East Devon MP meets Wildanet in campaign for better broadband as the company's rollout plans gets £50m boost

East Devon’s MP Simon Jupp met with the CEO of Wildanet, Helen Wylde, in Axminster on the 30th of June to discuss his campaign to expand super-fast broadband coverage ahead of a £50 million boost for the South West-based company’s rollout plans.

Speaking with the CEO and Wildanet’s Head of Network Services, David Payne, Simon Jupp MP raised his concerns over disconnected residents across the region who have been suffering with poor internet.

The Great South West, a powerhouse group seeking to boost investment across the region, is chaired by East Devon’s MP in Parliament and has identified the lack of universal fast broadband as a barrier to further economic success across the four counties of Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall.

Wildanet, a fast-growing and independent internet provider, has been accelerating plans to extend the rollout of its Full Fibre gigabit broadband network with the announcement of an additional £50 million of private funding from sustainable infrastructure investment specialists Gresham House.

Following the meeting, Simon Jupp MP is calling for residents across East Devon struggling with a poor internet connection to contact him directly so he can provide further support.

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, said; “We all hate dodgy Wi-Fi. I understand how it impacts residents across Devon who suffer slow download and upload speeds. A fast and reliable internet connection is vital for everyday life and essential for so many local businesses. I raised my concerns over disconnected communities with the CEO of Wildanet, who has heard my campaign to boost broadband across the region and is rolling out fast, reliable internet across East Devon whilst creating new jobs in the process.”

Helen Wylde, CEO of Wildanet, said; “It was a pleasure to welcome Simon Jupp MP to Axminster to show how we install and roll-out full fibre broadband across Devon. We discussed how communities in Devon have been without adequate coverage for too long. Wildanet’s commitment to Devon is genuine and work is already underway to connect tens of thousands of properties across the county to gigabit-capable broadband. Wildanet has received an additional £50 million of investment from Gresham House to accelerate our roll-out in Devon, bringing total investment from government and the private sector to over £100 million. This reflects our commitment to remote communities who, to date, have not been able to benefit from fast broadband connectivity that most of us take for granted."