Thousands of homes across Great Yarmouth can now access internet speeds said to be 23 times faster than the regional average.

From today (Thursday October 7) Gorleston and Caister can connect to Virgin Media O2’s gigabit network, offering average speeds of 1,130Mbps – 23 times faster than the regional average.

It means consumers can send and receive large files, download TV shows, films and computer games in seconds.

The company says its next-generation Gig1 broadband service is the fastest available from any of the major broadband providers in the UK with the average speed in the area standing at 47Mbps.

Dan Bycroft, managing director of Charles Bycroft estate agents, said it was "really positive" news for the housing market, with fast internet a priority among buyers especially those from London and the home counties who were used to it.

Having a good service and more choice could only add to desirability in already sought-after areas, he said, adding it had been a source of frustration that the provider had not been offering anything in those locations until now, and with so much "migration" to east Norfolk over the last 12 months.

A statement from Virgin said: "As part of today’s gigabit switch-on, Virgin Media O2 has upgraded thousands of homes in Gorleston-on-Sea and Caister-on-Sea to gigabit speeds.

Lutz Schüler, chief executive officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Our continued investment means more than three-quarters of our network, including Great Yarmouth, is now gigabit ready, offering millions of households across the country access to future-proof services and the fastest broadband available from any major provider."