BT broadband plan praised by NWDA

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has praised high-speed broadband roll-out plans recently announced by BT.

The major internet service provider (ISP) will be trialling high-speed service connections in nearly 70 towns and cities around the UK, 14 of which will be in the north-west in places including Manchester East, Moss Side and Wilmslow.

As a result of receiving the new service, web users in these locations could have more efficient use of VoIP hardware as well as being able to download web content more quickly.

Steve Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: "This is very good news for the north-west, particularly in this difficult economic period when so much investment by UK industry is being either shelved or delayed."

He added that faster services will benefit both domestic and business users, while the development also reiterates BT's commitment to technological advancements in the region.

Virgin Media is one of BT's main industry rivals and recently launched a 50 megabit-per-second service.