THE silent solemnity of the south Wiltshire countryside was breached recently as mole ploughs got to work in bringing super-fast broadband to rural communities.

Wessex Internet engineers were in Stapleford as the firm started work to deliver full fibre internet to 14,500 homes and businesses in the south of the county.

The work is part of Project Gigabit, a government-funded programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to get fast, reliable broadband.

The contract is worth £18.8 million and will see Wessex Internet expanding its existing network in the Wylye Valley, going across the Salisbury Plain, connecting villages surrounding Amesbury, reaching as far north as Chisbury and Little Bedwyn.

The first communities to be connected will be Stapleford, Wylye and Bapton.

Minister of State for Telecoms, Chris Bryant (Labour, Rhondda and Ogmore), said: “Connectivity is a vital part of modern life, for individuals, families, communities, businesses and government.

“I’m delighted that months of hard work are now paying dividends in South Wiltshire where villages that were once cut off will soon be able to access state of the art broadband.

“This will be a game-changer for residents, not only because it will provide them with faster internet, but because it will help create equal opportunities, boost rural businesses, and ensure our villages aren’t left behind in the digital age.”

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Wessex Internet’s contract was awarded by the government in March 2024 to be delivered over the next five years.

The infrastructure work follows six months of detailed planning to design the network route, liaison with landowners and communities in the areas that will be connected, and the opening of a new construction base in Codford, where civils operatives delivering the project are based.

Elsewhere, Wessex Internet is also working in the South Somerset and North Dorset areas, with more than 50% of the properties in that contract now connected.

Villages recently connected include Kington Magna, Buckland Newton and Holwell.

Hector Gibson Fleming, CEO of Wessex Internet, said: “Wessex Internet is determined to continue our mission delivering ultrafast broadband to rural communities that would otherwise be left behind by traditional providers.

“Supported by the government’s Project Gigabit, we continue this work at pace, and it’s exciting to see milestones being reached in both our first and one of our newest contract areas.

“This is great news for homes and businesses in the North Dorset and South Wiltshire, who will be able to access world-class connectivity and the many economic and social benefits it provides.

“We will continue working closely with the residents and businesses across these two contract areas, involving them in our planning process and informing them as soon as our future-proofed broadband is available in their communities.”

The rollout will continue over the next five years in South Wiltshire and complete within the next two years in North Dorset, the firm added.