OPENREACH has outlined plans to provide full fibre broadband to 551 more towns and cities across the UK, covering around five million homes and businesses.

The latest areas include Bournemouth, Dunfermline in Scotland, Kettering in Northamptonshire, Sunderland in the North East, and Wrexham in Wales.

The move is part of the company’s £15 billion programme to reach 25 million premises, as it makes new gigabit-capable technology available to 43,000 premises every week.

Openreach chief executive Clive Selley said: “Our engineers and build partners are working flat-out to deliver this life-changing technology to rural, urban and suburban communities all over the country, and we’re delighted to be fleshing out our plans with more details about where and when we’ll be building.”

The work will start later this year.

Work has already started on a £30million project to bring the next generation of broadband to Poole and Christchurch.

Earlier this year, CityFibre, which is already working on a full-fibre network in Bournemouth, expanded its work to serve almost every home and business in the BCP Council area.

Lucy Cooper, CityFibre’s city manager for Bournemouth, said: “Bournemouth was among the first UK cities to be earmarked for investment as part of our Gigabit City Investment programme, so it’s really exciting to be extending this project into Christchurch and Poole.

“As a native to Poole, I am very keen that residents and businesses across the entire district can benefit from our network too.

Construction work is being done by CCN Communications Ltd an CityFibre has pledged to work with the council and local people on a “fast and successful rollout”.

Letters will go out to residents before work starts in their streets.