Rotherwas gets high speed broadband!

Businesses on Hereford's Rotherwas estate will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of super fast high speed broadband.

Thanks to the Rotherwas Futures project - a £20m joint venture between Herefordshire Council and Advantage West Midlands - an agreement has been reached with wireless broadband provider Airband Community Internet Ltd.

The company is to provide 4M8, 8Mb and 20Mb broadband services to the whole of the estate.

This will come as good news as most businesses on the estate have had to put up with low broadband speeds for years.

A previous wireless service was withdrawn in 2008 because it was unsustainable with the number of users it had - which meant that businesses had to install more expensive leased lines to keep up with the digital economy.

The new service will make wifi available to the whole estate for mobile devices and residential users within reach will also be able to use the service.

Cllr Adrian Blackshaw, the council's cabinet member for economic development and community services, said:  "At last Herefordshire businesses have access to the sort of broadband service that metropolitan businesses take for granted!

"This new service is crucial to attracting new businesses and new jobs to Hereford, and promotes Rotherwas to the premier league of business parks."

Redmond Peel, managing director of Airband, said: "We're delighted to be back at Rotherwas and old customers are keen to sign up to our much faster service. This will give Rotherwas businesses the fastest broadband available in Herefordshire

"Part of our agreement with the council is to promote our broadband service more, and this time round we hope more Rotherwas businesses will recognise how good a deal we are offering and the benefits and time savings they can get from a 4Mb, and faster, services."

Businesses wanting more information about the Airband service should visit  www.airband.ltd.uk, or ring 0800 0350025.

Ian Edwards, Team Leader at Advantage West Midlands' Rural Regeneration Zone, added his support: "Giving growing businesses access to high speed broadband is a must if we are to drive the rural economy forward and this introduction marks an important stage in the development of a longer-term vision for Rotherwas."