RESIDENTS in parts of the Forest are set to benefit from an extra £2m investment to boost faster broadband coverage.

With the first phase of the Fastershire broadband project, in partnership with BT, nearing completion Gloucestershire County Council is now planning the next phase.

The council approved revisions to the Fastershire broadband strategy at a Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, strengthening the commitment to ensure that by the end of 2018 everyone in Gloucestershire will be able to access the broadband services they need.

The Fastershire broadband project is a partnership between Gloucestershire County Council and Herefordshire Council, and under the first phase of the project around 81 per cent of premises in Gloucestershire can now access fibre broadband, all at over 30Mbps. 

Gloucestershire has been awarded £2m from this fund, to be match funded by the county council, and this money will be used in the exchange areas of Cinderford, Coleford, Drybrook, Longhope, Lydbrook, St Briavels and Whitecroft.

Other areas of the county will be eligible for second phase investment once the deployment contract with BT is completed.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I’m delighted to announce the communities in the Forest of Dean that will benefit from this extra investment. Our work continues as we improve the broadband infrastructure right around the county so that businesses and communities of all sizes can grow.”

A contract for this next phase in the Forest of Dean is expected to be awarded in spring next year.

For more information visit www. fastershire.com/where-when/strategy.

 

•LIBRARIES across Gloucestershire are offering free wi-fi to visitors thanks to a £100,000 investment from the county council.

As well as the installation of wi-fi there has also been investment in upgraded PCs. The new PCs have improved software to make searching the web and carrying out tasks even easier, as well as increasing security for users. 

Cllr Andrew Gravells, cabinet member for libraries, said: “I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to bring free wi-fi to the county’s libraries. This has been a major project for the county council and as a result we’ve brought our libraries into the 21st century and given more people the chance to get online than ever before.”