Work has started on the first phase of a multi-million pound project to expand high-speed fibre broadband connections to homes and business across West Yorkshire.

Thousands of homes and businesses in 14 exchange areas are included in Superfast West Yorkshire’s programme, which is expected to help create jobs and boost connectivity in the region.

It will see high-speed connections reaching places such as Arthington and Hipperholme for the first time. There will also be substantial investment to make fibre broadband more widely available in Ilkley, Otley, Brighouse, Halifax and the Calder Valley.

Engineering work to lay the new network in these areas has begun with local homes and businesses expected to be able to order fibre broadband by the end of June.

Ian Gray, chairman of the Superfast West Yorkshire project board, said: “Our research suggests there are a significant number of homes and businesses experiencing broadband speeds that are lower than expected across West Yorkshire “This project will improve coverage, particularly across rural areas, bringing superfast broadband to many places which would not otherwise have access.

“This project will boost economic growth and bring social benefits across our rural communities.”

Residents and businesses across West Yorkshire wanting to keep up with progress of the roll-out can register to receive updates from Superfast West Yorkshire and to help it identify areas of high demand.

More than 3,700 businesses and residents across West Yorkshire have already registered at superfast westyorkshire.co.uk.

Bill Murphy, BT’s managing director of next generation access, said: “Planning a project of this scale, to get the very best value for money and maximum coverage, is a phenomenal task. BT and the Superfast West Yorkshire team have worked very hard to get to this point.

“A team of specialist engineers will now work to extend and build a fibre network which will bring a better quality of life for residents and provide a major economic boost by attracting more jobs and businesses to even more parts of West Yorkshire.”

Superfast West Yorkshire plans to extend high-speed fibre broadband to 97 per cent of households and businesses across the majority of West Yorkshire by the end of 2015. As well as providing high speed fibre, the partnership aims to ensure all premises in this area have access to speeds of more than 2Mbps.