A WORCESTER-based broadband provider is currently working on one of the largest wireless broadband infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK.

Airband, which is headquartered in St Mary's Street, is connecting users in the National Parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor, which contain some of the most remote and poorly connected parts of England, to the superfast digital highway.

Matt Hancock, digital and culture minister, has unveiled the roll out of the Connecting Dartmoor and Exmoor superfast broadband programme across the National Parks. It is being hailed as a game changer for the region’s economy by business and community leaders from Devon and Somerset. Mr Hancock said: "Fast, reliable broadband is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity, perhaps especially in rural areas such as Dartmoor and Exmoor. It's great to see Connecting Devon & Somerset working together with the National Park Authorities, West Somerset Council and Airband on this innovative approach to roll out superfast broadband in such a remote and challenging area. The faster speeds will bring significant benefits to local people, businesses and public services, and open up the National Parks to a much wider marketplace so that even more people can enjoy these places of outstanding beauty.”

Airband, a specialist in high speed wireless broadband for rural areas, is delivering the £4.6m scheme to connect 5,800 homes, farms and businesses across Exmoor and Dartmoor. The Airband solution uses state of the art data radio technology delivering speeds of 30Mbps or more, ensuring high speed connection where fibre is not available. Its technology is also future-proofed so will be able to exceed these speeds in years to come.

Redmond Peel, managing director of Airband, added: "We’re delighted to be involved in coming up with a next generation communications solution for one of the most challenging areas in the country in terms of the dense tree lines, long distances involved, hills and existing structures. Through our experience of rural deployments and specialist expertise in implementing fixed wireless broadband, we’ve been able to minimise disruption and maintain this area of outstanding beauty.”

Airband has grown substantially in recent years, creating employment opportunities not only in Worcester, but also for businesses which now have access to superfast broadband across its network. This now spans across parts of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Wales, Devon and Somerset, turning some of the most rural and hardest to reach places into some of the best connected.