Residents in a North Dorset village are the first to benefit from a funded programme to help rural communities get a world class internet connection for free.

Wessex Internet has started connecting people in Fifehead St Quintin via a community project set up to help residents take advantage of the government subsidised voucher scheme available to rural areas.

But it was additional top-up funding from Dorset Council and Dorset LEP’s Getting Building Fund that made the scheme possible.

Lee Dickenson and his wife Wendy, who run a B&B business, are one of the first households to benefit from full fibre brought direct to their property by Wessex Internet.

It means they now have access to one of the fastest internet speeds available thanks to a full fibre 1 gigabit per second (1 Gbps) capable connection.

Lee, a sculptor, said: “It’s early days, but as we both use the internet, we are pleased to be able to get this superfast connection.

“We’d heard about Wessex Internet as we’d looked into a wireless connection in the past so when they got in touch, we were pleased to be given the opportunity to get full fibre installed.”

Another resident, Wowie Dunnings, pictured with Paul Dunnings and their sheep Wolfhanger Chestnut and Wolfhanger Quince, said: “We live in the middle of nowhere.

“We were offered a 0.5 Mbps download by another provider, and after posting a comment on social media, quite a few people came forward and told me about Wessex Internet.

“Then when we found out about the free connection, helped in part by the top-up funding, we were delighted.”

The government’s UK Gigabit Voucher Scheme allocates £1,500 to eligible homes and £3,500 to businesses in rural areas to cover installation costs.

The scheme works by residents pooling together to raise enough interest to apply for vouchers.

However, the government funding alone is not always enough to reach some of the more remote areas, which due to their geographical location and terrain incur higher construction costs.

This is where the Dorset ‘top-up’ can make all the difference.

The additional funds provided by Dorset Council and Dorset LEP enables residents to claim up to £2,500 and businesses up to £6,000.

Cllr Peter Wharf, Dorset Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “We are delighted to see the first fibre installation using Dorset top-up funding come to fruition.

“Seeing a rural community go from struggling on meagre broadband speeds to enjoying ultra-fast connections is exactly why we provided these additional funds.

“Without the Dorset top-up communities like Fifehead St Quintin would still be forced to cope with inadequate broadband not fit for the 21st century.

“Our rural area must not be left behind in today’s digital world.”

Ludo Skinner, pictured left, Director of Infrastructure at Wessex Internet said: “A sub-standard connection because you live in a rural area is unacceptable.

“Connectivity is a necessity – rural communities, businesses, schools, and the healthcare sector all depend on it to thrive.

“We are delighted to be working with Dorset Council.

“Local authority innovations like their Dorset Rural Gigabit Connectivity Voucher Top Up Scheme address any shortfall in funding and are crucial to ensure that rural areas are no longer overlooked or underserved.”

Wessex Internet and Dorset Council anticipate that the scheme will open up hundreds of households and businesses across rural locations in Dorset to world class internet connectivity.