RURAL residents are set to benefit from the rollout of superfast fibre broadband as Fastershire project reaches its next stage.

Rural broadband firm Airband firm has this month started work to provide superfast broadband to isolated rural communities in the Herefordshire.

Based in Worcester, the independent internet service provider specialises in providing high-tech solutions to deliver high speed broadband to homes, businesses and industry across rural and hard to reach areas.

The deployment forms part of the ongoing Fastershire collaboration between Herefordshire and Gloucestershire councils, aiming to improve broadband speed and connectivity in rural areas.

Currently over 87 per cent of properties in Herefordshire can access a 30mbps or greater service, increasing to 97 per cent under phase two of the Fastershire project.

Funded by the Rural Broadband Infrastructure Scheme and managed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs using the Rural Development Programme for England, this stage of the project will provide high-speed fibre optic broadband to 10 dispersed clusters of harder-to-reach premises across the county, starting in Tedstone Wafre.

"Getting superfast broadband to the harder-to-reach rural communities and businesses across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire will transform the opportunities and economic prospects for the area," said Airband RuralOptic project manager, Martin Cumming.

To find out if your property can already access faster broadband or where your property sits in the Fastershire rollout, visit www.fastershire.com and use the address checker.