Broadband provider BT has revealed it is set to speed up the quality of connections available in the north-west of England.

The company has revealed that more than 140,000 homes and businesses look set to benefit from faster broadband by spring next year through the work, which will introduce speeds of up to 20Mb to communities.

Around 200 exchanges are included in the phase of the programme and the services will be available on a wholesale basis.

Mike Blackburn, BT's North West Regional Director, said the investment was a "vote of confidence" for the area.

He added: "Faster broadband can help businesses become more competitive and greatly improve the online services available to households."

BT is also aiming to improve the quality of services available in the West Midlands and the south-west of England in the coming months.

The company has also launched fibre-optic broadband services for homes and businesses based in Tettenhall.