisbury Plain.
It is part of Project Gigabit, the government’s £5bn initiative to expand digital connectivity in hard-to-reach areas.
The first properties are expected to be connected by the end of this year.
“The record-breaking rollout of gigabit broadband is a game changer,” said Julia López, Minister of Data and Digital Infrastructure.
“It will bring ultra-fast connectivity to the most remote locations that were previously stuck in digital slow lanes.”
Benefit from up to 10Gbps connection speeds across all your properties
good speed
All properties can benefit from full fiber connectivity, also known as fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). Fiber optic cables don’t just stop at the cabinet down the road, they run all the way to your home or business.
This enables connection speeds of up to 10 Gbps, providing much greater speed and reliability compared to existing copper networks.
The upgrade will target the Wylie Valley, which connects villages around Amesbury in the east and extends north to Chisbury and Little Bedouin.
Hector Gibson-Fleming, CEO of Wessex Internet, said: “From entertainment to education, fast and reliable broadband is essential to modern life and is essential for those living and working in rural areas. People should not be left behind.”
Cllr Ashley O’Neill, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for broadband, said: “One of our key priorities is having a well-connected community.
“We look forward to working with Wessex Internet to successfully roll out this plan and see the real difference it will make to people’s lives.”
Wessex Internet has already deployed full fiber infrastructure to more than 3,000 properties in Wiltshire, in communities such as East and West Noyle, Donhead St Andrew, Fisherton de la Mer and Corton.
Construction on this latest contract is scheduled to begin in September 2024, with the first properties expected to be connected by the end of this year.
