BT rolling out fibre broadband to 70,000 Devon properties

Fibre optic broadband will be rolled out to almost 70,000 homes and businesses in Devon over the coming weeks, BT has announced.

The telecoms giant revealed residents and employers in Plymouth, Exeter and Ivybridge will gain access to the technology, which has already gone live in the first local properties.

Maximum download speeds of 40Mbps are currently offered by BT's fibre-to-the-cabinet service, but this headline rate is set to be increased to 80Mbps next year.

Super-fast broadband allows customers to download a music track in around two seconds and a feature-length high-definition movie in approximately ten minutes.

BT's regional director for the south-west Jon Reynolds said: "Fast and reliable internet connections are an essential part of our national infrastructure, whether we want them for entertainment at home, education online, boosting our businesses or delivering essential public services."

The company also rolled out fibre broadband to the first properties in the south Wales town of Llantwit Major last week.