BROADBAND could be beamed into Upton by a Welland company planning to introduce wireless radio internet to the town.

Agil-IT 9 (pronounced agility) is seeking to sign up 70 users in the area, so it can install a high-speed fibre optic line to a central transmitter and then broadcast a fast connection to residential and business users.

At the moment ADSL broadband - the most popular form of high speed internet in the home - is not available in the Upton and Welland areas because not enough people have registered an interest. The technology requires an upgrade at the local telephone exchange, which BT is reluctant to do.

Alternatives are available in the form of satellite and radio internet, but the cost is usually prohibitively high. However, Dave Dyke, managing director of Agil-IT, says if enough people sign up, a radio connection could serve them for as little as £30 a month, similar to that offered for ADSL.

In order to be financially viable, a minimum of 70 people would be needed. BT requires several hundred before it will consider upgrading the exchange.

Mr Dyke said the network created could be potentially faster than ADSL and no existing telephone line would be required.

"It's a better service, potentially," he said.

However, he did warn of possible teething troubles.

"I think people expect a reliable service from something like BT," he said. "This sort of thing requires a bit more tolerance because there are some unknowns. We haven't done it before."

The firm has been in consultation with groups in other areas who have successfully set up a similar scheme, including one in Ledbury.

Costs are likely to be £30 a month for residents, with a one-off set-up fee of around £200 to cover equipment and installation of a small radio antenna. Businesses which apply for a £700 government subsidy through Agil-IT and put it toward the scheme will receive a year's access for free.

A demonstration network, covering 10 homes in Welland, should be operational in a few weeks.

Anyone wishing to find out more should contact Dave Dyke on 01684 310430.