How Wessex Internet plans rural broadband networks are transformed by NUAR

Wessex Internet is an established alt net business that connects ultrafast, full fibre broadband in some of the UK’s most rural areas. They upgrade communities across the Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset countryside by installing full fibre broadband direct to homes and businesses, no matter how remote.

Wessex Internet manages around 120 installation projects each year. Planning routes often requires gathering underground asset information from multiple sources across distances of up to 5 kilometres, making data collection and interpretation a complex and time-consuming task for planning and field teams.

Wessex Internet adopted the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), a government digital service operated by Ordnance Survey. NUAR provides secure access to standardised underground infrastructure data helping teams quickly identify buried assets and strengthen existing safe digging processes. Following internal workshops, the platform was rolled out across planning and network design teams.

NUAR has made it easier for Wessex Internet to collate and access underground asset information, improving planning efficiency and saving valuable time. The platform’s consistent, high-quality data simplifies coordination with utility providers and gives teams quick access to critical information in the field, even in remote locations with limited connectivity.