£60k to connect one home to fibre broadband

Connectivity issues prompts council to lobby for progress

The cost of connecting just one home to broadband in a rural area of Devon could cost around £60,000, it has emerged at a debate about pushing for better internet connectivity.

Members of East Devon District Council heard from one of their own about the astronomical cost of potentially linking their home to fibre broadband amid a debate about pushing for better digital connectivity for the area.

A bid to lobby the telecoms minister and galvanise local MPs and other councils behind a push for better internet in Devon was unanimously backed by the full council.

Councillor Alasdair Bruce (Independent, Feniton) said he had contacted BT to ask them to assess his property in terms of potentially linking it to fibre broadband, because government grants of around £3,400 can be secured towards the cost.

“Fortunately I was sitting down when they told me that to connect my property to the nearest location would be £50,000-£60,000,” Cllr Bruce said.

“I didn’t pursue that as I would be the only property to benefit.”

The council agreed earlier this year to run a rural broadband survey, and now with the results in, is trying to push for support in efforts to improve connectivity.

The survey, which sought the views of councils, other organisations and rural businesses, found extremely slow speeds – often  less than 2 Mbps, frequent outages, poor mobile coverage, and lack of fibre infrastructure. 

“Broadband in this part of the world is deplorably slow,” Councillor Paul Hayward (Independent, Axminster) the portfolio holder for assets and economy, said.

“It is one of the key services now alongside gas, electricity and water, it is essential as you need the internet to manage any facet of modern day life.

“Poor connectivity is holding back education, enjoyment of life, commerciality in the economy and it needs to be improved.”

The council’s chair, Councillor Eleanor Rylance (Liberal Democrat, Broadclyst) said: “Those of us with more rural wards definitely share this passion.

“”You have to have broadband for daily life, it is not a luxury but a daily necessity, especially with things like banks shutting.”

Councillor Matt Hall (Liberal Democrat, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh) added that there should also be a push to improve 5G and 6G coverage, especially given it was “wishful” to expect even 4G in many parts of East Devon.

Last year, an organisation called Connecting Devon and Somerset agreed with Devon County Council that it would only be able to complete 27,171 broadband installations at homes and businesses – just half the properties originally stated in its agreement.

Cutbacks at Airband, a firm linked to the scheme, were blamed for the scaled-back ambitions, with the firm focusing on its existing network rather than building new capacity.

Rufus Gilbert, a Conservative councillor at the time and who was a CDS board member as well as Devon County Council cabinet member for economic recovery and skills, said: “Sadly we’re in a position where we have little choice other than to scale back these contracts with Airband.

“The company is unable to fulfil its contractual obligations, which is deeply disappointing for us and the communities that have been waiting for a decent broadband connection.”