ALTON, Bordon and Kingsley are among more than 200 ‘harder to reach’ rural locations set to benefit from a plan by Openreach to accelerate the installation of “ultrafast, ultra-reliable and future-proof” broadband.

In an announcement on Monday, Openreach confirmed outline plans to make the improved service available in 227 market towns and villages across the UK, with building to commence within the next 14 months.

In Alton, the project will embrace Holybourne, Chawton and Shalden.

Part of this build plan is within Openreach’s previously stated target to reach four million homes and businesses with ‘full fibre’ technology by the end of March 2021.

These new locations are part of the company’s ambition to extend its new ‘full’ fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network outside cities.

The plans build on successful village trials, launched at the tail end of last year, which have seen engineers developing a range of new tools, skills and techniques to help Openreach extend its full fibre network into areas previously considered too complex or expensive to upgrade.

There are clear economic benefits to building full fibre in rural areas: research shows that reliable fibre connection to every property in the UK by 2025 would allow half a million people to be brought back into work with at least 400,000 working from home.

In addition, 270,000 could be free to move out of cities and into rural areas, and 300m commuting trips would be saved each year.