Internet service provider BT has connected almost 4,000 homes in Fife to its fibre optic broadband service.

The homes and businesses in the region are among the first in Scotland to be connected to BT's flagship broadband internet service.

Residents and business owners can benefit from 40MB download speeds and 10MB upload rates.

However, BT claims that the figure could be ramped up to 60MB in the future - surpassing Virgin Media's existing 50MB broadband offering.

Brendan Dick, BT director for Scotland, commented: "As our roll-out of super-fast, fibre-based broadband continues, many more people in other parts of the country, including around 20,000 in Dunfermline, can look forward to faster speeds in the pipeline."

"BT is the only company consistently investing in a range of broadband technologies across Scotland," he added.

In June, BT announced that some 19,000 homes and businesses were set to join the firm's fibre optic broadband network in Bridgeton and Giffnock.