PARTS of Alcester and the surrounding district are set to benefit from a high speed internet initiative.

The multi-million pound development by CSW Broadband aims to improve the speed of broadband by rolling out fibre optic technology across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.

The project was funded by 4.45 from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and 4.45 from local authorities.

Town councillor Clive Neal-Sturgess, Alcester’s broadband champion, said: "Faster broadband is absolutely essential for urban businesses and living.

"If you aren't able to access the web at quality high speeds then it will reflect very badly on businesses wishing to move into rural areas."

Councillor Alan Cockburn, deputy leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: "The CSW Broadband rollout is really gathering pace now and this phase brings improved connectivity to over 4,700 more properties, which, taken with the previous rollout means that almost 29,000 properties will soon have access to the new fibre network."

Ian Binks, BT’s regional manager for Coventry and Warwickshire, said: "We’re starting the new year as we finished the last, with our teams working hard to bring fibre optic broadband to parts of the Warwickshire and Coventry that don’t already have access to the technology.

"Increasingly we’re becoming more and more dependent on the internet for work and leisure – whether its families wanting to use different devices at the same time, or small businesses and home-workers, everything we do is easier, quicker and better with high-speed fibre broadband."

Many households and businesses will be able to start connecting to faster fibre broadband this month.

Not everyone will be able to achieve superfast speeds.

Certain factors may reduce the speed, including electrical interference, the number of concurrent users and the distance from the property and the cabinet.

The project involves installing fibre broadband at cabinet numbers 4,8,9,11,13 and 16 and laying fibre optic cables.

To find what cabinet your business or home is connected to visit www.dslchecker.bt.com and provide either a landline phone number or a postcode.