SMALL villages and "deep rural" areas will get high-speed fibre optic broadband in Devon and Somerset this summer.

Some 70,000 homes and businesses will have access to the technology by the end of July, said the £94m Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) programme.

The latest exchange areas to benefit include Braunton, Sowton, Pinhoe, Topsham, Kingskerswell and Swimbridge in Devon and Spaxton and North Petherton in Somerset.

"While some of these exchanges are located in urban areas, they can reach deeply into rural areas and cover many small villages," it said.

The programme will also extend fibre broadband coverage in Ilminster and Newton Abbot, building on the technology already available through the private sector's commercial roll-out.

To ensure best value for money when rolling out the technology to rural locations, much of the network is being extended from areas where fibre broadband is already available.

Andrew Leadbetter, cabinet member for economy and growth at Devon County Council, said the latest development followed survey work behind the scenes last year.

"Businesses across Devon will now have the chance to grow and develop and compete on a more equal footing with their more urban competitors."

David Hall, deputy leader of Somerset County Council, said: "We will do all we can to ensure that communities get access to superfast broadband as soon as possible.

"Already, thousands more Somerset homes and businesses are able to take advantage of the great opportunities offered by the new technology – and many more will follow in the months ahead."

An interactive map on the Connecting Devon and Somerset website has been changed to reflect the latest exchanges. The map will also be updated

regularly to show the progress of the roll-out programme as cabinets 'go live'.

The Connecting Devon and Somerset programme aims to make superfast broadband speeds of 24Mbps and above available to around 90% of homes and businesses by the end of 2016.

It also plans to ensure a minimum of 2Mbps for all premises within the programme area and is seeking more funding to further extend superfast broadband across the whole area.

The news comes on the first anniversary of the programme's partnership with BT.

BT programme manager Laurent Boon said: "We have made fibre broadband available to more than 16,000 premises and put in place clear plans to reach 70,000 by early Summer.

"This is a major boost for our households and businesses in rural areas."