Broadband services for 10,500 homes and businesses in Norfolk have been upgraded.

BT has announced that Holme Hale, Mattishall, Mundesley, Burgh Castle and Middleton are the latest communities in the county to benefit from improvements.

It is part of the company's roll out of 'generation broadband' delivered through the area's existing copper lines.

It means homes and businesses will now have access to speeds of up to 20 mbps – more than double the fastest speed previously available.

Similar improvements have already been made in the Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn, Norwich North, Cromer, Dereham, Norwich Central, Norwich Thorpe, Norwich West and South Wootton areas of the county.

BT said by next spring about 85pc of homes and businesses in the region would be served by an exchange which had been upgraded to deliver the higher speeds.

The improvements have been welcomed by Chris Starkie, programme director of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership. He said: 'This kind of investment by BT is vital for the continued growth and prosperity of Norfolk. In a fast-changing, increasingly-competitive world, faster broadband is tremendously important for local businesses and for individuals wanting to develop their skills and education.'

Dave Hughes, BT's East of England regional director, said: 'BT is committed to making the technology available to as many homes and businesses as possible, as quickly as possible.

'But there is still much work to be done and we want to work with local authorities to find ways of getting to even the most challenging locations.'