A VILLAGE near Didcot has beaten more than 2,500 rivals to obtain super-fast broadband after a tireless campaign.

The effort to get the Blewbury area a high-speed Internet connection saw nearly all eligible residents and businesses take part in a public vote.

Villagers knocked on more than 1,200 doors to drum up support in an online poll run by BT.

The technology offers internet download speeds of up to 40Mb a second, up to 10 times faster than a regular broadband connection.

This will allow easier use of online features such as watching TV and downloading music.

Organisers said 99.84 per cent of eligible residents and businesses voted for the upgrade under BT’s Race to Infinity contest.

It came after more than 20 campaigners canvassed homes in Blewbury, Upton, West Hagbourne, Aston Tirrold and Aston Upthorpe.

Campaigner Chris Whatmore, 53, said they started by sending emails to residents but soon realised it would take more to win the contest.

The Blewbury resident said: “We got to the point where we realised the only way this was going to happen was by systematically knocking on every door.

“We are thrilled to bits and exhausted. It did get physical and it was far more intense than we ever thought it would be.”

The villagers also campaigned to bring standard broadband to the area eight years ago.

Mr Whatmore added: “Quite a few of us were involved in a previous broadband campaign, so we were familiar with the issues and had a number of ready-made contacts who we knew would be supportive.

“With proper, future-proof broadband, Blewbury can attract people or businesses that depend on high-speed data connectivity.”

Graham de Wilde, 60, a campaigner in Upton, said: “For people who are maybe housebound it guarantees a service is available and they will not feel isolated.”

The Government wants to see high-speed broadband across the country by 2015, but winning the contest means the villagers will have the service three years earlier.

The local exchange will be upgraded using fibre-optic cable by early next year. BT said a survey would determine whether all homes in the surrounding villages would get the service.