Telecoms giant BT has announced a major expansion of super-fast broadband in Birmingham.

The high-speed technology will become available to nearly 46,000 more homes and businesses in the city by spring 2013 in the latest phase of BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of super-fast fibre broadband in the UK.

Acocks Green, Highbury and Priory are among the latest places included today in the rapidly developing programme, along with the Black Country communities of Cradley Heath, Kingswinford, Sedgley, Willenhall, Wolverhampton, as well as Whitchurch in Shropshire.

More than 615,000 premises in the West Midlands now have access to super-fast speeds, which will increase to more than 1.13 million when further planned upgrades are completed.

John Dovey, BT’s regional director for the West Midlands, said it would bring a major economic boost and assist people into new kinds of work, including starting up their own businesses.

He said: “This is a further major BT investment for the region. Our roll-out of fibre broadband is going from strength to strength.

“In these tough economic times, this exciting technology will give a big boost to local businesses and households. Sophisticated communications are the lifeblood of any successful community.

“Super-fast broadband can give our businesses a significant competitive edge, helping them save money and improve their services at the same time.

“Fibre broadband also has the potential to change the face of public services and revolutionise entertainment at home. Local families will be able to experience entertainment, shopping and a myriad of services delivered the super-fast way.”

Councillor Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council and chair of Digital Birmingham Partnership, said: “I welcome BT’s latest fibre product innovation. It is another important step forward in moving towards our goal of a fibre-to-the-premises network that provides potentially unlimited speeds of connection both up and down the line.

“These high speed broadband networks will enable our businesses and entrepreneurs to unleash new waves of applications and services and I look forward to a time when BT will ensure its network is fibre all the way, then truly, we will have a world-class digital infrastructure, enabling the creation of new jobs and securing Birmingham’s economic prosperity in a global marketplace.”