MORE than 2,000 homes and businesses in Tavistock now have access to high-speed fibre broadband, BT has announced.

This figure will increase to more than 4,800 as engineers complete the local upgrade in the weeks ahead.

Tavistock is one of the latest Devon towns to benefit from BT's £2.5-billion roll-out of the technology across the UK. Fibre broadband is already available in more than 20 communities in the county, such as Plymouth, Exeter, Ivybridge, Barnstaple, Torquay and Dartmouth.

By the end of spring 2014 more than 310,000 Devon premises will have access to the technology and BT is working with public sector partners in the Connecting Devon and Somerset programme to expand coverage even further.

Town and borough councillor John Sheldon, who has campaigned for high speed broadband for Tavistock and the rest of West Devon, welcomed the modernisation programme.

The north of Tavistock will be the first to benefit, followed later by the south.

Cllr Sheldon, the deputy mayor of Tavistock, told the Times: 'The work has not yet been entirely completed but we are hoping that we are totally on line by March 2014.

'I welcome this as an advancement for the town as it will underpin businesses here and enhance the use of the internet for the residents.

'Tavistock is indeed fortunate to have this investment from BT.'

Jon Reynolds, BT South West director, added: 'Our roll-out of fibre broadband continues at a world class pace in the South West. More than 1.7-million homes and businesses across the UK are already using our new fibre network.

'Whatever you're doing online, you can do it better and faster with fibre. Whether it's shopping, downloading music and video, watching TV, social networking, studying or researching homework, once you've switched to fibre broadband you'll never look back. Outside the home, it also has huge potential for public services and businesses.

'Businesses working better with fibre broadband tell us it's helping them in a wealth of ways, from day-to-day activities like downloading software, collaborating with clients and moving large data files around to big business decisions like expanding the workforce or introducing better quality IT services at less cost.'

For more details on Openreach's fibre broadband programme visit http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk">www.superfast-openreach.co.uk