Major Full Fibre upgrade begins for Dartmoor’s most remote communities

Work has begun to bring Full Fibre broadband to some of the most rural parts of Dartmoor and West Devon, as engineers start the latest phase of the government’s Project Gigabit programme.

Openreach has confirmed that properties across a wide stretch of the moorland fringe and surrounding parishes will be included in the upgrade. 

The rollout aims to give homes and businesses access to fast, reliable broadband capable of gigabit speeds, replacing older copper networks that many communities have relied on for decades.

READ NEXT: Festive fun coming to Dartmoor as Moretonhampstead lights up for Christmas

Several villages on and around Dartmoor are included in the current build plan, including Meldon, North Tawton, Bondleigh, Exbourne, Folly Gate, Monkokehampton, Meeth, Merton, Spreyton and Broadwoodkelly.

Doddiscombsleigh, Lower Ashton, Higher Ashton, Longdown and Nadderwater, which sit on the eastern edge of the moor, are also included.

Nearby Devon settlements such as Chulmleigh, Burrington, Sandford, Cheriton Fitzpaine and Crediton are also due to benefit.

The rollout forms part of a national effort to help connect remote areas that would otherwise miss out due to cost or geography. 

Telecoms minister Liz Lloyd said:

“Whether it's families streaming together, farmers using new technology, or businesses reaching more customers online, this upgrade creates real opportunities for communities across Devon.”

Openreach says the work will involve extra engineering teams and vehicles in rural lanes, but the company aims to minimise disruption. 

ABOVE: Openreach engineers at work (Credit: Openreach)

Partnership Director for the South West, Martin Williams, said:

“We’re bringing faster, more reliable broadband to some of the most rural properties in the region. Wherever possible we’ll use our existing ducts and poles, but there may be places where we need to install new ones to make sure households are included.”

Full Fibre brings more consistent speeds, fewer faults and greater capacity, which is expected to benefit Dartmoor communities where broadband reliability has long been an issue. 

Openreach’s fibre network already reaches more than 385,000 properties across Devon, and the company is continuing its £15bn national rollout.

Devon residents can expect further updates as work progresses in each community, with Openreach advising that timelines may shift if engineers encounter difficult ground conditions or environmental constraints common across Dartmoor.