7 March 2006
The South West region of the UK is set to reap the benefits of total coverage of faster broadband connections.
After the upgrading work is complete, over two million homes and businesses will have connection speeds between two and four times quicker than those currently available open to them.
During 2006, BT said it would be upgrading every one of the region's 667 exchanges with the fastest broadband capability that current ADSL technology will allow.
Lizzie Beesley, BT's South West regional director, said: "BT is committed to making these 21st century high speed communications available to as many communities as possible over the widest area, for everyone who lives and works in the South West of England.
"Faster broadband does not just mean faster emailing or faster surfing on the net. These higher speed services make it possible to do a whole range of new and exciting things in education, leisure, recreation and, of course, in the office: things which aren't yet possible for most customers. For example, people can choose from a distant library really high-quality, high-definition films and videos at a time that suits them."
Broadband take up in the South West currently stands at 29.1 per cent, which is slightly higher than the national average of 28 per cent.
The broadband boost is part of the company's nationwide roll-out of faster broadband connections.