Wiveliscombe and Milverton hope to have high-speed internet access by May or June after both areas reached 'trigger levels'.

A broadband roadshow, organised by Wiveliscombe Broadband and Taunton Deane Council, to celebrate the occasion was held in Wiveliscombe on Monday and attended by Adrian Flook MP.

"Ever since getting Wellington a lower trigger level for broadband in 2002, I have been campaigning for it to be rolled out into the rural parts of Somerset," he said.

"As I pointed out when I met the main board director of BT in charge of broadband to argue Somerset's case, progress was always going to be about getting community action involved in reaching the trigger levels.

"It is vital we get broadband into the countryside so that we can begin to help level the playing field for rural Somerset.

"So, congratulations and top marks to Wivey and Milverton who reached their target by working together and also to Henlade who also reached their trigger level. I am looking forward to hearing all about their success story.

"But low marks to Somerset County Council, which although it claims to co-ordinate economic development, has been very slow off the mark in making any tangible progress.

"Devon has already had taxpayers' money earmarked to roll out rural broadband while the council has so far only talked and dithered about the need for broadband to open up an information superhighway."

A website campaigning for Somerset to be broadband enabled can be found at www.somerset.faster-internet.info