WORK is underway to connect the towns of Castle Cary and Bruton to an ultrafast full-fibre broadband network.

Gigaclear, the UK’s largest rural alt-net, is already present across much of rural Somerset.

Now, the broadband provider is planning to continue to expand its existing network on a commercial basis to under served market towns in the county, where internet speeds are still extremely poor.

Castle Cary’s existing broadband speeds are around 32.6Mbps, while Bruton’s stall at 33.3Mbps, both well below the national average of 80Mbps plus, according to the compapny.

Gigaclear’s full-fibre upgrade will bring speeds of up to 900Mbps to just over 2,000 homes and business premises across the two towns.

In total the project will require more than 28,000 metres of fibre, which will be laid via trenching as well as through existing duct and pole infrastructure.

Jo Scarrott, South West general manager at Gigaclear, said: “We’ve already been building our network in rural Somerset where we’ve focussed on bridging the digital divide and addressing inadequate broadband provision.

"Now that we’ve got a well-established network here, we can turn our attention to its market towns, like Castle Cary and Bruton, which are calling out for better internet.

“Fast broadband speeds are a necessity for a modern economy.

"The way in which we live and work depends on the internet, something that has been sharply underlined by the pandemic.

"We believe in digital inclusion for all and we’re excited to bring our network to more people so they can enjoy the life-changing benefits that come with world-leading connectivity.”

The expansion of Gigaclear’s network build to Castle Cary and Bruton is expected to be completed by next spring.

To check if your property can connect to the network, visit www.gigaclear.com and use the postcode checker.