IN the last year more than 130 roadside broadband cabinets have been upgraded across Worcestershire as the superfast version reaches more areas.

Now West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin is urging residents to move to superfast broadband as soon as it is available, so that others can benefit from the funds generated.

It follows the Government's announcement of an extra £440m to help the hardest-to-reach parts of the country to get access to faster broadband. Rural West Worcestershire lags behind national averages with just 77 per cent of homes and businesses currently able to access superfast internet. although that figure is expected to rise to 88 per cent by next September.

Mrs Baldwin said: "Worcestershire County Council has made tremendous progress over recent years to get more and more residents connected to superfast broadband and in the last year 133 cabinets were upgraded across the county. There is still a lot of work to do to get as many people as possible capable of upgrading to a superfast connection and I continue to work with Superfast Worcestershire to identify problem areas.

“This £440 million fund has been made possible because so many people have signed up for an upgraded connection and I would encourage people to move to superfast broadband if it is available. Both the Government and our own Local Enterprise Partnership have a vision to deliver world-class connectivity and I look forward to seeing the detail on this new investment and how it will impact on rural homes and businesses.”