BRIDPORT, Lyme Regis and Charmouth are set to benefit from new ultrafast broadband after years of poor internet speeds.

The three west Dorset towns join Weymouth and Dorchester as the locations that internet service provider Jurassic Fibre will extend its ultrafast network to in 'the near future'. The surrounding villages and hamlets of each of the towns will also benefit from the installation.

As reported, Dorset Council and local parishes have called on the Government for more national action for fears that thousands of homes and businesses are being left behind in the digital age.

The new Jurassic Fibre network will provide internet speeds of up to 950Mbps for homes and 10Gpbs for businesses.

A spokesman for the internet provider said: "Residents and businesses will be able to benefit from reliable ultrafast connectivity when the network is rolled out over the near future in these locations."

The rollout is part of a £250m investment package which is expected to cover 360,000 premises across the South West, with coverage in Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Steve Garrood, chief communications officer at Jurassic Fibre, said: "We are excited to extend our network and propositions across more locations in Dorset, connecting many hard to reach rural locations, with further announcements to follow very soon, as our expansion gains greater momentum throughout the county.

"The pandemic has shown us how crucial having a reliable ultrafast broadband connection is in this modern age of technology, to stay connected with loved ones, facilitate hybrid working and remote learning and allow us to live our digital lifestyles to the full."

The expansion into five Dorset towns is expected to 'promote tourism and businesses in the South West and boost the whole region'.

Matthew Galley, head of partnerships at Jurassic Fibre, said: "The South West’s tourism industry is, and has always been, a huge part of the region’s economy.

"With the increased demand and pressure on tourism in the region following a surge in staycations driven by the pandemic, many businesses need extra support.

"Mobile signal is often patchy in the South West so providing connectivity through fibre broadband supports areas and tourist destinations without mobile coverage.

"By providing Fibre-to-the-Premises broadband, people can connect through WiFi and get by without mobile signal.

"When we go to the beach, restaurants, or shopping, we expect to be connected all the time. Anyone with children knows that the first question they ask is ‘where’s the WiFi code?’

"This connectivity promotes tourism and businesses in the South West, and boosts the whole region."