Residents and businesses in Brean have welcomed the arrival of super-fast broadband access in the village this month.
Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) has brought broadband of up to 80mbps to more than 400 homes and businesses in the village following the introduction of three new fibre cabinets.
James Heappey, MP for the Burnham-On-Sea area, said the new service is having “a huge impact” on people in Brean. “It matters hugely not only to residents and the many businesses here but also the 30,000 visitors a week so important to the economy in this part of Somerset,” he said.
By the end of December 2016, Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS), the tax-payer subsidised broadband roll-out, says it will have achieved its phase 1 targets on time, making faster fibre broadband available to around 320,000 premises in areas not covered by commercial providers.
Alan House, Director at Holiday Resort Unity & Brean Leisure Park, added: “With access to superfast broadband we’ve been able to move our reservation system to a service hosted in the cloud which has made a massive difference to the way we run the business.”
And business owner Stuart Nash at Brean’s Old Rectory Motel said: “We are really pleased that Brean now has superfast broadband. It makes such a difference to the area and is a boost for the tourism industry here.”
Cllr David Hall, Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “I’m delighted for everybody in Brean who now has the opportunity to access superfast broadband as a result of the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme. The ability to access high quality communications infrastructure is both critical to businesses and an important part of improving quality of life, and the more people across Devon and Somerset who are connected, the better for everyone.”
Paul Coles, BT South West regional manager, added: “The rollout of high-speed fibre broadband represents a major investment to the Brean area. It will provide a vital boost for local households and businesses because whatever you do online you can do it better with fibre broadband.”
Pictured: (L-R) – Martin Stockwell, Sunningcrest Caravan Park; Paul Coles, South West Regional Manager, BT; Matt Ballard, CDS Programme Manager; James Heappey, Member of Parliament for the Wells Constituency; and, Alan House, ?Director at Holiday Resort Unity & Brean Leisure Park
