BT connects Ashington and Hexham to fibre broadband network

BT has this week bolstered its fibre optic broadband footprint in the north-east by rolling out the technology in Ashington and Hexham.

The telecoms giant has connected the first homes and businesses in the two towns, with more than 15,000 properties in Ashington and 5,900 in Hexham set to be hooked up in the coming weeks.

Recent research from Regeneris Consulting suggests the deployment will offer significant benefits to the communities.

According to the study, fibre optic broadband could boost the economy of a typical town by £143 million over the next 15 years, creating 225 new jobs in the process.

Farooq Hakim, BT's regional manager for the north-east, said the launch of super-fast broadband in the two towns will be a "massive fillip" for local businesses and residents.

"Fibre broadband offers local firms and households new ways of working flexibly and allows large data and video files to be sent and received almost instantly," he explained.