Region's superfast broadband coverage shoots up by a quarter

According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, gigabit-capable coverage in the region increased by 25 per cent to 76 per cent in the year to April.

It means the region now has the third best high speed broadband coverage in the UK, behind Northern Ireland (85 per cent) and London (81 per cent).

Wales is the worst connected region on 50 per cent, despite a 22 per cent rise, while the South West is lagging behind the rest of England on 60 per cent.

The Government's Project Gigabit scheme to level up public services has now seen more than 5,000 public buildings plugged into high-speed broadband, with Wolverhampton one of the main beneficiaries having had 170 sites connected to full-fibre.

The buildings include hospitals, schools, youth centres, libraries, fire stations and leisure centres.

Gigabit-capable broadband means download speeds of at least one gigabit-per-second, which would allow a high-definition film to be downloaded in under a minute.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: "Fast and reliable broadband is vital to households, businesses and the public services we rely on every day.

"That’s why, on top of our transformative £5 billion Project Gigabit investment to improve rural connectivity, we have upgraded thousands of schools, libraries and hospitals across the UK to first class broadband fit for the future."

Ministers say the upgrades, made possible by a £164 million investment, will drive up productivity in public services, create better experiences for people who use them and encourage broadband companies to extend the network to surrounding homes and businesses.

This will boost the Government’s "national mission" to grow the economy and create new jobs, they add.