Airband to scale back broadband contract agreements with CDS

Airband and Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) announced that they have agreed to scale back Airband’s contract agreements to deliver full fibre to properties in the region.

Both companies will remain committed to finding possible alternative delivery solutions for those communities who were due to receive fibre broadband.

CDS contracted with broadband supplier Airband, initially in 2016 to deliver fixed wireless infrastructure and additionally in late 2020 to rollout fibre broadband networks to Devon and Somerset communities.

Four contracts were originally due to conclude at the end of 2024.

In total, Airband is contracted to deliver 55,493 premises. To date the operator has delivered 18,794 premises in collaboration with CDS.

However, following Airband’s restructure earlier this year, the company hopes to maximise take up across its existing network while slowing down on build activity.

This means it can no longer complete its contracted build for CDS in full. As a result, in April, Airband sought a change to its contract.

Detailed discussions have now concluded between CDS, Airband and Building Digital UK (BDUK) to resolve the situation, with Airband providing full fibre access to 8,377 premises.

This will bring the total to over 27,000 out of the original contracted amount of 55,493 premises.

This additional build will further unlock fibre delivery by Airband to 10,997 non-contracted premises, giving an overall commitment to connect a further 19,834 premises in Devon and Somerset.

The next stage will be to finalise the relevant build plans and secure compliance approvals from BDUK.

CDS is also discussing alternative options with BDUK, the Government’s national agency, responsible for the delivery of Gigabit Broadband.

CDS is urging BDUK to re-enable rural voucher applications to open promptly in communities where Airband will no longer be delivering, giving communities a potential alternative. 4

CDS will also seek confirmation of the Devon and Somerset premises that will be connected under the nationally led contracts awarded to Openreach as part of the Government’s Project Gigabit programme.

Kash Rahman, MD at Airband, said: “We have come to an agreement with CDS and will continue building the fibre network, albeit scaled back from the original contracted number.”