By Sue Crawford

Last updated at 11:33, Thursday, 20 December 2012

Faster broadband has been rolled out to another 51,600 homes and businesses in Cumbria.

John Grainger

Users in Cockermouth, Keswick and Maryport are among the latest communities to benefit from upgrades as part of the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service.

The BT investment will make available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the fastest speed previously available from BT.

John Grainger, managing director of Invest in Cumbria, said: “This investment is further great news for Cumbria.

“It’s good to see more communities benefiting from the roll-out of faster broadband through the upgrade of BT’s copper network. This technology will create new opportunities, giving our businesses a competitive edge as well as opening new doors for people of every age and background.”

Mike Blackburn, BT’s regional director for the North West, said: “Increasingly, broadband is an essential part of everyday life, whether you’re Christmas shopping online, sharing photographs and videos with the family, working in an office or as a homeworker, improving your education or just wanting to download a film or programme online.

“It has the power to transform every aspect of our lives and is a vital part of ensuring the future prosperity of communities across Cumbria and the wider North West region.”

This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5bn roll-out of fibre-based broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the spring of 2014 – and Cumbria County Council’s partnership with BT, which will bring fibre broadband to parts of Cumbria not covered by any commercial roll-out of fibre.

First published at 11:25, Thursday, 20 December 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk