Devon residents urged not to miss out as rural broadband funding deadline looms

Residents stuck in broadband “not-spots” across Devon are being urged to secure cash to help get them connected before a looming deadline.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS), part of a national effort by the Government to improve broadband connectivity, was supposed to end last year but has been extended until August.

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That is the deadline for applications to the scheme to be made, with any work required to connect the relevant homes or businesses needing to be completed by 31 March 2028.

The issue of poor rural broadband was raised by a Devon County Council committee, which agreed to lobby Westminster for a more robust and long-term national policy that could better support counties like Devon.

Devon suffered a blow towards the end of 2024 when the publicly funded organisation Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) confirmed that Airband, the firm it had hired to provide fibre broadband to 55,493 homes and businesses, would only connect half that number.

The county council’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee heard that the current voucher scheme’s end was approaching fast, with no prospect of it being replaced.

While the wider Project Gigabit aims to improve connectivity through major contracts, GBVS focuses on providing grants for residents and businesses that can be combined to help cover the cost of network build in areas where larger commercial suppliers are unlikely to operate.

But while a trio of suppliers in Devon are trying to connect rural and hard-to-reach premises with the help of voucher funding, the committee acknowledged there was a lack of cohesive effort to get residents to work together.

“The voucher scheme is the only game in town and it is time-limited, with no prospect of extension, so this is quite a crux point,” said Councillor Simon Rake (Liberal Democrat, Dartmouth & Marldon), the committee’s vice-chair.

Fabian King, who addressed the meeting as a resident but is also a member of East Devon District Council, said a third of homes and businesses in his Exe Valley ward had “poor connectivity”.

He stressed that Ofcom’s figure of 87 per cent full-fibre connectivity across the UK masked a significant urban-rural gap, with towns and cities at 91 per cent compared with just 61 per cent in rural areas.

He added that better internet connectivity could “reduce rural poverty”, but highlighted that encouraging homes and businesses to apply for GBVS vouchers was challenging.

The committee’s report stressed that efforts would need to be made by the area’s MPs, councillors and parish councils, but Mr King was uncertain about how well the latter could assist.

“Parishes are not quick off the mark with the new voucher scheme,” he said.

“You say we need parish involvement, but applications close this August and parishes are not ready to be involved, as they don’t know about the not-spots, efforts to organise communications around their parishes are not swift and agile, and parish councillors are volunteers with little knowledge of communication technology or the project management skills or time to assist.”

Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin (Liberal Democrat, Torrington Rural), the cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, acknowledged broadband was “essential to everyday life”.

“Without good broadband, people are at a huge disadvantage,” she said.

“It is not a luxury. It supports education and is essential in schools, helping children and young people to study and conduct research, while it allows businesses and farmers to trade online and access new markets.

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“And in terms of healthcare, residents are increasingly relying on online GP appointments, repeat prescriptions and remote monitoring [of health conditions], not to mention it helps people stay in touch with family and friends.”

The report to the committee noted that Devon had been one of the most successful areas in securing funding from previous voucher schemes. 

It added that so-called superfast coverage (at least 30 megabits per second) should reach 94 per cent in Devon by 2027, though around 35,000 premises would remain below that level.

Gigabit coverage in Devon currently stands at 75 per cent, with projections suggesting this could rise to 83 per cent by 2028.

“This is likely to mean coverage in Devon will fall short of the national target of 99 per cent gigabit coverage by 2032,” the report said.

“Given that there is no additional Project Gigabit budget available to BDUK [Building Digital UK] to plan and procure delivery beyond 2028, it is unlikely that Devon will keep pace with the national average of gigabit-capable speeds and coverage unless there is a change in focus from the Government.”

The committee agreed to escalate its concerns about this inequality to the national government and pledged to develop formal structures for engagement with parish councils, communities and individuals on access to broadband.