Dorset council praises Dorchester fibre broadband launch

Dorset County Council (DCC) has said the arrival of fibre optic broadband in Dorchester represents one of the most important improvements of recent times for local homes and businesses.

BT announced this week that it is set to connect more than 7,000 properties in the county town to super-fast broadband, having previously launched the service in a string of local communities, including Poole, Portland and Southbourne.

By the end of 2013, over 200,000 premises across Dorset - and more than 1.4 million throughout the south-west - will be within reach of the telecoms giant's fibre broadband network.

Peter Speroni, programme manager for the Superfast Dorset broadband project at DCC, stressed that the introduction of faster internet connectivity will play a "vital part" in ensuring the future prosperity of the community.

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin added: "Super-fast broadband will create new opportunities for Dorchester, giving our businesses a competitive edge as well as opening new doors for people of every age and background."