Seventy-five towns and villages in Norfolk and Suffolk are set to benefit from upgraded broadband as part of a five-year project.

Openreach has today outlined plans to build ultrafast full fibre broadband in some of the UK's under-served communities.

A total of 51 exchanges across Norfolk are being upgraded, with places such as Aylsham, Brundall, Cromer, Diss, Fakenham, Framingham, Ormesby, Sheringham, South Wootton, Swaffham and Thetford set to benefit.

And 24 exchanges are going to be boosted in Suffolk, including Brandon, Hadleigh, Leiston, Mildenhall, Southwold, Stowmarket and Sudbury.

Kieran Wines, Openreach’s regional director for the East, said: “Building a new Ultrafast broadband network across the East of England is a massive challenge and some parts of the region will inevitably require public funding.

"But our expanded build plan means taxpayer subsidies can be limited to only the hardest to connect homes and businesses. And with investments from other network builders, we’d hope to see that shrink further."

Openreach is already building Full Fibre faster, at lower cost and higher quality than anyone else in the UK, having made the technology available to more than 4.7 million homes and business so far.

With download speeds of 1 Gbps, it is up to 10 times faster than the average home broadband connection.

It also means people can use multiple devices at once without experiencing slowdown – so more people in a household can get online simultaneously.

The plans also include an extension to the company’s biggest ever recruitment drive, with a further 1,000 new roles being created in 2021 on top of the 2,500 jobs which were announced in December 2020 – of which around 295 were in the East of England.

Mr Wines added: “This is a hugely complex, nationwide engineering project.

"It will help level-up the UK because the impact of Full Fibre broadband stretches from increased economic prosperity and international competitiveness, to higher employment and environmental benefits.

"We’re also delighted to continue bucking the national trend by creating more jobs in the region, with apprentices joining in their droves to start their careers as engineers."

NORFOLK

Acle, Aylsham, Brundall, Burgh Castle, Burnham Market, Cley, Coltishall, Cromer Town, Dersingham, Diss, Docking, Elmham, Fakenham, Framingham, Freethorpe, Gressenhall, Harleston, Heacham, Hingham, Holme Hale, Holt, Loddon, Long Stratton, Martham, Mattishall, Melton Constable, Middleton, Mulbarton, Mundesley, Mundford, Narborough, Ormesby, Reepham, Salhouse, Sheringham, Shipdham, South Wootton, Stalham, Swaffham, Swainsthorpe, Swanton Morley, Terrington St Clement, Terrington St John, Thetford, Upwell, Walcott, Watlington, Wells, Weybourne, Winterton-On-Sea, Wroxham

SUFFOLK

Aldeburgh, Blundeston, Brandon, Debenham, Elmswell, Eriswell, Eye, Eyke, Framlingham, Glemsford, Great Wenham, Hadleigh Suffolk, Halesworth, Lakenheath, Lavenham, Leiston, Mildenhall, Needham, Pakenham, Shotley, Southwold, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Wrentham