BT fibre broadband goes live in 30 new London exchange areas

BT's fibre optic broadband service has gone live to the first residents and businesses in 30 new London exchange areas, the telecoms giant has announced.

Over the coming weeks, BT's latest infrastructure upgrade work in the capital will bring next-generation access to more than 400,000 properties in areas such as Clerkenwell, Primrose Hill and South Clapham.

Once the programme is completed, around 1.8 million premises in the city will be connected to super-fast broadband, while the company is set to extend the technology to an additional 700,000 properties by the end of 2012.

Fibre broadband access allows customers to download a whole music album in 30 seconds or a feature-length HD movie in ten minutes.

Duncan Ingram, regional director for BT in London, said: "BT's investment in fibre broadband will benefit London's ability to compete and the wider local economy."

The news comes shortly after the company announced a further 114 exchanges across the UK will be upgraded to fibre broadband by autumn 2012.