EVERY vote from Malvern really does matter as the national race to win superfast broadband enters its final stages.

BT’s ‘Race to Infinity’ is offering communities the chance to be among the first to be upgraded to the new improved fibre-optic service.

The five communities where the highest percentage of residents have voted when the race ends on New Year’s Eve will have their exchanges upgraded by 2012 at the very latest.

Malvern was the outright leader in the early stages of the vote, but at last count had slipped to ninth place, behind the likes of Blewbury, in Oxfordshire, Caxton, in Cambridge and Whitchurch, in Hampshire.

Shortly before going to press, about 1,200 votes of a possible 15,677 - some 11.5 per cent - had been cast for Malvern.

Malvern Hills District Council is urging residents to vote before the deadline.

Coun Barbara Williams, responsible for economic development, said: "I would encourage all residents and businesses to vote so we can demonstrate that there is definitely a demand for better broadband in the district.

“Super-fast broadband would make a real difference to the way that businesses and residents use the internet and would also give our local economy a significant boost.”

The upgrade would mean download speeds of up to 40Mb and upload speeds of up to 10Mb.

To cast your vote log on to bt.com/racetoinfinity and select the ‘vote now’ option.