BT fibre broadband "exciting" for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's enterprise minister has expressed her satisfaction at BT's plan to bring fibre optic broadband to more parts of the country.

Speaking to UTV, Arlene Foster said: "It's very exciting for me to come here ... and hear that Northern Ireland is at the top of the European leaderboard in respect of connectivity."

Under the telecoms giant's proposals, approximately 88 per cent of telephone lines across the nation will be hooked up to a fibre-enabled street cabinet. BT is aiming to complete the work by March 2012.

By this time, more than 2,400 cabinets in Northern Ireland will be connected to the company's fibre optic broadband network.

The internet service provider has also revealed the infrastructure will be "competition-ready", meaning its rivals - such as Sky and TalkTalk - can utilise it to offer their own services to residents and businesses.

Consumers who sign up for BT Infinity fibre optic broadband will be able to download a music album in 30 seconds, the organisation claimed.