DARTMOOR National Park is set to be boosted with superfast broadband, thanks to a new collaboration.

Connecting Devon and Somerset is working in close partnership with Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, to achieve additional funding for broadband connectivity as part of a current programme.

This has so far resulted in extra funding of over £700,000 to extend coverage for superfast broadband in hard to reach communities across the two parks with speeds of up to 24mbps.

Once engineering work is completed by the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme, more than three quarters of all premises in Dartmoor will be given the opportunity to sign on by the end of 2016.

This has been made possible by the additional funding secured by the Connecting Devon and Somerset partnership and the support of Devon and Somerset County Councils.

The funding will bring superfast broadband services within reach of rural communities and businesses based in the national parks; allowing them to use tools that can improve how they work, improve productivity and reduce costs.

Kevin Bishop, chief executive of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: 'Improved broadband coverage on Dartmoor is a top priority for the National Park Authority. 

'We have worked hard with the Connecting Devon and Somerset Partnership to achieve improvements on Dartmoor and to secure additional money to extend the existing programme and connect so-called "hard to reach areas". 

'We recognise how important broadband connectivity is to Dartmoor communities – it is an essential service to help people, work, live, learn and play.

'Much of this work goes unseen; it has taken us over two years to secure the additional money for Dartmoor and Exmoor. 

'We are pleased that 75 percent of premises in Dartmoor National Park will benefit from superfast broadband by the end of the current programme and we will continue to try and find solutions and funding to ensure the remaining hard to reach areas can benefit from this essential service.'

For more information on future superfast broadband coverage visit the map on the CDS website at http://www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk">www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk which also incorporates the coverage secured by additional funding.