Mel Stride MP is working with Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires to bring faster and more reliable broadband to Nomansland. The pair on Friday to discuss the issue after a meeting between local residents and representatives from Airband on Wednesday. Cllr Squires attended the online meeting along with Mid Devon Councillor Polly Colthorpe and a representative from Mel Stride’s office.
Cllr Squires explained:
“Nomansland is split between the parishes of Thelbridge and Cruwys Morchard, with the west of the village set to benefit from improved broadband speeds in the next 12 months. But residents in the east of the village will not see upgrades until the next phase of the rollout.”
A potential solution is for residents to sign up to the Government’s rural broadband voucher scheme (www.gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk) which helps residents in rural communities struggling with slow or unreliable broadband. Rural premises with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps can use vouchers worth £1,500 per home and up to £3,500 per business to support the cost of installing new connections.
Mel said:
“If enough residents sign up to the scheme and the vouchers are pooled together it could make it viable to connect to properties in the eastern half of Nomansland within the next 12 months at the same time as the other half of the village.”