Faster broadband for Derbyshire

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As part of a £1.5bm investment by BT, 79,000 more homes and businesses in Derbyshire are set to benefit from super-fast broadband.

The areas that will benefit from BT upgrading exchanges include; Mickleover, Swadlincote, Long Eaton, Chesterfield and Dronfield. This will take place between autumn and next summer.

BT is aiming to make super-fast fibre-based broadband available to at least 40% of the UK.

Fibre-optic cable can carry more information than copper wires and it does not slow down the further you are from the exchange.

A good broadband link operates at around 8mbs. Fibre-optic broadband has in excess of 10 times the capacity.

Andrew Bacon, BT's East Midlands regional director, said: "Our major investment in super-fast fibre-based broadband is giving this region the sophisticated technology to help it prosper in the future.

"Faster broadband continues to change the way we live and work, offering tremendous business, educational and entertainment opportunities for firms and households.

"BT would also like to roll out the fibre networks to parts of the region where the economics are more challenging and where some public funding will be required.

We continue to work with proactive local authorities on how this could be achieved.