SUPERFAST broadband is set to be rolled out to nine more areas across Worcestershire this year, following on from the 1,400 homes and businesses already benefitting from the service.

£20 million is being invested into the Superfast Worcestershire programme, with plans to provide the faster browsing speeds for Wychbold, Inkberrow, Astwood Bank and Hanbury among other villages, as well as making the technology more widely available in Bromsgrove and Droitwich.

Simon Geraghty, deputy leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “This latest phase in the project cements our commitment to getting more than 90 per cent of local businesses linked up to high speed fibre broadband. Worcestershire is a good business location and the roll out of high speed internet connectivity will ensure we can compete successfully in the future both nationally and globally. This anniversary is a key milestone in getting to where we need to go as a county and helping local businesses to be able to develop and grow."

Ian Binks, BT’s Worcestershire and West Midlands regional partnership director, adde: “The rollout for Worcestershire is now well underway and I am pleased to report that we are ahead of plan. It has happened as a result of the hard work and dedication shown by the partners in this exciting project. This is proving to be a very effective partnership, which shows the great power of the public and private sectors working together to overcome challenges and deliver great benefits for the people and businesses of Worcestershire.”

Superfast Worcestershire is aiming to build on BT’s commercial fibre roll-out, which has already made the superfast broadband technology available to more than 170,000 premises across the county. The network is open to all fibre broadband suppliers on an open, wholesale basis, in a bid to ensure competitive prices for Worcestershire residents and businesses.

To find out more about which areas are benefitting from the scheme, visit superfastworcestershire.com.