Dartmoor And Exmoor National Parks To Be Equipped With High Speed Broadband

When it comes to delivering superfast broadband across Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, Worcester-based Airband is the firm which has got the job.

In a press statement, Devon County Council noted that the terrain across the National Parks is very challenging, but Airband is up to the job, being a specialist in high-speed wireless connections for rural areas.

Due to the difficult and hilly terrain, wireless is obviously the best bet (as opposed to trying to lay cable), with Airband using a radio signal transmitted from a mast to a receiver attached to the building – a cable will then be run into the building to allow the user to connect up as they would with a normal ADSL or fibre connection.

This system will provide high-speed broadband to some 5800 homes and businesses in the area.

Peter Harper, Chairman of Dartmoor National Park, commented: “We are delighted that this contract has been signed. Improved broadband coverage on Dartmoor is a top priority for the National Park Authority. We have worked hard with the Connecting Devon and Somerset Partnership to develop a specification that works with the unique nature of Dartmoor and are delighted that Airband has put forward some innovative solutions to reach our deeply rural communities.

“We recognise how important broadband connectivity is to Dartmoor communities – it is an essential service to help people, work, live, learn and play. We are pleased that this new phase of the programme will deliver superfast broadband to some of our most hard to reach homes and businesses. We will continue to try to find solutions and funding to ensure the remaining hard to reach areas can benefit from this essential service.”