8,700 households and businesses in West Dorset will benefit from ultrafast full fibre broadband following the latest Project Gigabit procurement contract. Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has hailed the announcement as a campaign success for rural residents. Dorset-based Wessex Internet was awarded the Dorset and South Somerset contract, worth £33.5 million.
Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, said: “It is enormous progress that this Project Gigabit contract has been awarded, with the first full fibre broadband connecting expected in early 2025. It’s especially good news for many of West Dorset’s rural residents living in hard-to-reach areas – Wessex Internet are pioneers in this field. I’ve persistently campaigned in Parliament since I was elected to ensure better broadband and connectivity for our rural residents, and I’m grateful to Building Digital UK and Project Gigabit for investing in West Dorset.”
Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO at Wessex Internet, said: “We’re passionate about connecting rural communities to ultrafast broadband, making sure that people and businesses in the countryside are not held back by decades-old technology. From the first connections we provided to friends and neighbours in 2012, to now being awarded our largest government contract to date, we remain true to these core values. Everyone at Wessex Internet is excited we will be extending our service to thousands more people living and working in the new Dorset and South Somerset Project Gigabit area.”
