RESIDENTS who have been impacted by a major scaling back of a fibre broadband scheme may be included in a wider initiative.

Only half of the 55,493 homes and businesses that were set to be connected to fast, fibre broadband will now be connected under an agreement between an organisation called Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) and its contractor, Airband.

CDS has representatives from Devon County Council on it, and is funded by the government and has also previously secured EU cash.

The scale-back has been partly blamed on a restructure by Airband, which essentially means it cannot fulfil its obligations to CDS.

Recent accounts for Airband to the end of 2023 show a sharp fall in staff numbers from 485 to 235, and a need for new funding by February next year.

The issue of the CDS/Airband roll back was raised in parliament by MP Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat, Tiverton and Minehead), who asked the Culture Minister Chris Bryant MP what the homes and business in the county that would no longer be connected by CDS could expect to happen.

Mr Bryant said possible options were being considered.

“We are considering how Project Gigabit can support the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to premises that have been descoped from Airband’s contracts with Connecting Devon and Somerset,” he said.

“This may include bringing more premises into the scope of Project Gigabit contracts in the region or supporting suppliers to deliver more projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.”

According to the latest update available on the Project Gigabit website, which was provided in April, contracts for Mid Devon, North Somerset and South Devon were set to be struck this month, with West and North Devon agreed by September this year.

But given CDS and Airband were still due to be connecting premises in those areas at the time of that update, some campaigners believe it’s unclear whether those deadlines have or will be met.

Project Gigabit is a £5 billion UK government program that aims to provide fast broadband to areas that commercial firms usually do not serve.