SUPER-fast fibre-based broadband has gone live to nearly 20,000 Bromsgrove householders and firms it has been announced.

The homes and businesses which BT will be rolling out the service to in the next few weeks form part of the first exchange area in Worcestershire to join the high-speed revolution.

The fibre to street cabinet technology offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps, set to rise to 60Mbps in the future, and upload capability of up to 10Mbps, potentially rising to 15Mbps.

The speeds will be able to power new business applications and more sophisticated home and entertainment services. Residents will be able to run multiple bandwidth-hungry applications, such as downloading high definition (HD) movies or 3D TV, online games, or complex graphics or video projects, all at the same time.

John Dovey, BT’s regional director for the West Midlands, said: “The advent of BT fibre-based broadband in Bromsgrove will support local jobs and the local economy and is a vital part of BT’s broadband plans for the West Midlands."

Bromsgrove MP, Sajid Javid has welcomed the announcement.

He said: “The arrival of super-fast broadband is a very important development for our communities and it represents a significant investment in this area.

“We welcome the opportunity for local householders and businesses to be at the forefront of benefiting from this exciting technology."