Have your say! Survey of broadband availability across Herefordshire and Gloucestershire

2nd November, 2016

Residents and businesses in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire are being invited to contribute to a major survey of broadband availability across the two counties.

The survey is being undertaken by independent researchers at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) as part of the 'Evaluation of the impact of superfast fibre broadband in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire' due to be published in 2017.

The survey will be live until the end of November and the responses will directly feed into to the Fastershire project. The results will also help demonstrate the level of demand in communities that are yet to benefit from the Fastershire rollout and help raise their profile for better broadband with potential suppliers.

The survey takes around 5 minutes to complete, with questions relating to how residents and businesses currently use broadband and internet services and where better broadband services are required.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, and Cllr Harlow, Herefordshire Council cabinet member for economy and corporate services, responsible for the Fastershire project said, “Whether or not you live or work in one of the over 100,000 premises in the two counties that have benefited from Fastershire so far we hope as many people as possible complete the survey. The survey will allow us to accurately assess the impact the Fastershire project has made to those who already have access to superfast broadband, but more importantly the survey will give those communities who are yet to benefit an opportunity to have their say.”

Fastershire is in the process of tendering a second phase of rollout valued at £20m that will see faster broadband extend further across the both counties. The results of the survey will be presented to prospective suppliers and could help influence which areas they target in their bids.

To complete the survey, please visit - www.broadband-feedback.com.