To approve the latest iteration of the Fastershire Broadband Strategy which will direct the approaches available to the Fastershire project to drive the deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure throughout Herefordshire and Gloucestershire through to 2022.  The Strategy introduces a new Stage (Stage 5) which proposes the establishment of a Grant available to communities that remain outside of any current plan to be upgraded to superfast broadband.  The grant will utilise a Dynamic Purchasing System to identify the best value supplier of services and will be offered on a first come first served basis.

The Fastershire project is a partnership between Herefordshire Council, Gloucestershire County and national government to provide a fibre broadband network where commercial companies would not use their own investment.  For Herefordshire, from a starting point in 2012 of 0.6% premises with access to superfast broadband, coverage now stands at 90%.  The revised strategy aims to continue to increase the coverage through delivery of existing contracts along with a new grant scheme to communities introduced in 2020.  Commercial providers will also be operating their own schemes which will add to the superfast and ultrafast coverage.