Internet service provider announces wider high-speed roll-out

Major internet service provider (ISP) BT has announced it will be delivering high-speed web services to a million homes by March 2010, rather than 500,000.

The company said it will deliver faster connections of 40 megabits per second (Mbps) on a wider scale to confirm its commitment to high-speed broadband as the future of internet technology in the UK.

Faster speeds could enable homeowners to use VoIP solutions more easily while also being able to watch online media content in high definition.

Steve Robertson, chief executive of BT OpenReach, said: "BT has invested billions in creating Broadband Britain yet it has done so whilst offering others equal access to its network - demonstrating once again that competition doesn't have to be a barrier to investment."

One of BT's main industry rivals is Virgin Media, which already offers a 50Mbps service using fibre optic technology and has plans to offer even greater speeds in the coming years.

Fibre networks produce much faster connection speeds than conventional copper wiring.