UP TO 1,000 new jobs are set to be created as a Worcestershire broadband company expands its operations.

Airband, based in Worcester, says it is set to create the jobs as it expands operations across the country.

The job creation has been made possible after Aberdeen Standard Investments acquired a majority stake in the firm, allowing it to provide broadband to an additional 500,000 premises by 2025. The company provides broadband to hard to reach and rural areas including Kempsey and Welland in Worcestershire and will be recruiting new staff for its “Fibre to the Premises” FTTP programme. The programme comes after a government pledge to continue subsidising the roll-out of gigabit-capable broadband, otherwise known as hyperfast broadband.

READ MORE: Worcestershire firm Airband hires first female engineer

The firm’s founders and existing investor Amber Infrastructure will retain a stake in the company, and Airband founder Redmond Peel welcomed the news, saying: “We’re excited to welcome ASI to Airband and are genuinely looking forward to working with them and Amber to continue rolling out full fibre broadband to our rural communities.

“Their support and expertise means that we, as a business, are able to invest in and grow our teams to significantly scale up operations, bringing better connectivity to towns and villages that really need it and creating hundreds of jobs in the South West. ASI are the natural partner for us because of their shared vision for the business and support of the culture that has been an integral part of Airband for years. Together with Amber we now have the support and backing to bring the Airband service and values to many more homes and businesses across the West and South West of England, with more than 500,000 additional premises being covered in the next 5 years.”

READ MORE: How Airband is helping apprentices during the coronavirus crisis

ASI’S head of economic infrastructure, Dominic Helmsley, said: “The infrastructure team’s first investment in the UK telecommunications infrastructure market follows our strategy to acquire and manage high quality infrastructure assets across Europe, and to work on behalf of our investors with local stakeholders to deliver safe and reliable essential services to local communities.”

Chris Hogg, investment director, Amber Infrastructure, said: “We look forward to working together to accelerate the availability of full fibre broadband across rural and under-served parts of the UK.”