FASTER broadband is on the way to Worcestershire with the county being handed a £3.3 million boost.

The Government has awarded the cash to the county council after the authority put together a plan called Connecting Worcestershire.

Under the project, internet speeds would show an increase across the board by 2015.

Superfast broadband, currently regarded as 30mbps (megabits per second), would be available to 90 per cent of properties and at least 2mbps would be achievable for the remaining 10 per cent.

The cash is on top of the £8.5 million already earmarked for quicker broadband speeds by the authority’s cabinet last November.

Negotiations are now going to start with suppliers over the laying of new underground cables to fasten up the speeds, which will begin over the summer.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, leader of the county council, said: “This is a great day for Worcestershire. Slower broadband speeds restrict the ability for businesses to operate.

“Faster broadband will support local businesses and add to the county’s attractiveness for firms looking to relocate.

“I am pleased our submission for this vital funding has been successful and we will now work to put our plans into action as quickly as possible.”

Slow internet speeds has long angered people in the county, and led to the creation of the Martley Web Mesh, a community group of web users who set up six years ago.

The group provides help with accessing broadband speeds of about seven megabits per second to residents in or near the village from a local telephone exchange.

John Nicklin, from the group, said: “We’ve got about 60 to 62 premises that use about 200 computers, and our aim is to ensure as many people in Worcestershire as possible are connected.

“We are working in the same direction as the county council, so the money is welcome.”

To find out more details about broadband speeds in Worcestershire, log on to worcestershire.gov.uk/broadband.

A dedicated Facebook site has also been created on the topic. Visit facebook.com/broadbandworcs.