MORE county homes and businesses are to be connected to quicker broadband as the second phase of the 'Fastershire' project is rolled out.

The first phase of the project, delivered by BT, enabled more than 37,000 homes and businesses to access speeds over 30Mbps and BT's own investment enabled more parts of the county to access a fibre service.

Now the project is looking to reach those in the most rural areas of the county with additional national and local government funding, having awarded the phase 2 contract for parts of the Golden Valley and the Forest of Dean to Gigaclear in December 2016.

Herefordshire Council has now approved a recommendation to award further contracts to cover the rest of the county worth £12.7m, made up of £1.6m from Herefordshire Council, £1.7m from the Marches LEP Growth Deal, £2.1m from Gloucestershire County Council and the remainder from national government via BDUK.

The funding will mean that the broadband network will aim to reach areas where commercial providers have decided not to invest, with the significant investment recognising the increasing need for fast broadband.

Councillor David Harlow, cabinet member for economy and corporate services, said: “We understand how important fast and reliable internet access is, particularly in the rural communities of Herefordshire. Through phase 2 of the Fastershire project we intend to make a significant step towards ensuring that even more businesses and residents can access the broadband services they need.”

Herefordshire Council has worked in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council for five years under the Fastershire project to improve broadband availability across the two counties in order to enable businesses, communities and homes to become more productive, competitive and sustainable.

Information regarding premises included in phase 2 for Herefordshire can be viewed on the Fastershire website from the end of March 2017.

Visit fastershire.com for more information.