Fibre optic broadband to boost Sheppey employment, says MP

Fibre optic broadband will help to bring more jobs to the Isle of Sheppey, local MP Gordon Henderson has said.

The Conservative backbencher praised BT's decision to bring its Infinity broadband service to the area, reports Kent Online, branding the announcement as "excellent news".

BT will carry out work to upgrade the exchange at Sheerness, where many of the island's businesses are based, with Mr Henderson expressing hope the move will help to make these firms more competitive.

He stated the project is "incredibly important" to the local economy for this reason, adding: "My whole thrust is to help our businesses increase the amount of jobs they offer and I think this will help them do that."

Once super-fast broadband is available in Sheppey, average download speeds will rise from their current average of 2Mbps to a maximum of 40Mbps, the news provider noted.

In total, around 300,000 homes and businesses will benefit from BT's latest round of fibre optic exchange upgrades.