HIGH-SPEED fibre broadband is now available to another 680 homes and businesses in and around Kirkbride.

Engineers from Openreach – BT’s local network business – have switched on four roadside cabinets providing fibre broadband for Anthorn, Bowness - on - Solway and Glasson, as well as expanding coverage in Kirkbride itself.

Around 30 per cent of homes and businesses in Kirk have have already signed up for high-speed broadband since arrival of the first fibre cabinet earlier this year.

Since October 2013, the Connecting Cumbria project – a partnership between Cumbria County Council and BT – has enabled almost 600 fibre broadband cabinets.

More than 120,000 households and businesses now have access to fibre as a result of the project.

Mike Blackburn, BT North West regional director, said: “Fibre broadband is having such a transformational effect on small businesses in Cumbria, particularly those involved in tourism.

"It is helping them to meet the increasing digital needs of customers and the industry itself.

He added: “There is no quick and easy way to get superfast broadband to rural areas.

"It involves challenges above and beyond those you would encounter in a more urban environment, but we are making solid progress.

"As a result of Connecting Cumbria and BT’s own commercial programme, we have already reached more than 220,000 homes and businesses with our fibre network in Cumbria - and we are going further.”