Wessex Internet completes South Somerset full fibre rollout for Connecting Devon and Somerset

Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) has confirmed that Wessex Internet completed its full fibre broadband rollout across rural South Somerset in January 2026, delivering ultrafast connections to more than 4,000 homes and businesses in some of the district's hardest to reach areas.

The build was carried out on behalf of CDS, a local government-led partnership that describes itself as the largest publicly-subsidised rural broadband programme in England. Wessex Internet was contracted to bring its full fibre network to more than 4,700 properties across hamlets and villages in South Somerset that could not access superfast broadband and were stuck with speeds below 30Mbps.

Construction began in Woolston, North Cadbury, in May 2021, with the first premises in North and South Barrow, Woolston and surrounding areas connected in November 2021. By September 2024, more than 3,000 premises in South Somerset were able to order full fibre broadband through the rollout. CDS confirmed the completion of the programme on 14 July 2026, noting a successful roll out of full fibre broadband to over 4,000 rural homes and businesses.

A rural-first build method

Wessex Internet uses a cost-effective approach to building in rural areas, working in partnership with local landowners. By crossing fields and farmland rather than digging up roads, the provider says it can roll out quickly and keep disruption to residents to a minimum. The network it has built is a new full fibre infrastructure independent of existing fibre, local exchanges or cabinets, though existing masts and ducts may be used where suitable.

The network is an open access wholesale network, which means any internet service provider can offer services over it. Properties connected under the programme can take a Wessex Internet service, with other retail providers able to participate through the wholesale programme.

CDS was set up to deliver next-generation broadband infrastructure to areas where the commercial market has failed to invest. Its programme covers Devon and Somerset county council areas along with Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset unitary councils. According to CDS, the programme has already delivered superfast broadband access to more than 326,000 homes and businesses in the region, with take-up of CDS-funded services running above 78%, higher than the national average.

Part of a wider Wessex Internet expansion

The South Somerset work sits within a much larger push by Wessex Internet, which deploys a mix of full fibre and fixed wireless networks across Southern England. The operator is working to expand its rural full fibre infrastructure to cover 137,000 premises and has so far reached 66,000 properties, laying more than 7,700km of fibre optic cable across the Southwest.

Wessex Internet is backed by Aberdeen Group plc. It secured £35m of extra funding in late 2023 and a further £50m from the National Wealth Fund in June 2025. The provider also holds several Project Gigabit contracts, covering North Dorset (Lot 14.01), the New Forest (Lot 27.01), South Wiltshire (Lot 30) and Dorset and South Somerset (Lot 14), worth £72m in public subsidy.

In August 2026, the company was named a winner of the Best of British Businesses 2026 award from The Independent and Business Reporter for its impact on rural internet connectivity. The announcement credited the firm's 350-strong team, many of them local with ties to the villages they serve.

"Like many technology focused businesses, [our] success comes from a blend of factors, but at the heart of it are the 350 passionate people who make up the Wessex Internet team," the company said. "Many are local, with personal ties to the villages they serve and a deep understanding of rural life. That insight helps them navigate the unique challenges of building connectivity in remote areas."

The provider says it has invested over £350,000 in rural charities and community projects. Its Community Hub initiative connects a local project in every build area for just £1. Recent beneficiaries include the Big Yellow Bus Garden Project, a volunteer-run community garden in Shillingstone, Dorset, which could not afford broadband access to its isolated site until Wessex Internet created and sponsored a bespoke connection.

CDS moves on from earlier contracts

The South Somerset completion comes as CDS has reshaped its wider supplier arrangements. The partnership has confirmed it terminated its two contracts with Bath-based provider Truespeed, while Airband's full fibre delivery for CDS was scaled back. Openreach, meanwhile, has been entering the final stages of its current collaboration with the programme.

For properties in South Somerset without superfast broadband that could not be connected under the Wessex Internet contract, CDS said it would work with Building Digital UK (BDUK) and the commercial sector to find alternative solutions.