PEOPLE in the first town in Wiltshire to have superfast fibre broadband had a chance to find out more about the service at a drop-in information centre this week.

Royal Wootton Bassett was the first town under Wiltshire Council’s authority to have the capability installed as part of a multi-million pound partnership between the council, South Gloucestershire Council and BT.

Visitors to the Sainsbury’s car park at Boroughfields on Wednesday had a chance to find out how they could benefit from broadband and also have an opportunity to win a prize.

As well as representatives from the council’s online team, staff from BT Openreach were on hand to discuss the project and answer any questions, after arriving in the town on the BT Bus.

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for broadband John Thomson said: “This was a great opportunity for people in the area to find how they can get superfast broadband and the many benefits it can bring.

“We have invested significantly into this project but it’s hugely worthwhile as the ability to access this vital service will provide a boost for households.

“It also makes Wiltshire an even more attractive option for businesses looking to relocate or invest in the county.

“For those who perhaps need a little more help with computers and to get online there is plenty of support that we provide up and down the county.”

The partnership which aims to take superfast speeds of 24Mbps and above to 91 per cent of premises in Wiltshire by the end of March 2016, has also benefited from funding from the UK Government’s Superfast Britain programme and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

So far nearly 1,500km of fibre cabling has been laid and 300 new street cabinets installed to realise the projects’ ambition.

Visitors could also find out what the council is doing to encourage more people to get online through the council’s Wiltshire Online digital inclusion programme.

A team of volunteer ‘digital champions’ provide free, basic one-to-one computer support to help people get online.

For more about the superfast fibre broadband project, including a postcode checker and the council’s digital literacy scheme, visit www.wiltshireonline.org. More about Connecting Wiltshire can be found at www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk