Fibre broadband to be rolled out to 90% of Derby businesses

Nine in ten businesses in Derby will have access to fibre optic broadband over the coming months, according to cross-sector telecoms initiative LightSpeed Derby.

BT revealed last week that 71,000 more homes and businesses in Derbyshire will be connected to its super-fast broadband service, with the work set to be conducted either this year or at some point in 2012.

Graham Bennett, chair of LightSpeed Derby, described the announcement as "fantastic news" that comes after 18 months of campaigning from the organisation for BT to include the location in its fibre rollout plans.

"Now that the two biggest exchanges in the city will be upgraded to deliver super-fast broadband, this much needed technology will be available to around 90 per cent of the city's businesses," he said.

Mr Bennett has previously highlighted the lack of commercial premises included in BT's last Derby fibre broadband deployment, which covered the exchanges at Chellaston, Peartree, Mickleover and Breadsall.

As a result, he insisted the rollout was "not as wide-reaching" as the organisation would have liked.