MORE villages in West Devon are due to be equipped with high speed broadband this summer following BT?s announcement of a major expansion of the service.
By early September, exchanges at 29 more communities in the whole of Devon will have been equipped with broadband.
BT spokesman Jason Mann said more than four out of five BT customers in Devon were already connected to a broadband-equipped exchange and by next summer the figure would have risen to 99.6%.
The villages due for connection were those that had reached their target levels in the registration scheme, which had now been discontinued.
Mr Mann said: ?We are now in a position of moving beyond the registration system and have announced a roll-out programme for most of the exchanges across Devon.?
?By the end of June we should be in a position to announce a further 44 in Devon, which will be upgraded by summer next year.?
Lizzie Beesley, BT regional director, said the upgrading of these exchanges was ?a vital part of our commitment to deliver a truly broadband Britain, which includes everyone who lives and works in Devon.
?The creation of broadband in Britain is increasingly about encouraging take-up, rather than simply availability. It is vital that the public and private sectors continue to build on the excellent work already undertaken in raising awareness of the huge opportunities offered by broadband,? Ms Beesley said.
Broadband can operate up to 40 times the speed of a standard internet connection, although most popular services for small business and residential customers operate about ten times faster than the usual dial-up internet.