Residents in Royal Wootton Bassett will be among the first in Wiltshire to be hooked up to superfast broadband during the next few years.

From the end of this year, businesses and residents will be able to order the fibre-optic broadband with speeds of 24mbps and higher as part of a project to bring superfast broadband to at least 91 per cent of Wiltshire by the end of March 2016.

Town councillor Chris Wannell said: “I’m very pleased. We could do with an employer in the town to replace the hole the dairy left, so hopefully superfast broadband will attract business to the area.

“There must be a manufacturer somewhere who wants a site close to the M4 with great communications to the rest of the country and in a nice area.”

The £35.6 million project is the result of a partnership between Wiltshire Council, BT and South Gloucestershire Council, with funding from the government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme.

Mayor Linda Frost said: “I think it’s fantastic – anything that makes communication better is bound to be positive.

“We all get frustrated when we can’t get online and this is going to be a great bonus for us.

“And it’s got to be good for business because so much business is done online these days. We just hope it’s going to be as good as they’re promising.”

More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Wiltshire will be able to connect to fibre optic broadband by June 2014 through the project.

Chris Hurst, Wiltshire councillor for Royal Wootton Bassett South, said: “I think it’s a very good idea and certainly likely to help expand business in the area.”

John Thomson, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for broadband, said: “Wiltshire Council has invested £15.5m into this project so I am delighted we have reached another milestone.”

North Wiltshire MP James Gray said: “It’s brilliant news. This will enable virtually 100 per cent coverage wherever people are.

“The people who really benefit from this are those small businesses who need the support.”

Bill Murphy, managing director of next generation networks for BT Group, said: “The fact that rural communities will be among the first to benefit from this partnership demonstrates our collective determination to get this exciting technology to more challenging locations.”

For more information, visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshireonline