Jobs created at new Wiltshire base

Wessex Internet is opening a new base in Codford, between Warminster and Salisbury, as the company expands its ultrafast broadband network to reach more people in South Wiltshire.

The civil engineering yard will employ at least 15 people, including ploughing and drilling teams who will build the fibre cable network, engineers who are qualified to work with overhead and underground cables, surveyors, and planners. It is positioned conveniently close to the main junction of the A303 and A36, making the location accessible to workers from across the region.

The new yard joins existing bases near to Yeovil in Somerset and Ringwood in Hampshire, and the company’s headquarters near Blandford Forum in Dorset. The new staff are needed to help the company deliver a new contract, awarded by the government this year, which will see 14,500 additional homes and businesses in South Wiltshire connected to ultrafast internet.

Ed Carter, Wiltshire Project Manager for Wessex Internet, said:

“Since being awarded this contract in March, our teams have been working hard to plan the best way to bring ultrafast broadband to rural and presently underserved communities across South Wiltshire. This is a five-year project, so the roll-out will reach areas at different stages.

“However, we’ve now reached the exciting stage of being ready to start the network build in September, meaning we’re looking for colleagues to join our team at a new base in Codford. We are looking for people with a background in utilities, construction, telecoms, agriculture, or the military. Our innovative approach to building in the countryside requires people who know how to develop understanding with local communities and landowners, and who show respect and care for the landscape in which they work.

“In return, we offer excellent pay and benefits for the right candidates, which over recent months has attracted many people to join Wessex Internet from utility companies and careers in agriculture. Unlike many jobs in the sector, we provide generous paid holiday, sick leave and family leave, private medical insurance and life assurance, and perks including tax-free schemes to buy tech gadgets and bicycles.”

The new team will help expand Wessex Internet’s existing network in the Wylye Valley, building across the Salisbury Plain, connecting villages surrounding Amesbury to the east, and reaching as far north as Chisbury and Little Bedwyn. The company has already rolled out its infrastructure to more than 3,000 properties in Wiltshire in areas such as East Knoyle and West Knoyle, Donhead St Andrew, Fisherton De La Mere and Corton.

All properties will benefit from full fibre connections, also known as Fibre to the Premise (FTTP), which means a fibre optic cable goes all the way to a home or business, rather than stopping at a cabinet down the road. This delivers far superior speeds and reliability compared to copper or partial fibre networks.