FREE public wifi is set to come to Upton-Upon-Severn as the town council goes into discussions with a service provider.

At the latest meeting of Upton Town Council, Mayor Henrietta Ross said that she and town clerk Jo Adams had been in discussions with Airband, a Worcester-based telecommunications provider.

Cllr Ross said: "Airband asked us to do an outline of the central parts of the town where there could be a public wifi system."

It is not known yet when the wifi system would be up and running in Upton, but Airband has carried out similar work in Kempsey and Guarlford already.

READ MORE: Vote for your favourite local pub in Pub of the Year competition

Founder and CEO of Airband, Redmond Peel, said: “The government has a fund for delivering fibre to all households in the UK by 2033 or possibly by 2025.

"Either way, it’s long time from now and we don’t want Kempsey and surrounding areas to wait that long. We’re aware that they are at risk of being left behind as larger operators and government focus on urban areas. There’s a great opportunity now – We want to help local villages before it gets spent in other places.

“The voucher mechanism is the way we can roll out this service, but we need businesses to come on board first. It’s a straightforward process and we’ve done it in other areas. As soon as we have these businesses on board, we can then reach out to all the residents and offer everyone a fibre-optic connection.

“We’re offering residents and businesses in Kempsey and Upton an opportunity to help themselves and their wider community - so that we can make sure that everyone gets fibre,”