High-speed broadband investment completed in Keighley (From Keighley News)

High-speed broadband investment completed in Keighley

12:30pm Thursday 10th January 2013 in News By Miran Rahman

High-speed broadband is now available to homes and businesses in Keighley for the first time.

Communications company BT announced on Tuesday more than 14,700 local households and firms are joining the high-speed revolution as engineers complete work on the investment.

Keighley is following in the footsteps of other locations in the region, including Burley-in-Wharfedale, Bingley and Ilkley, where fibre broadband is already available.

By the end of next year, 114,000 homes and businesses across the Bradford area should be able to benefit from BT’s £2.5 billion fibre roll-out programme.

A company spokesman said the new technology enabled a family to simultaneously download a film, watch a television replay service, surf the internet and play games online.

He said a feature-length high- definition film could be downloaded in less than ten minutes, while high-resolution photos could be uploaded to Facebook in seconds.

John Anderson, BT regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Research suggests that within 15 years, fibre broadband could bolster the economy of a typical town by £143 million and create 225 new jobs, 140 new start-up businesses and 1,000 more home workers.

“Fibre broadband opens up a whole new world to internet users.

“The arrival of fibre in Keighley can really help local firms in these economically-challenging times, opening up new ways of working and speeding up vital operations, such as file and data transfers, conferencing and computer back-up, all of which may also help cut costs.”

Kris Hopkins, MP for Keighley, said: “This is a very positive step forward. High-speed digital connectivity is now a necessity for our long-term success, and BT’s investment in super-fast broadband offers the potential for significant new opportunities, services and growth.”