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£600k investment for super-fast broadband in West Country
The counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire have won a bid to trial fast broadband services.
The local authorities have stumped up the cash to get the initiative underway, with the trial expected to attract investment of up to £12 million from broadband providers and the government.
Under the scheme, parts of Herefordshire, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, plus 80 per cent of the Forest of Dean, will be included in a project to test high-speed web access after the councils lodged a successful bid with Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK).
Councillor Chas Fellows, cabinet member for economy and environment at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Accessible fast broadband is seen as an increasingly important element of infrastructure for both business and the wider community."
Experts have tipped next generation broadband to be a major contributor to the success of local firms, he added.
Herefordshire was also chosen as one of BDUK's first super-fast broadband trial areas, along with Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Scotland's Highlands and Islands.