AN internet service provider, which is based in the centre of Worcester but specialises in the rural, hard to reach market, has won two major contracts that will see its Midlands network expand across Wales, Exmoor and Dartmoor.

Airband Community Internet, headquartered in St Mary's Street, has networks across Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire and was set up six years ago as a family run, wireless broadband provider specialising in delivering broadband to rural communities that mainstream providers are unable or unwilling to reach.

As up to 10 per cent of the UK is still lumbered with painfully slow internet speeds, Airband has carved a niche for itself in predominantly rural areas, where the cost of laying the fibre or copper cables to link up with broadband services is deemed too great by mainstream providers. In comparison, Airband’s wireless service operates via radio waves, which can convey a signal from masts attached to existing buildings or designed to blend in with a forested landscape.

Redmond Peel, founding partner at Airband, said: “2015 has already been a hugely successful year for Airband. The need for improved broadband for rural communities has been creeping up the political agenda and local authorities have been taking the opportunities provided by Broadband Development UK to improve their internet networks to benefit all areas, not just those within reach of the mainstream providers. Although we have been successfully working with councils across the Midlands for a number of years, to have secured these two major contracts, well outside our normal geographical reach, is a real game changer for us. They will double our annual turnover and considerably grow our network.”

The multi-million pound contracts will be delivered over the next three years. The first, for the Cymru Infill project, is purely targeting business parks across north and south Wales and is to be completed by June 2017. The second contract is for Devon and Somerset’s national parks, for which Airband had to prove it had a discreet and sensitive approach to limit the impact of its network of masts without compromising the quality of its service. The Connecting Devon and Somerset project will be rolled out to rural communities across Exmoor and Dartmoor throughout 2016, targeting both business and residential customers.

Airband is also experiencing another wave of growth thanks to the government funded Broadband Voucher scheme, which from April this year has been extended to more than 50 cities UK wide. The scheme is aimed at small businesses which are unable to get superfast broadband and offers them a £3,000 grant to bear the cost of installation to a superfast network, thereby allowing them to become as competitive as their city centre counterparts. With the newly announced 50 cities now including much of the Midlands, Airband has found it is one of the few wireless companies targeting regional SMEs with the offer and has experienced widespread demand.

Mr Peel added: "We have been delighted with the response, but it is frustrating that so few SMEs are aware that this is even available to them. The funding pot will only be open for a limited time and the benefits of faster broadband need no introduction. If they haven’t already, we would strongly recommend SME’s to investigate if their location is eligible and sign up for the offer. Our service has ensured that a number of businesses have been able to remain at their current location rather than moving in search of faster speeds.”

Airband was established by Mr Peel and his wife Miranda in 2008 and now employs 15 people. It is now undergoing a recruitment drive to help boost its administration and technical engineering teams in order to deliver the new contracts.