Mel Stride MP has called for residents in rural communities struggling for reliable or fast broadband to consider applying for cash that has been set aside to pay for ultra-high-speed connections. Rural premises with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps can use vouchers worth £1,500 per home and up to £3,500 per business to support the cost of installing new fast and reliable connections.
Mel made the appeal during a visit to Widecombe-in-the-Moor where he met with local Teignbridge District Councillor Sarah Parker-Khan. The pair discussed the work being undertaken by Openreach and Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) to bring full fibre connections to the village within the next two years. Other areas of Central Devon set for improvements include the Teign Valley, South Zeal and Throwleigh. Teignbridge District Council had been looking to pull funding from CDS but Cllr Parker-Khan successfully argued it was essential to improving broadband speeds in rural communities and the funding was maintained.
Mel said:
“Having campaigned for better broadband in Central Devon for a decade I am very encouraged by the progress that has been made in improving speeds and reliability in many areas of our constituency. But gaps in coverage still remain, which hold businesses back and make many day-to-day tasks which rely on a decent internet connection very difficult. There are £70 million of unclaimed vouchers and I would encourage anyone struggling with poor speeds to see whether these vouchers could benefit them or their business.”
More information, including a postcode checker to see whether a property is eligible for a voucher, visit www.gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk.
