A PLAN is in motion to put a mast in Okehampton East Business Park in order to connect with faster broadband services.

Devon County Council is working towards bringing better internet connection to the more remote areas of Devon, including Okehampton as it is situated on the edge of Dartmoor.

At a recent Okehampton Town Council meeting Devon County councillor for Okehampton rural Kevin Ball said: ‘I have been in contact with Angela King from Devon County Council in relation to the business park and we are working towards getting better broadband by looking at plans to put up a mast in the business park.’

The chairman of Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council, Cllr Derek Webber, said: ‘Having a mast installed would be really helpful. I think better broadband connection would significantly benefit the community. I have seen that a number of masts have been put up across Dartmoor. I think this is great as it is important that the rural areas remain connected.’

Devon County Council is also looking at ways to link with a broadband scheme set up by Connecting Devon and Somerset.

The scheme aims to bring faster broadband to the area, in particular it aims to provide rural spots of Devon and Somerset with better interconnectivity.

The scheme will run up until March 2017 and is open to individual residents, small businesses and communities.

Following an eligibility check, Connecting Devon and Somerset will provide a voucher for use with one of a number of recommended broadband suppliers, bringing broadband speeds up to a minimum of ten megabits per second.

Executive member for economic development of North Devon Cllr Pat Barker said: ‘Connecting Devon and Somerset have already brought faster broadband to much of Devon. However, some areas are still suffering from slow speeds and certain rural areas won’t benefit from the current roll-out. If you think this may apply to you, go online to check your broadband speed and apply.’