Residents stuck in broadband ‘not-spots’ across Devon are being urged to secure cash to help get them connected before a looming deadline.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS), part of a national effort by the government to improve broadband connectivity, was supposed to end last year, but has been extended.

Applications to the scheme now need to be in by August 2026 with any work required to connect the relevant homes or businesses to broadband completed by 31 March 2028.

The topic of poor rural broadband was raised by a Devon County Council committee, which agreed to lobby Westminster for a more robust and long-term national policy that could better support counties like Devon.

The council’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee heard that the current voucher scheme’s end was nearing fast without any prospect of it being superseded by anything else.

While the wider Project Gigabit aims to improve connectivity through major contracts, GBVS focuses on providing grants for residents and business that can be accumulated towards the cost of the network build where larger commercial suppliers are unlikely to operate.

But while a trio of suppliers in Devon are trying to connect rural and hard-to-reach premises with the help of voucher cash, the committee acknowledged there was a lack of cohesive effort to get residents to club together.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Torrington Rural and the cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin acknowledged broadband was “essential to everyday life.”

“Without good broadband people are at a huge disadvantage,” she said.

“It is not a luxury as it supports education, it is essential in schools, supporting children and young people to study and conduct research, while it allows businesses and farmers to trade online and access new markets.

“And in terms of healthcare, residents are increasingly relying on online GP appointments, repeat prescriptions and remote monitoring [of health conditions], not to mention it helps people stay in touch with family and friends.”

The report to the committee noted that Devon had been one of the most successful areas in securing funding from previous voucher schemes, adding that so-called Super-fast coverage (at least 30 megabytes per second) should hit 94 percent in Devon by 2027 but 35,000 premises remaining below that level.

Gigabit coverage in Devon stands at 75 per cent, with projections of this rising to 83 per cent by 2028. “This is likely to mean coverage in Devon will fall short of the national target of 99 percent gigabit coverage by 2032,” the report said.

“Given that there is no additional Project Gigabit budget available to BDUK [Building Digital UK] to plan and procure delivery beyond 2028, it is unlikely that Devon will keep pace with the national average of gigabit capable speeds and coverage, unless there is a change in focus from the government.”

The committee agreed to escalate its concern about this inequality to national government, and pledged to develop formal structures for engagement with parish councils, communities and individuals in terms of access to broadband.