A FURTHER 1,110 homes and businesses in South Somerset will be provided with ultrafast broadband access by Blandford-based Wessex Internet thanks to extra funding secured by Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) as part of a planned rollout to bring connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.

The additional properties will be added to around 3,600 homes and businesses Wessex Internet is already covering as part of its three-year publicly funded contract awarded by CDS in 2020 - bringing the total to more than 4,700.

Wessex Internet will now extend the network to connect to even more rural communities, including surrounding areas of Isle Abbotts, Bower Hinton, Yeabridge, South Petherton and Tintinhull.

Initial planning for these additional properties is currently underway, and a full community engagement programme will be rolled out to ensure that residents are fully informed of the plans.

The first homes were connected last year in the North Cadbury area and work continues on the network build in villages that include Hardington Mandeville, Chilthorne Domer, Ashington, Mudford, Yeovil Marsh, Odcombe and East and West Coker.

Hector Gibson Fleming, chief executive of Wessex Internet, said: “We are pleased to be able to bring ultrafast broadband to even more people in rural areas as we extend our reach to the western part of South Somerset where we know that there is a real demand for a fast, efficient broadband connection."

You can see if your property is covered by using the postcode checker HERE.